[mythtv-users] Getting started questions

[Kevin Ross]

  On 9/18/2010 2:51 PM, Ken Cheney wrote:
> Thanks for the responses so far everyone!
>
> Kevin you are right about it not being cheap.  However I am starting 
> to think that there is a way to stop paying for TV service all 
> together.  That will be step 2  of my plans to eliminate the DVR 
> payment to Verizon and the need for another STB. :D
>
> I think based on this response I am going to scale back my initial 
> thought of recording 2 and watching 1.  In that case I could just get 
> one PVR and save $200.  I think what I have read and my thoughts have 
> been confirmed - most of the tv cards for computers will not record HD 
> and that the HD PVR is the only option right now if I want to record 
> HD shows.  True?
>

No, this is not true.  Tuners cards will record HD just fine, as long as 
the source isn't encrypted.  So recording from an antenna, or any HD 
channels on cable that aren't encrypted, can be recorded just fine on a 
computer.  An example of such a tuner card is the Hauppauge HVR-2250.  
The HDHomeRun also records HD from antenna or unencrypted cable.

The reason for the HD-PVR is that most HD channels on cable are 
encrypted, so you need the HD-PVR to capture the analog video and audio 
outputs of the cable company-provided set-top box.

BTW, if your goal is to stop paying for TV altogether, the HD-PVR is not 
the way to go, since it cannot record from an antenna.  It can only 
record from a cable-company-provided set-top box.

> The hard wiring of the Myth FEs will be a snap since the two HD tvs I 
> have will be very easy to wire, the other tv is a standard def TV and 
> may work well over wireless.
>

The bandwidth used isn't determined by the output format, but rather by 
the format that it was recorded in.  If you watch an HD recording on an 
SD TV, the mythfrontend will stream the HD recording over the network, 
and then scale it down to SD resolution.

> Kevin do you have one of the 
> http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html in your config?

Yep, that's the one.  Actually, I have two of those.  I also have two 
tuners for recording from antenna, so I can record up to 4 things at 
once, as long as at least two of those things are from antenna.

Hope this helps!
-- Kevin