[mythtv-users] HDPVR for $169 at buy.com

[Brian Wood]

On Tuesday, June 22, 2010 02:28:14 pm Scott Alfter wrote:
> On 22 Jun 10 11:21, Eric Sharkey wrote:
> > On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM, Patrick Davila
> > 
> > <pdavila at thelinuxlink.net> wrote:
> >> Only option to record encrypted cable channels.
> > 
> > Other than firewire, that is.
> 
> ...until your cable company pushes a firmware update to your cable box that
> kills FireWire.  (Called it into them the weekend before last...got nowhere
> on the phone. They were supposed to escalate the problem and get back to
> me, but that hasn't happened.  Even the mention that they're now in
> violation of FCC regs didn't get get them sufficiently motivated to find a
> fix.)

The cable companies are about as concerned with the FCC as BP was with the MMS.

But they are only required to give you firewire output for the channels they are not allowed to encrypt, generally only the 
local off-air channels.

So the HD-PVR is the best bet. You also get IR gear, not sure of the current status of the IR blaster.