[mythtv-users] HDHomeRun Prime does _NOT_ do US OTA, what does?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 09/06/2013 09:55 AM, Eric Sharkey wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 10:53 PM, Robert M. Riches Jr. wrote:
>> A week or three ago, I asked for suggestions for a network-based
>> TV tuner for US ATSC over-the-air.  Sadly, the HDHomeRun Prime
>> is incapable of tuning US over-the-air channels and is cable-only.
> I'm sorry for being one of the people who gave you bad advice.

Technically, you didn't.  You told Stephen Villano to get a Prime:

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/550944#550944

In truth, no one actually suggested the Prime to Robert because

> In your original message, I don't think you included the phrase
> "over-the-air" explicitly.

he only said "ATSC" in his post.  Since ATSC is the digital TV format 
used for both OTA and cable TV delivery in the US***, there wasn't 
enough information to determine which one Robert needed.  Both were 
mentioned as being networked tuners, but no one specifically warned him 
that the Prime is CableCARD only.  I suppose most assumed that a 
pre-emptive warning was unnecessary as the product documentation 
described the compatibility.

That said, Robert, I completely understand how easily you could have 
been confused.  Unfortunately, using MythTV (and the related hardware 
products that allow it to work) requires a significant level of 
understanding of TV-related technologies due to the fact that we're 
constantly "swimming upstream" against the current of lock-in that TV 
providers attempt to emplace.  They want us to just use (and pay for) 
their equipment so they can control how we use their service, so they 
make it challenging to find out what equipment we need and/or what will 
work with their systems.

So, the best bet at this point is to move on with new knowledge in 
hand.  You can sell the Prime you bought.  I also recommend you don't 
blame Silicon Dust, and you enjoy their HDHR (non-Prime), which is 
really the only choice of networked OTA ATSC tuner available for use 
with MythTV.  It's a great product and Silicon Dust is a great company 
that--from their start--has supported GNU/Linux users completely.  (At 
least that's my $0.02.)

Mike

*** Yes.  ATSC /is/ used for both OTA and cable TV delivery in the US.  
Though many say, "Cable uses QAM, and OTA uses ATSC," the fact is that 
cable TV delivers ATSC using QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and 
OTA delivers ATSC using 8VSB (8-level Vestigial SideBand) modulation.  
(However, ATSC is not generally used for satellite TV transmission--and, 
AIUI, not at all for consumer satellite TV services, like DISH and 
DirecTV, but only for a few direct network feeds.)