[mythtv-users] Is it going to get harder and harder to get the content we want in MythTV?

[Kevin Kuphal]

On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 11:13 AM, Johnny Russ <jruss at mit.edu> wrote:

> The recent posts about Blu-ray, and this announcement today from Microsoft
> (Microsoft PBDA platform<http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/12/microsofts-pbda-platform-makes-big-content-happy-should-make-t/>),
> bring up the ominous feeling I have had for some time that it is going to
> get more and more difficult to get the content I want in MythTV. I quote
> from the link:
>
> "In short, this system enables the "PC-TV hardware ecosystem to integrate
> virtually any free or premium TV service into Windows Media Center," which
> keeps content guardians ultra-stoked while giving consumers more choice when
> it comes to TV tuning. Essentially, PBDA gives OEMs and tuner-makers the
> ability to develop and ship wares for WMC "regardless of geographic location
> or television standard."
>
> I would rather not have the discussion turn into a Microsoft bashing
> session, but I would rather like to know where people see MythTV going over
> the next 10 or 15 years as the platforms for TV distribution go through the
> changes we see coming. It seems to me that, excluding OTA content, all the
> rest of the content is heading into protected, encrypted platforms. I have
> never been pleased with the setup of recieving a digital signal, then
> letting the cable box decode that to an analog signal, just so I can
> re-encode it again. But it seems like even that will become more
> problematic, rather than easier, as things move forward. Are MythTV users
> always going to be stuck hacking various devices to get something half way
> decent? Or is there any hope that MythTV could integrate into one of these
> new delivery systems like Tru2Way, one of these MS PBDA cards, or whatever
> it is that comes along?
>

Depends on what content you want.  I have basic cable.  $17/mo for 12
channels, most of which are available OTA HD.  As soon as my cable company
goes the way of all digital or requiring me to have a STB, I'm dropping
their service and changing to OTA.  I can get the remainder of my content
from Netflix (TV on DVD) or online (using flash services like Hulu via
Firefox on my frontend for BSG).

Others may not find this situation acceptable as they have other content
they want to watch via MythTV in which case analog capture using devices
like the HD-PVR is the best option and should be available as long as analog
output is available.

Kevin
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