[mythtv-users] HDTV question for newbie

[Joe Buehl]

North American cable and satellite operators all use
MPEG for digital programming, however the conditional
access (scrambling) varies.  It would not be
technically difficult to build a card that would
demodulate and decode the video, however there is no
way that the operators would allow anyone to build
something that could decrypt it.  That's the main
reason for needing the cable/satellite box.

There are devices becoming available called CableCards
which are pcmcia cards that perform the decryption and
are designed to plug into a digital TV.  You will be
able to buy a DTV and your cable company will provide
you with one of these in lieu of a set top. 
Unfortunately the studios and content providers have
required that these can only work with "approved" TVs
and other devices that don't have a digital output. 
This means you won't be able to get a card for a PC
that works.

HDTV is worse.  HD set tops either have RGB component
outputs or DVI which is about 180Mb/sec of
uncompressed video, and, like CableCard, the DVI
interface only works with approved devices.  And it
will be extremely difficult to hack.  You can get HD
tuner cards (I think someone is working on MythTV
support for these) for off-air TV stations, but the
FCC just passed a ruling that requires devices that
receive HD signals to not allow copying.

Basically the studios and cable operators are trying
their damnnest to keep people like us from acquiring
their bits.  About the best we're going to be able to
hope for is a standard def S-video signal.


--- rgoodkin at zaius1.homeunix.org wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> You all have been very helpful here, and I guess I
> have a couple of 
> questions.  
> 
> 1.)  Is there a tuner card out there that will
> decode digital signals?  
> Do the cable/satellite companies follow a standard
> for digital 
> programming?  It seems the only way to do it is have
> the set top box 
> decode the digital signals and have myth just
> externally control the 
> tuner?
> 
> 2.)  Is it possible to get HDTV broadcasts that are
> done over DIGITAL 
> means to decode on the PC?  I guess I don't know how
> this setup works in 
> the real world.  Does the set top box just spit out
> a signal that is 
> equivilant to a broadcast HDTV ATSC?  What capture
> card do I need to get 
> these resolutions?
> 
> Thanks
> > _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 


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