[mythtv-users] Shouldn't have bought an HDTV

[Daniel Agar]

> Doug Meredith wrote:
>>
>> I’ve been a MythTV user for over a year now, and the WAF has been very
>> high. About six weeks ago I made the mistake of buying our first HDTV.
>> My wife is quite disappointed that everything looks “the same”. To be
>> honest, I’m pretty disappointed too. Even DVDs look amazing compared
>> to my captures. I’ve been investigating my options for capturing HDTV,
>> and have come up with the following:
>>
>>    1. Over the air. Not an option. There are no HD broadcasts in New
>>       Brunswick, Canada.
>>    2. QAM capture. I get four unencrypted HD stations and a number of
>>       digital SD broadcasts. I have an HD Home Run but I’m nervous
>>       about deploying this at all due to reports of cable companies
>>       changing what is available unencrypted or changing frequency
>>       assignments without warning. In any case, it isn’t going to get
>>       me HD.
>>    3. Get a cable box and hope that I get what I want through fire
>>       wire. Some people have difficulty making this work, it seems. No
>>       guarantee there will be **any** unencrypted stations on fire
>>       wire, and if there are, no guarantee they will stay unencrypted.
>>       I don’t think I would risk this even if it would work now.
>>       Better to never have HD than to have it and have to tell my wife
>>       we are going back to SD.
>>    4. Get a moded cable or satellite box. The two options I have seen
>>       are Windows-only. It isn’t clear how easy or convenient it would
>>       be to tie Myth into there recording scheme.
>>
>> Unless I’m missing something, there are **no** good options. Option
>> four, while expensive, looks the most hopeful. I’m just not sure I’m
>> willing to put in the time required to be on the bleeding edge with
>> this.
>>
>> We can dream about the encryption situation changing, but I don’t
>> think that anything is going to happen that will let me record HD in
>> the next couple of years. If anything, cable companies are likely to
>> clamp down more and more on options two and three. It really looks
>> like option four may be my only hope.
>>
>> Have I missed anything that should give me reason to be optimistic
>> about being able to record HD in the (very) short term? Personally I
>> wouldn’t give up Myth just to get HD. But I worry greatly about the WAF.
>>
>> Doug
>>
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> Hi Doug,
>
> I'm actually in NB as well and am just renting the Roger's HD set top
> box (the plain one, not the PVR). It's been working quite well for me
> for the past month or so. If my STB can tune the channel I can pull it
> off just fine over firewire. If you go that route and you run into
> problems I'll try and help.
> My only problem is playing back the HD Fox channels (720p), all of the
> rest of the HD channels play fine. Odd since I actually have to run a
> deinterlacer for the rest of the channels and they play better.
>
> Brad

Sorry to hijack the thread, but do you get CBC HD unencrypted Brad? For
some reason CBC and PBS HD don't come in over firewire for me in Ontario.
I was quite disappointed.