[mythtv-users] pcHDTV 5500 - NTSC and QAM?

[ryan patterson]

On 3/5/07, Brad DerManouelian <myth at dermanouelian.com> wrote:
>
> On Mar 5, 2007, at 5:15 PM, Steven Sartorius wrote:
>
> > On Mar 5, 2007, at 18:23, Glenn Harris wrote:
> >
> >> On 3/4/07, Steven Sartorius <ssartor at bellatlantic.net> wrote:
> >>> Hi,
> >>>
> >>> I'm looking at upgrading my current Myth setup (SD only, version .
> >>> 18)
> >>> to something capable of handling HD.  I'm a Comcast analog cable
> >>> subscriber and recently picked up an external HD tuner (a Samsung
> >>> DTB-
> >>> H260F) to see what I could get via QAM off my coax.  There's enough
> >>> unencrypted HD content (all the local OTA channels, DiscoveryHD,
> >>> Universal HD) that I'd like to have the option to record in
> >>> either HD
> >>> or SD.  A little research turned up the pcHDTV 5500 -- a QAM capable
> >>> card with both ATSC and NTSC tuners.  My question is (of course!)
> >>> how
> >>> well does it work in Myth?  Specifically, is anyone using the
> >>> card to
> >>> record both HD and SD (not at the same time of course)?  If so, how
> >>> does this work?  Do you specify two different inputs to Myth? Does
> >>> the card show up as having two different tuners? What's the quality
> >>> of SD capture?  Any insight into the nuts and bolts of how the 5500
> >>> handles both QAM and SD would be much appreciated...
> >>>
> >>> thanks,
> >>>
> >>> Steve
> >>
> >> I have the pchdtv 5500.  It works great, and is easy to setup.
> >> However, my understanding is that it can only be configured as a
> >> digital (atsc/qam) or analog card when the drivers are loaded.  So
> >> you
> >> either load up the DVB (digital) or analog drivers.  I suppose you
> >> could work up elaborate system to unload and load drivers
> >> depending on
> >> which channel you are recording from.  Seems overly complicated.
> >> And as someone else mentioned, it does not do on-board mpeg encoding,
> >> so you have to do that in software for analog channels.
> >>
> >> I am assuming by 'SD' you mean analog.  You can get both SD (standard
> >> definition) and HD channels over QAM and the pchdtv can record
> >> both of
> >> those just fine through the DVB setup.
> >>
> >> Other than that, I will also throw my support behind the HDHR.
> >> Very nice.
> >>
> >> --Glenn
> > A couple of people have suggested the HDHR and I did look at it when
> > formulating my upgrade plans.  My main beef with it is that it's yet
> > another box (along with a hub) to have attached to my machine --
> > thereby lowering the WAF!  My goal is to have a single piece of
> > computer gear sitting next to my receiver/tuner/dvd player all
> > underneath my flat panel screen.  The machine I'm looking at (a
> > Pundit P1-AH2) has 2 PCI slots -- I'd like to put a capture card in
> > one and a wireless network card in the other.  Trying to get away
> > from a lot of clutter.... :)
>
> It doesn't need to sit next to your computer. I know people who stick
> it in their attic with indoor HD antennae attached and run ethernet
> to their box that way. If you're using cable, stick it in your
> basement where you cable line likely comes in anyway and remove your
> settop box completely from your living room.
>
> Indeed, one of the best features of the HDhomerun is that DON'T have to
put it anywhere near your TV or MythTV box.  The MythTV box is already
plugged into your network switch anyway.  Hide the HDhomerun in a closet or
the basement.

Though if you are planing on running your MythTV box on a wireless network
it probably wont work.  Personally I can't stand wireless.  It only takes
one weekend of hard work to run a cat5 cable into your TV room.  Heck there
is already a coax cable going there.  Just follow the same rout as the coax
wiring.  Thats what I did.  With awired network there is never any signal
drop outs or interference or reduced bandwidth or etc.
-- 
_____________
Ryan Patterson
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