[mythtv-users] Satellite TV and MythTV, getting started
Nathan Ford
zimans at gmail.com
Fri Jan 23 19:23:20 UTC 2009
Before you go and spend $$$ on converting to satellite be aware that
many stations are not currently broadcasting digital at full power,
and that many will be moving down/up to there original channel after
the conversion.
Go here: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=80 and look
up your current stations to see what there current coverage map is.
Then click the FCC database query to see what dockets are listed for
the station. They are kind of confusing to read, but should give you
an idea of what the station will do after the digital turn over.
Also remember that digital broadcasts do not require as much output
power as analog.
--Nate
On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 12:33 AM, Marc Chamberlin
<marc at marcchamberlin.com> 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?? 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? 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 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..)
>
> 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...
>
> 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..
>
> 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...
>
> Marc...
>
>
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