[mythtv-users] A General Directions Question

NoName Anonymous iwmdil at yahoo.com
Thu Jul 3 12:28:16 UTC 2008


Thank you Steve and iamlindoro.  

One of these days I'll figure out mailing lists.  I've included your responses below.  

Actually, I haven't thought much about HD.  My TV is capable of it (HD) and the day will come, but right now I'm worried about the Analog to Digital switch.  To me, the HD switch is just a bandwidth and processing problem.  I don't mind waiting a bit for MythTV HD code to get out of alpha, and won't mind playing a bit with a beta.  

So, yes I completely agree "The main hurdle here is how to get the signals into the mythtv box".    That's my current problem.  How to move from analog/composite to digital.  It seems very messy and inefficient to take a digital signal and convert it to analog only to convert it back to digital for storage on a PVR.  Longer term plans suggest a digital interface such as firewire, USB or Ethernet.  I guess that's what I need to start working with, the digital interface to a MythTV box from either Comcast or DirecTV.  

I don't quite understand your setup though.  It sounds like Steve has (or has had) Comcast, DirecTV and OTA:

     +  OTA is via digital tuners (ATSC TV Tuners) but that doesn't apply to my location.  

     +  Comcast is using Set Top Boxes (STB's) via firewire (and I assume IR blaster to control the box(es).   The catch here is how long Comcast will maintain Firewire ports for the output signal.  Other posts have discussed their probably intentions to go all digital, sometime after OTA goes all digital.  The big question then becomes whether the digital signal is encrypted or not.  It it's encrypted then every TV (or PVR) would require it's own STB and internal TV tuners would become worthless.  At this point, to the best of my knowledge, if you want digital from Comcast you MUST get an STB. 

     +  DirecTV is via an HDPVR (wanting a second) and I don't understand how the signal gets to MythTV (or if it does at all).  What viable options might exist to get DirecTV signals to a MythTV box (Generic PVR)?

I'll do some research but could you elaborate on the Hauppauge HDPVR?  It's capable of "talking" to DirecTV and/or receiving satellite signals?  I thought the only DirecTV options came directly from DirecTV and since they've abandoned TiVo their stuff was all proprietary.  

What a mess.  Not only that but we've not even touched on the method of connecting the MythTV to the TV (component, composite, S-Video, DVI and HDMI, etc.).  Hopefully things will settle down to one interface (HDMI) in this regard.  

Thank you very much for your replies.  Here are your replies to my original post.  

You said: "the main hurdle here is how to get the signals into a mythtv box. 
when I had comcast their STB had a live firewire output on all 
the channels even the 5C ones.  if this is true in your area 
then the question is how many separate firewire inputs can mythtv handle. 
directv has no such firewire but there is the HDPVR from hauppauge 
which I have and love. it doesnt do "live tv" though. it only 
records. 

so I should I guess say this assumes you dont want just the old 
standard def tv signal which you can record from any composite 
input on a tv tuner. 

so if you really want to stream multiple live tv signals around 
the house then comcast and the hope that they keep the firewire 
port alive and well for a while. 

personally I have a couple of atsc tv tuners for HD locals 
and the hdpvr for recording off directv. hoping to get another 
one so I can record 2 shows at once from directv. I also have 2 
STBs. I also never really care to do live tv unless there 
is a sharks hockey game on." 

And:  "Correction, the HD-PVR works fine with Live TV.  Some people have had their 
issues with various parts of the functionality but you need to keep in mind 
that the driver *and* myth support are extremely alpha, and have a long way 
to come before they should be suggested as a general solution.  Both 
recordings and Live TV do work, however."


      
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