[mythtv-users] Satellite TV and MythTV, getting started

john jppoet at gmail.com
Thu Jan 22 06:14:13 UTC 2009


On Jan 21, 2009, at 10:33 PM, Marc Chamberlin wrote:

> I guess the time has arrived and I must byte the bullet on this  
> so... I live out in the countryside and with the upcoming switch to  
> HD TV, and I have determined that over the air  HDTV will not be an  
> option  for me (too far away and signal reception is pretty bad).  
> Nor is cable possible. So that leaves satellite. I been researching  
> on the internet and monitoring this group and the MythTV website,  
> but not really finding a good answer on just what is the best way to  
> accomplish merging satellite TV with MythTV.
>
> I am totally unfamiliar with satellite TV, never having used it, but  
> do understand that each supplier will give me some kind of a set top  
> box to control what channels I want to watch. They also offer  
> choices between a HD receivers for the HD channels,  PVR's  and  
> HDPVR's as options, but it seems to me that since MythTV IS a PVR I  
> don't want to get a PVR or HDPVR from the satellite TV dealers??


If you want to use Myth, then that is true.


> I suspect that the video output from the satellite set top box, for  
> most of their regular channels, will be straight NTSC that I can  
> feed directly into my current Hauppauge 350 card?


More or less true for standard def channels.


> And I am guessing that, like with cable TV set top boxes, I just set  
> and leave the Hauppauge 350 tuner on channel 3 or 4


For standard def, you would want to use a S-Video cable from the STB  
to your Hauppauge 350.  That will provide MUCH better quality, than  
doing it via coax.  Some STBs don't even offer a coax output anymore.


> and MythTV has the ability to control the satellite set top box  
> somehow, to select channels.... (i.e. I am guessing that MythTV will  
> not try to change the channel the Hauppauge card is set to and there  
> is a way to inform MythTV about this..)


With Dish you would need to use an ir-blaster to send channel change  
commands.  Directv receivers actually have a USB port, which can be  
used to issue commands, such as change-channel.


>
> So what about these HD receivers? Do I need to have an HDTV card for  
> those? If so any recommendations would be much appreciated. In fact  
> I would like to hear how others are setting up MythTV to work with  
> satellite TV. (I probably am interested in either DirectTV or  
> DishNet) With a satellite set top box will it be possible to watch  
> one channel while recording another or (I suspect this is the case)  
> will I need two set top boxes and two cards...


Currently, the ONLY option for "true" HD, is to use the Hauppauge HD- 
PVR.  It can capture up to 1080i via a component connection to your  
STB.  However, the 0.21-fixes version of Myth does not have official  
support for the HD-PVR.  The HD-PVR works well in Myth's development  
tree, but the development tree is in a HIGH state of flux right now,  
and would probably get a VERY low WAF.

Before the HD-PVR came along, I put up with pseudo HD via a Hauppauge  
500.  I have two directv H20 HDTV receivers, which I hooked up to the  
PVR-500 via S-video.  I set the H20's to output "stretched" or  
"anamorphic", and I told myth that the s-video input on that PVR-500  
was 16:9.  Directv's HD channels are MUCH better looking than their SD  
channels, even when scaled down to 480i.  Only issue with this, was  
when I actually recorded a SD channel -- in that case I had to  
manually change the aspect ratio to 4:3 whenever I played back one of  
those shows.  Not much of an issue at this point, since 99% of the  
channels I watch, are now in HD on directv.

You will need one capture "card" for each simultaneous recording you  
which make.  LiveTV counts as a recording.

Except for the firewire part, this is relevant to satellite:

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Recording_Digital_Cable



> From watching a recent thread on DirectTV it appears there are some  
> issues with controlling the set top box via a USB/serial cable? I  
> have heard about something called IR Blaster which I gather is a  
> computer controllable IR transmitter? Will I have to acquire one of  
> these as well? Seems rather awkward if a simple USB cable can be  
> used instead..


The "operating system" that directv uses in their receivers has USB  
drivers for a very small set of USB->serial adaptors, and that set of  
drivers has not been updated in years.  Problem is, that those USB- 
 >serial chips have been updated with newer version, which the directv  
driver does not know how to talk to.  So, if you can find a USB- 
 >serial adaptor with the older chip, you are in good shape.


> Anywise I sure could use a few pointers and recommendations on what  
> will be the most easy and wife compatible solutions available...   
> Thanks in advance...


I would recommend getting a HD receiver from which ever satellite  
company you decide to go with, but stick with your PVR-350 for now.   
Hook it up with s-video and take advantage of the higher quality of  
the HD channels, without actually diving into the Hauppage HD-PVR  
until 0.22 comes out.


John



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