[mythtv-users] Semi-OT: DVB in USA?

[Steven Adeff]

On 4/4/06, Kichigai Mentat <kichigai at comcast.net> wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "R. G. Newbury" <newbury at mandamus.org>
> > To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> > Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 2:01 PM
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Semi-OT: DVB in USA?
> >> Steven Adeff wrote:
> >>> On 4/2/06, Kichigai Mentat <kichigai at comcast.net> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Hello. I've been looking around the mailing list, and on the
> >>>> internet, and I'm wondering, what's the story with DVB in the
> >>>> United
> >>>> States? According to a map I found on the Wikipedia, DVB-T is
> >>>> supported in the US, but I can't find anything else to back that
> >>>> up.
> >>>> Finding a US version of a DVB tuner is rather interesting (though I
> >>>> don't suppose they would be regionalized). However, I have heard a
> >>>> few US residents on the list mention that they had experience with
> >>>> DVB (don't know if it was while they were outside the US, or what).
> >>>>
> >>>> Does anyone know what the story with this is?
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks for all the help.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> well, our OTA HDTV is captured using devices that use the DVB driver
> >>> system. Also Dish Network and Bell (Echostar companies in the US and
> >>> Canada) use DVB-S, as well as there are a few other FTA DVB-S
> >>> satelites receivable here. I don't know of any DVB-T stations in the
> >>> U.S. personally, but I've never really looked. I don't believe there
> >>
> >> I think the equivalent here is: DVB-T = US/Canada OTA Digital and
> >> needs
> >> an HD3000 and antenna
> >>
> >> DBB-S = US/Canada satellite, generally restricted to FreeToAir, of
> >> which
> >> there are lots of specialty channels available:  needs a receiver and
> >> (steerable) dish. Can receive the unencrypted channels from
> >> commercial
> >> sat providers such as Bell Expressvu and EchoStar (but not, I
> >> understand, DirectTV). In addition, apparently also needs an HD3000
> >> card...(makes no sense to me: I would have thought that the receiver
> >> would do that, but maybe not)
> >> See lyngsat.com for available channels: There are both Ku and C band
> >> channels available. C band are the 3+ meter dishes.
> >>
> >> DVB-C = US/Canada digital cable feed which will carry analog channels
> >> (SD only) and digital feeds (SD and HD feeds). The HD feeds will
> >> likely
> >> be encrypted and will need a set-top box+ firewire output feed to
> >> talk
> >> to MythTV. Unencrypted feeds (SD level and HD unencrypted) can be
> >> dealt
> >> with by HD3000.
> >>
> >> Someone correct me if I'm wrong here. It *would* be nice to be
> >> sure that
> >> we are actually talking about the same thing, even if we use
> >> different
> >> words to express that meaning. (Winston Churchill's comment comes to
> >> mind: Two nations divided by a common language...)
> >>
> >> Geoff
> On Apr 3, 2006, at 18.16, Todd wrote:
> > In the US, you will not see DVB-T OTA.  In the US, I am using an
> > ATSC tuner
> > to capture digital HDTV OTA.  See:
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC
> > I am using an Air2PC from here:
> > http://www.cyberestore.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=103
> > It also decodes QAM16/64/256 so it will render unencrypted Cable
> > TV; DVB-C.
>
> I thought QAM was significantly different from DVB-C.

You think correctly.  DVB-C is an extension of the DVB standard for
cable lines, QAM is modulation method.

<snip>
--
Steve