On 9/12/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Andrew Davis</b> <<a href="mailto:andrew@nccomp.com">andrew@nccomp.com</a>> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote"></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I'm new to MythTV, not Linux... however while my computer/IT skills are<br>decent, my audio/video skills are not as up to par. That said, I know<br>most of the acronyms and that the output of one device typically goes<br>
into the input of the other, but that's about my limit. So with the<br>pre-amble out of the way, I have a few simple questions before I take<br>the MythTV plunge...<br><br>Just an FYI: I've long been a RH/Fedora user, so my intent was to use
<br>the guide here: <a href="http://wilsonet.com/mythtv/">http://wilsonet.com/mythtv/</a> and take the easy way. I'm<br>buying all new hardware and am using this:<br><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/24/how-to-build-a-practical-htpc">
http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/24/how-to-build-a-practical-htpc</a> as my<br>basis. In fact, other than adding some additional drives, more RAM,<br>better CPU, and better power supply, I'm following this config almost<br>
identically. For sure, I'm installing a Leadtek WinFast PX6200 TC<br><<a href="http://www.leadtek.com/3d_graphic/winfast_px6200_tctdh256ob128_1.html">http://www.leadtek.com/3d_graphic/winfast_px6200_tctdh256ob128_1.html
</a>><br>and a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 MCE<br><<a href="http://hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvr500mce.html">http://hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvr500mce.html</a>> (though I went<br>with the PVR 500 bundle that includes the remote). That said, I guess my
<br>first question/comment is that if any of you know any gotchas or caveats<br>to this solution (both the h/w and my intent to use FC5), please say so...</blockquote><div><br>
<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">That should work fine, I started
with the same guide and FC3 before moving on to more advanced ways of
doing it. It's a great starting guide and use the distro you know.</span><br>
</div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">At home, and prior to any of the above h/w showing up I have a 60'' JVC<br>Widescreen plasma with multiple ports (HDMI, component, composite,
<br>s-video... pretty much everything but VGA or DVI). My cable provider is<br>Cox and an I have "Explorer 3000" (I think its a 3000) non-HD DVR<br>provided by Cox and made by Scientific Atlanta. I also have a<br>
DVD/tuner/amp from Pioneer that has a 5 disc CD/DVD changer and your<br>basic tuner options and speaker outputs (its one of those buy the whole<br>box with the speakers solutions for $500 at the local Costco or Sam's<br>Club). Its decent, not great. The TV is pretty nice. Right now I'm
<br>running the cable feed into the Cox box/DVR and composite out from there<br>to input #1 on my TV. I'm running s-video out from the DVD to input #2<br>on the TV. Audio is RCA out from the TV to the audio-in of the DVD which
<br>has its own speakers and such. With the Cox setup, I have over 1000<br>channels, with everything from 950 and up being the HD channels (I don't<br>have HD service despite having an HD capable TV). I also have the "Cox
<br>on Demand" thingy... which as I understand it is different that PPV. I<br>say this as I have PPV options, but in the case of their OnDemand, I get<br>free access only to the movies of the channels I pay for... ie: I can
<br>into the Starz section of the OnDemand menu and see just about any movie<br>Starz is currently playing, but not for say HBO since I don't pay for<br>it. I can also do OnDemand for newer movies... similar to PPV. In fact,
<br>their OnDemand service seems to blur the lines from PPV a that in the<br>xxx movies and sports events are listed as PPV's, but new release movies<br>are available via OnDemand. Thus, I'm a bit confused as to how the whole
<br>MythTV solution will work? Will I completely bypass the Cox DVR/tuner<br>box? If so, will MythTV handle the OnDemand and PPV items? Or will I run<br>the output of the Cox DVR/tuner to the input of the MythTV box instead
<br>of to the TV as it goes now? </blockquote><div><br>
<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I would say you are going to
have to use both. You can use Myth to record 0-99 and then you have to
use their cablebox for PayPerView etc for right now (we are all holding
our breath for cable card support). I'm not sure but you may be able to
use a ir blaster and the coax out to get data from their cablebox for
the pay per view but it won't ever work right because you have to use
their remote to order it and everything. The only other thing would be
to get a HD cable box and use firewire to shoot the signal to your
computer but I would get all the other stuff going first that is a big
enough job on its own. You have enough inputs so throw a splitter in
there and play with both.</span><br>
</div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Interestingly, the Cox DVR won't record<br>items I'm viewing from OnDemand, so I'm wondering of I go out from the
<br>Cox tuner to the in of the Myth box, will the Myth box be able to record<br>items I'm viewing via OnDemand? I was thinking of getting rid of either<br>or both of the DVD and Cox tuner/DVR... however, I'm realizing I'll
<br>still need the DVD box as my audio box/amp and I'm wondering if I'll<br>still need the Cox box? I'm thinking I may need to keep both, though I<br>could stop using the DVR functionality of the Cox box and the DVD<br>functionality of the DVD player. I guess I'm curious how you guys would
<br>do this and especially for advice from others using MythTV and that have<br>the Cox Digital Cable and OnDemand stuff...</blockquote><div><br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The biggest thing is to
start with both and try to move away from using your cablebox slowly.
This project usually takes a few weekends to get right for a first
timer. Your TV should work great and once you start using Myth you
can't live without it. Let us know how it goes.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
<br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">
<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Allan</span><br>
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