[mythtv-users] Question for Chicago Mythtv ers

[Dewey Smolka]

On Feb 12, 2008 10:02 PM, Brad Fuller <bradallenfuller at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 12, 2008 7:28 PM, Douglas Hitchcock <clarkaddison at gmail.com> wrote:

> So, the OP does not want to purchase an HD card? that's all that would
> be needed, right? No STB needed for clear channels.

That's the point, Brad. Traditionally cable networks have put all
their 'basic' tier channels in analog bands that are tunable by any
'cable-ready' device, like a PVR-x50. For Comcast, and apparently RCN,
in Chicago this is no longer the case. As of the last time I checked,
which was about a year and a half ago, only the OTAs, public access,
shopping, and a handful of other useless channels come through in
analog. Everything else is digital.

With an HD card you only get unencrypted digital channels -- meaning
the OTAs and their subchannels, public access, shopping, etc. I've got
an HDHomerun pulling directly off the Comcast feed, which works great
for the OTAs in HD. But this is not a solution if you want your
standard cable channels, nor is it a practical solution if you lack
the hardware to playback HD. So yes, the OP either need an STB or
needs to give up on ESPN, Discovery, History, TBS, and all the other
stations he's paying for.