[mythtv-users] Newbie Question about tuners, IR Blasters, and Cable Box

[griz_quattro]

Brett Kosinski wrote:

>> I have researching Myth but have been drowning in information and the
>> various ways that folks have been setting up their systems.
>> I have Comcast/Time Warner and a Motorola DCT2224 and plan to get a 
>> couple of PVR-250 or 350 tuner/decoder cards.
>>
>> My questions are:
>>
>> 1. (Answered)
> 
>> 2. Don't the tuners select the proper channel based on freqency, without
>> using the STB?
> 
> Not in this case, unfortunately.  For basic, non-digital cable, this is the
> case.  For digital, however, the streams are QAM modulated and encrypted.

A QAM card would be needed to demodulate and the STB to decrypt?
Like a pcHDTV3000 or pcHDTV5000, not a PVR-250/350. But then, I don't 
have an HDTV television. So many options. Are the PVR-250/350 under 
powered or are the pcHDTV3000/5000 overkill?

>> 3. (Answered)
> 
>> 4. (Answered)
> 
>> 5. Does Motorola (or anyone else) make a dual tuner STB?
> 
> Probably not for what you need (two tuners *and* two video outputs, with 
> the ability to receive and output both feeds simultaneously).
> You'll just need to pick up another STB.  Fortunately, they can be had for
> peanuts on ebay.

Read up on this and may not work because of the IP (or some ID scheme) 
sorta pings the STB's on some cable systems. I may be wrong on this.

> As for STB control, you'll need a pair of IR blasters.  If you have
> soldering experience, you can build 'em pretty cheaply.  However, if 
> you're lazy like me :), you can always buy them online.  I went with
> www.irblaster.info, and they work terrific for my DCT2500.
> 
> Brett.

I may go with the IR Blaster since they are used by so many with
good results. Thanks Brett for the very rapid response.