[mythtv-users] OT: ATSC/QAM Encode to distribute HD over longer runs.

[Roger Heflin]

Dan Ritter wrote:
> On Fri, May 09, 2008 at 09:56:46AM -0500, Richard Shaw wrote:
>> I just had a crazy thought and wondered if anyone on the list has had
>> similar thoughts.
>>
>> There are several ways to distribute video over longer distances but I
>> thought that maybe the use of a ATSC/QAM encoder and HDTV w/ Tuner
>> combination would be an easy way to do it. No HDMI/DVI extenders or
>> network based solutions, just simple coax.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
> 
> It must be railroad time, because I posed that question about a
> week ago.
> 
> The answer: it can be done, but all of the available equipment
> is sold for pro use and is very expensive. The first
> consumer-level product is out, and still pretty expensive: $499 
> at http://www.zeevee.com/home although it also comes with a
> remote control system. 
> 
> -dsr-
> 

Considering that box appears to take VGA in, it should be cheaper to produce a 
USB or PCI slot device that does the same thing and takes an ATSC mpeg stream 
that is already decoded to encode.    I would bet that the encoder is a large 
portion of the price as that either requires a fast general purpose cpu, or 
special purpose low-volume custom silicon.

Has anyone ever figured out if it is against FCC regulations to make one of 
these devices?    I know I talked to the PCHDTV card designer, and he though it 
was against the FCC rules, if it was not against the rules it should not be that 
hard to make one, since once you have the proper MPEG stream built, the RF part 
should be pretty easy and cheap.

                       Roger