[mythtv-users] NTSC USB tuners: which ones are out there?

[Devin Heitmueller]

> It looks as though I got clear QAM and NTSC confused as I went about
> determining what hardware I would need to bring in certain cable
> broadcasting that we still care to watch. There are a few SD stations on
> cable (TWC--NatGeo, History Channel, Animal Planet and maybe a couple
> others) from which we wish to record, and the HDHR4-2US does not pick them
> up when I do a channel scan. On subsequent reflection, I believe it won't
> pick them up because they broadcast in NTSC (which the HDHR4-2US does not
> handle, as I understand it) rather than in clear QAM--the latter of which
> the HDHR4-2US does handle.

Depending on your cable system, it's likely that NatGeo, History,
Channel, etc are broadcasted *only* in encrypted digital form (i.e.
not in ClearQAM, nor in analog NTSC).  As a result, your only options
for receiving those channels would be an HDHR Prime with Cablecard
(assuming for a moment that the channels are copy-freely), or an
HD-PVR in conjunction with a cable box.

Encryption sucks.  Blame your cable company.

Devin

-- 
Devin J. Heitmueller - Kernel Labs
http://www.kernellabs.com