[mythtv-users] DirecTV clarification, please

Rich West Rich.West at wesmo.com
Wed Jan 10 16:40:00 UTC 2007


Brad DerManouelian wrote:
> On Jan 10, 2007, at 6:57 AM, notimeinco wrote:
>
>> I've been researching MythTV to see if I want to put something
>> together for home.  I am a SD DirecTV customer and am looking at
>> adding HD.  I am also a TiVo user so I'll want to start recording HD
>> programming. I'm considering replacing TiVo with MythTV.
>>
<snip>
> I've resigned myself to only getting SD via satellite and rely on OTA
> for HD programming. Luckily I live in a city where I get all the major
> networks and a couple of smaller ones with OTA HD. Frankly, I'm still
> a little confused about the 169time boxes. I can't tell if you need to
> buy the $1000 box as well as the $800 AVX1 processor or if you just
> buy the box. I don't think TV is worth a $2000 investment over the
> $2000+ I already spent on my myth boxes.

I'm in the same situation, actually.  I'm not there yet, but, I, too,
have resigned myself to only getting SD via satellite and getting HD via
an over-the-air antenna.

With DirecTV, don't forget it's another $10/mo. for HD service ON TOP OF
the *rental* of the HD set top box (STB).

I've also got the DirecTivo to which both my wife and family are
attached to.  As you may or may not know, DirecTV no longer offers the
DirecTivo.. they ended their contract with Tivo and have subsequently
started pushing their own DVR.  They have not indicated how long they
plan to continue supporting the DirecTivo (eg: the distribution of the
guide data).

Admittedly, the Tivo interface is hard to beat.  MythTV offers a good
interface and I got buy-in from my wife (not the kids, yet..), but, for
TV viewing and recording management, the simplicity of the DirecTivo
interface is easy enough for a 4yr old to use it (talking from
experience here).  I'm not sure my 6yr old would be able to properly
navigate MythTV's interface without mucking something up, but we'll see...

I've got things working well on our 1 SDTV (27" CRT).  It's also working
well with our 16x9 rear projection via s-video and having the TV stretch
the 4:3 image out to fill the screen.  I don't have it working with the
16:9 projection via HD (component) on the same set, though.  I hope to
try it via VGA to our new 32" LCD (once I get the warranty replacement
one from the manufacturer!)...

-Rich


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