[mythtv-users] Got my Firewire tuner back!

[Harry Devine]

Bob Sully wrote:
> I recently had to take my upstairs cable box back to the cable company
> because it was malfunctioning (bad HD reception).  They swapped it for a
> brand-new DCT3200 box, which I unfortunately could not use because the
> company couldn't get the CableCard to authorize, so all I was able to get
> were the clear QAM channels.
>
> I have a DCT6200 downstairs tied in to my Myth machine which has worked
> fine except for the fact that I lost any useful output on the Firewire
> port back in January...Others were having similar problems in this area,
> according to this mailing list, so I've been bitching about Time Warner
> Cable ever since, figuring that they simply cut it off.  I was only able
> to use the Firewire port for changing channels on the STB.
>
> I wound up spending nearly two hours on the phone with TWC trying to get
> the upstairs STB working, and finally gave up and took it back (they
> swapped it for a second 6200, which wrks fine).  However, along the way, I
> spoke with a tech person in Colorado Springs named Michelle, who not only
> actually KNEW something about these systems but was very cordial and very
> helpful.  I brought up the Firewire issue with her, telling her that I had
> a MythTV DVR computer, and mentioning the fact that the FCC mandates that
> the Firewire ports be enabled.  She not only agreed with me - with no
> arguments - but also sent an instruction over the network to re-enable the
> Firewire ports, saying that she didn't know why I had lost the ability to
> record.
>
> Voila!!
>
> I now have my in-the-clear QAM channels back on the Firewire ports.  It'd
> be nice if I could record the 2nd- and 3rd-tier channels over it, which I
> do pay for ($100/month cable bill) - but for now, I'll take it and won't
> complain.
>
> So, if you have lost Firewire connectivity, keep calling your cableco
> until you find someone who knows what they're doing!
>
> I'm now running two pcHDTV 5500s, each with QAM and analog, plus the
> S-video input from the STB (the only way I can record HBO, MTV-HD, etc.),
> now also with firewire, for a total of 6 separate tuners.  Now, if I could
> only get lirc working right and figure out how to set up a playlist on
> MythMusic (it's NOT intuitive at all - better yet, figure out how to call
> Amarok from within Myth, as has already been discussed) - I'll be in DVR
> Nirvana.
>
> Bob
>
>   
I have a very similar setup to you (1 pcHDTV 5500, a Motorola DCT3412 
STB from Comcast), and was wondering how you got the Firewire going and 
the analog on the pcHDTV.  I just got most of my QAM channels mapped 
over (once I understood how the XMLTVID stuff worked), and I can't seem 
to figure out why I can't see any of the analog channels.  I haven't 
even BEGUN to worry about the Firewire yet, but that's on the list. :-)

Thanks in advance for any information.
Harry