[mythtv-users] NTSC, ATSC, QAM & device clarifications

[Karl Newman]

On Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 3:24 PM, James Miller <gajs-f0el at dea.spamcon.org>
wrote:

> On Fri, 20 Feb 2015, Eric Sharkey wrote:
>
>  Yes, and really the question you'd like to ask is really "For how long
>> will you promise that these channels won't be encrypted in the
>> future?".  The answer to that question is likely to be measured in
>> nanoseconds.
>>
>
> My working assumption has been that it's going to happen shortly after the
> transition to all-digital--like maybe within a year's time. I recently
> discovered that some of the basic-tier stations that have gone digital
> already require some special TWC-provided device to view (what they
> euphemistically refer to in generic-sounding terms as "two-way compatible
> digital cable ready equipment"). The weather channel, if memory serves, is
> one example. One of my misgivings as I consider this upgrade: part of the
> cost will seem to have been in vain, once the encryption kicks in. I'm not
> renting any equipment from them, so I'll be going all OTA if/when the
> "final solution" is implemented.
>
> If you're satisfied with the NTSC/analog recordings that you've been
receiving, you could likely continue that with either a Digital Transport
Adapter (DTA) or a set-top box (STB). An SD-only STB might save you some
money while still granting access to all the subscribed channels--sometimes
the DTAs exclude some subscribed channels. If they still have SD-only boxes
that is. You would connect the output of the box to the input of your
existing tuner card, either through the RF (coax) input or preferably
through composite connections. You would also need an IR blaster to change
the channel on the box. This is what I'm doing with my setup and it's
perfectly satisfactory for us. If you want to record HD off your cable,
likely your only recourse will be a HD STB with component outputs (if you
can find a box with those, otherwise you'll need an increasingly rare
HDMI->component converter as well) connected to an HDPVR (first generation).

Karl
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