[mythtv-users] What's the point of MythTV HD?

[Joe Votour]

On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 20:36:18 -0500, "Benjamin Carlisle"
<ben.carlisle at gmail.com> wrote:

<snip>

> Can I not legally record these so-called "premium" HD channels using
> MythTV (without significant expense)?  

No.

There are boxes that will let you record some channels off satellite, but
they are both of questionable legality, and very expensive.

If not, what is the point of MythTV in a setup where you WANT those premium
channels in HD?  Why
> not just suck it up and pay these jerks their money for the DVR STBs?

Really there isn't much of a point in this case, except to have one machine
be the entire entertainment center.  I'm still using MythTV because my
cable company doesn't offer digital TV.  I receive my digital/HD via OTA,
and MythTV works great for that.  My friends who have Comcast digital cable
tell me (and I've observed) that their HD is compressed very badly,
sometimes leading to massive glitches in the signal that are unwatchable. 
(Think noticeable MPEG-2 artifacts every two minutes during a baseball
game.)

I see it as something that will be on a user-by-user/case by case basis. 
Windows MCE (both XP and Vista) are still unable to do OTA properly
(subchannels don't work correctly) and I believe still can't do QAM without
a hack.  Their CableCard solution apparently isn't too hot either,
according to some reviews I've read.

Right now, it seems that the future is moving away from PCs recording a
signal to DRM-infested boxes filled with advertisements.

-- Joe