[mythtv-users] Maybe a slightly different usage model for Myth with DirecTV encrypted HD?

[John P Poet]

On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 8:14 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 6:14 PM, John P Poet <jppoet at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 6:55 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> 2) Much, if not most, HD content is now or soon will be encrypted.
>>> Even SD material is already almost totally encrypted on Comcast which
>>> is why I dropped them.
>>
>>
>> OTA is still, and must remain unecrypted.  I use a HDHomeRun to record
>> all the major networks.
>>
>
> As do I. That's 5-10 channels, not 100 HD and 500 total channels that
> I can record on the DTV DVR.
>
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> True, I have to watch the programs using their hardware, but no one
>>> has suggested any solution to that as far as I know, unless I'm
>>> misunderstanding the HD-PVR as I think I still have to watch using the
>>> same HD-PVR. I'm I'm a poor, out-of-work guy who's looking for a low
>>> cost way to be more effective than the free DRV software in the
>>> DirecTV box.
>>
>>
>> The Hauppauge HD-PVR has *nothing* to do with watching anything.  It
>> is just a capture device.  It takes the component video, muxes it with
>> the audio and produces H.264 which is fed to the mythbackend computer.
>>  All myth does is take that H.264 stream, index it (to make seeking
>> faster) and write it out to the hard drive.  If you want the
>> commercials flagged, mythbackend will happily decode the H.264 video
>> and try to detect where the commericals begin and end.
>
> So it's my understanding that if the channels are encrypted that the HD-PVR
> really doesn't do what you suggest above. I must be misinformed. Are you
> saying that the HD-PVR removes all forms of copy protection from encrypted
> programs?


There is no copy protection to remove.


>Or are you suggestion that an STB cannot place any
> encryption/copy protection on a composite output and that's why it works?


Right.  I assumed you had read the HD-PVR wiki page, and knew all this.


> Anyway, the HD-PVR isn't a solution for me. It's too expensive and I'm not
> going to spend my money that way and be left to deal with all the problems
> of running all that hardware. I'm sure it's a great product, as is the HDHR,
> it's just not for me at this time. But I am certainly NOT trying to impugn the
> device. However at $204/channel at NewEgg it's certainly not cheap.


Admittedly, It would take a while to recoup to cost compared to the
extra money you are paying Directv for their dvr service.  For my
money, though, the price was worth it to get a system which functions
the way *I* want.

John
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