[mythtv-users] Digital antenna question

[Mike Perkins]

Larry Jones wrote:
> Pete Cap wrote:
>> */Billy Macdonald <billymacdonald at gmail.com>/* wrote:
>>
>>     On 7/8/07, Pete Cap wrote:
>>     > List,
>>     >
>>     > I recently set up a really lo-fi Myth box. It's in an old dell
>>     beige box,
>>     > hooked up to a pretty small standard definition TV, and it has
>>     one capture
>>     > card pulling down analog broadcasts (before the latest move it
>>     was recording
>>     > S-Video from a cable STB).
>>     >
>>     > The analog broadcasts are really not all that bad, but all the
>>     stations are
>>     > simulcast in digital. I understand that with digital, either you
>>     get the
>>     > signal or you don't--there's no snow or static. It would be a
>>     significant
>>     > improvement!
>>     >
>>     > However, I do not understand if I would be "restricted" to HD
>>     broadcasts--or
>>     > if I need a new capture card. I can play widescreen HD
>>     recordings (from
>>     > bittorent) and apparently Myth resizes them on the fly to fit
>>     the SD 4:3
>>     > screen. If this would work with broadcast as well that would be
>>     excellent.
>>     > But will I need to get a new card to tune in the digital
>>     signal--or will
>>     > Radio Shack have one with component out?
>>     >
>>     > Thanks in advance,
>>     >
>>     > Pete
>>     >
>>     >
>>
>>     Yes you need a different card to tune digital stations. Most digital
>>     channels that have any HD content always broadcast in 720p or 1080i,
>>     just letterboxed. So your recordings will be much larger in size and
>>     will likely show up postage stamped be default in Myth (which you can
>>     zoom. But they will be clear.
>>
>>     To see if your system has the umph, you need to find some 1080i mpeg2
>>     recordings to play. Look in the same places that you found your other
>>     ones, but the files will be much much larger. The widescreen HD
>>     recordings you download are likely not full resolution and are much
>>     easier on the system to decode.
>>
>>     To your advantage though, the decoders only decode what's needed. So
>>     if your resolution is 800x600, it takes less to decode and play 1080i
>>     then on a 1920x1080 resolution.
>>
>>     Good luck,
>>     Billy
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>>
>>
>> Billy,
>>
>> Thanks!
>> I think the system should decode the MPEGs just fine--I have an nvidia 
>> 7 series to do all the heavy lifting.  And they'll be playing a 
>> ~640x480 so hopefully there won't be too much of a performance hit.
>>
>> I see the new pcHDTV cards are only $130.  I'm ordering one of those 
>> up today and hopefully get it up and running this week.  Thanks again!
>>
>> --Pete
>>
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> Pete,
> 
> It wasn't clear what the source of your HD broadcasts will be?  Off your 
> set top box via QAM or direct over the air via an antenna (8VSB in the 
> us).    Anyway,  pay attention that your card takes the input you have 
> available.
> 
>  You'll love digital TV.   I almost refuse to watch an analog broadcast.
> 
> Larry
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> 
Just to be absolutely clear about this. In the original post you said 
you could get digital as well as analog.

Digital is *not* the same as HD.

You can get digital versions of SD broadcasts as well as HD (which will 
only be digital). Digital versions of analog will be of a better quality 
than the analog. HD versions will be of better quality than the SD. 
Usually. Sometimes they are just upsampled.

Mike Perkins