[mythtv-users] Can Myth 'tune' these 'free' converter boxes?

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 11:28 AM, John Drescher <drescherjm at gmail.com> wrote:
>> What you are talking about is the standard method of capturing digital cable
>> in MythTV.  Some people get additional channels over QAM, some over
>> firewire, but for the most part, the only option is to grab an IR blaster to
>> control the box, and capture over composite or svideo.
>>
>
> This is option 3 in the wiki:
>
> http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Recording_Digital_Cable
>
> John

Thanks John. Option 3 is what I'm talking about and I know nothing
about single or dual IR Blasters. Wht models of IR BLasters are known
to work?

Just looking around I see a lot of units like this:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=20287&cookietest=1

I found this USB setup which seems to have both ends:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gateway-USB-IR-Receiver-%26-IR-Blaster-Cable-New-8015973R_W0QQitemZ220346098320QQcmdZViewItem

However I'd really like to go straight from USB to the IR recevier
electrical input on the back of the box. The box Comcast gave me is a
Pace DC50X. I don't see it listed on the PAce website but here's a
picture of the thing looking straight down.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/12/03/comcast-digital-transport-adapter-gets-unboxed?icid=sphere_wpcom_inline

There is an input on the back, next to the coax stuff, that's a small
mini-plug for using an external IR receiver. I'd like to go directly
from the PC to there is possible, skipping the IR stuff totally.

Note that the other downside of this is it's stop gap only so I don't
want to spend a lot of bucks. It allows me to record whatever is
provided as unencrypted by Comcast, but I believe Comcast is free to
take awat FX, TBS, HGTV, CNN anytime they want to as they are not OTA
stations. I've already got an HDHR so this is completely about
recording what's on non-basic cable for me.

Thanks,
Mark