[mythtv-users] Hauppage Analog Cards, alternatives?

[Jeff Holicky]

On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:40:45 -0700, "Derek Archer"
<eggman97132007 at mac.com> said:
> Hi all, I just subscribed to the list so forgive me if this question  
> is already in the current discussions.
> 
> I am looking to build a combination back/frontend box. I am currently  
> on analog cable and plan to remain so for the forseeable future. I  
> have been trying to find a good dual-tuner, dual-encoder analog card.  
> The Hauppauge PVR-500 is getting VERY difficult to find in my trials,  
> and I cannot even order them direct from Hauppauge anymore. Their  
> official word is the the FCC will not let them ship analog cards due  
> to the DTV transition. They suggested the HVR series, but as far as I  
> can tell, they are hit or miss on MythTV compatibility.
> 
> One potential alternative I found is the AverMedia AverTV combo card,  
> which has an analog tuner w/ encoder as well as a QAM digital tuner.  
> It is PCI Express x1 card and I would like to know if anyone has had  
> any luck with this or similar cards from AverMedia, or any other  
> manufacturer. The resources online I have found seem to be somewhat  
> outdated in regards to these newer cards.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Derek
> 

I am just at the beginning to build my own MythTV system - and find the
Hauppauge issues to be quite disturbing.

First, on the FCC - sounds confusing to me.  Is there something (being
in Canada EH?) that I am missing wrt analogue to digital conversion?  Is
the US doing something that is above and beyond what we have in Canada? 
Right now I rent a cable box - from that I can use
coax/video/s-video/(component maybe) - to the TV.  To me all that is
analogue.  Digital would be via HDMI or some Firewire device.  But in
the end we pay the cable company to get a coax - and then if we want to
pony up - rent/buy a digital set top to get the extra channels.  (SD /
HD).   Are my terms wrong?  Is S-VIDEO considered "digital" ?

In the US, is there some digital connection being forced by the FCC to
be adopted?  I thought the FCC was merely removing the analogue
broadcasts and forced people to get digital via an "OTA" "Satellite" or
"Cable" set top boxes.  What does ANY of that have to do with the feed
coming FROM those boxes to the TV?  

Which brings me to the Hauppauge question - why would the 150, 250, 350,
500 (x50/500[/MCE]) units be phased out BECAUSE of the FCC?  The HVR
seems to still use that old school analogue 125 channel input - so what
is that all about?  Or is Hauppauge merely using the FCC notice as a
method to phase out those units for newer ones?

Which now leads me to this - not sure at this date if any of the HVR
units are supported (properly) by Myth.  I am starting to look for the
150-500 cards and already finding it hard to get a 250.  About 6m ago I
asked and many suggested the 250 over the x50/500 was the better way to
go.  I want to start with 2 set top boxes and eventually to 4 (could be
2x250 or 4x250 or 2x250, 2xHDHR etc etc).  Now what?

The other negative is the capital to get this all going properly - I was
actually thinking of getting a retail 150 or 250 to hookup under WinXP
until I am ready to move to the Myth system - but even that is a problem
it seems.  Some suggest "instead of a 150/500 get the 150MCE / 500MCE" -
I assume that works well with Myth but seeing as I am not running MCE -
I assume my WinXP would not support those cards.  True?

So big picture - anybody know of a game plan I should take - should I be
waiting until the HVR cards are more mature wrt Myth/Linux development? 
Will I be able to buy 2 HVR cards and still record SD programming as I
would with the x50/500 series?  (once the drivers are working well)?

Sounds like getting an older x50/500 series card is not the right move
today as I am buying legacy/future unsupported hardware.

Thoughts?

Thanks
jeff