[mythtv-users] looking for an hdhomerun

Kevin J. Cummings cummings at kjchome.homeip.net
Tue Jan 8 04:06:27 UTC 2008


Larry K wrote:
> I have been reading the archives about HDHR, and I have a n00b
> question.  Before I get to that, I am currently capturing SD from
> Comcast (channels 1-99) with PVR 250s.  I have a Motorola 6412 dual
> tuner STB that gives me digital cable, encrypted content (HBO, SHO,
> etc.), and 20-30 HD channels.   My primary motivation is to make more
> channels available to my myth box, I don't really care all that much
> about encrypted or HD content, but I'll take that as a bonus.  I've been
> considering a firewire solution, but I've been reading about how quirky
> this can be, depending on the STB and the firewire card.  Now, I am
> reading about how HDHR might also solve this problem.  So....
> 
> Is there a way to see what QAM channels an HDHR box could "see" before I
> plop down the $170?  If we are talking basically the same content I get
> now via analog tuners, then HDHR makes no sense.  However, if most of
> the digital channels are on the table, then HDHR is for me.  A quick
> check of the silicondust website
> http://www.silicondust.com/wiki/hdhomerun/channels shows, for my zip
> code, a list of mostly digital music channels, and a few other obvious
> things like networks, and some HD content.  Not much content beyond what
> I get via analog capture, tho.  Not sure how reliable this tool is since
> it doesn't know who my provider is.

I looked at the listings for my zip code, and while I have 2 providers
in town, I see both duplicate listings of channels (the same station
listed on 2 different cable channel numbers) and unique channels from
both providers, but amazingly enough, there is little overlap between
the cable companies' channel numbers of the unencrypted content.  For my
town.  YMMV.  In fact, I'd be surprised if it didn't.

> When considering firewire capture from my STB, or HDHR, which makes more
> sense?  Ignore cost as a factor.

I wasn't aware that the HDHR would give you Firewire output, but if it
does, then it would seem obvious that you could receive OTA channels not
provided by the cable company via firewire.  OTOH, your STB should be
able to provide you with encrypted channels over firewire when you tune
the STB to it, should it not?  As to which is best, they are both
digital, are they not?  Shouldn't the quality be the same whether you
get it direct from your STB or you get it direct from your cable?
So you should base your decision on which is better by which will give
you more channels that you want.

disclaimer:  I do not use any firewire inputs with my MythTV setup as
yet.  So, I may be way off base here.

that would seem to be a better solution as it can provide firewire of
OTA channels if you choose to hook one antenna input to an antenna and
the other to your cable.


> Thanks
> Larry
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 12/6/07, * jason maxwell* <decepticon at gmail.com
> <mailto:decepticon at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>         Feel free to ignore / flame me as I'm sure I can find this
>         elsewhere but I'm going to be lazy - Does the HDHomerun let me
>         tune into all the non-HD channels I would normally get via a
>         cable ready TV? How speedy is it to cycle through the QAM
>         channels? My QAM channels cycle between being blank and whatever
>         On Demand shows are being watched at the time, and checking them
>         takes about ten seconds per channel on my Vivitek HDTV. Is the
>         HDHomerun faster at locking onto each channel?
> 
> 
>     Just for the fun of it, I tried to program those phantom on-demand
>     channels into myth. I had some trouble since they dont show up
>     sequentially, and not all at once. I managed to get a couple to come
>     up in myth (didnt spend a ton of time on it), but cycling through
>     takes forever, because if the channel is not available at the time,
>     you get an error after a timeout, and then you can continue.
>     Otherwise, tuning is pretty quick. I love my HDHR, and dont plan to
>     ever part with it.
>     -J
> 
>     _______________________________________________
>     mythtv-users mailing list
>     mythtv-users at mythtv.org <mailto:mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
>     http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users


-- 
Kevin J. Cummings
kjchome at rcn.com
cummings at kjchome.homeip.net
cummings at kjc386.framingham.ma.us
Registered Linux User #1232 (http://counter.li.org)


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list