[mythtv-users] HD -> Firewire or USB Conversion?

[Henry A Harper III]

>So -- (Quick subject change and top-post ;)  How much would you guys pay
for a
>HD -> firewire (or HD -> USB) conversion box?
>
>I've got some hardware pals, and I've sent them a mail  . . . What I'm
thinking is a
>small box with Component, HDMI, etc inputs, and firewire & USB output.  It
would
>either just pass through an unencrypted digital stream, or, recompress an
analog
>one (either MPEG2 or MPEG4).  (I'm assuming that component signals are
>analog)
>
>I don't know what the hardware would cost . . . but if it could be done --
wouldn't
>that fix everything?  (Plus offload the encoding of the stream to hardware,
allowing
>the backend to simply stream to disk.)

Ok, you have two possiblities for "uncompressed HD input" here. Not to be a
wet blanket...

One is component, which is indeed analog. It is "common knowledge" that
there is no consumer-level (< US$1000?) component HD->MPEG2 "simple" box
available. If your hardware buddies can do it for cheap then more power to
them. Quality real-time MPEG2-HD encoders (as used by your local TV
stations) cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The other is digital, where the entire system of copyright law and content
providers has as a goal preventing you from doing just this sort of thing.
In addition to the bandwidth problem of the analog compression above
(~10Gb/s). Good luck with that.

BTW, there are expensive ($1k+) possibilities for HD-MPEG2 capture from both
Dish and DirecTV but they involve hacked (add firewire/USB output to
unencrypted MPEG2 path) older hardware so not so good going forward. Also
not known to be Myth-friendly. Search for 169time and nextcom R5000-HD on
avsforum.com. Ok, R5000 now has Dish MPEG4 options.

What to do, then? Put up an antenna and get OTA HD for free, or use
firewire/QAM capture device to get whatever your local cable provider is
currently sending unencrypted. Cable providers must give you a firewire
output box if you ask for it, but dish providers don't have to.