[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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