[mythtv-users] interfacing MythTV with a DTA, lirc queries

[James Miller]

Still trying to understand better what are my options now that my cable 
provider (TWC, US) has pretty much finished digitizing/encrypting all 
channels. Incidentally, the old analog signal continued to be transmitted 
for about 3 weeks after the stated deadline for obtaining an adapter, with 
a few channels being digitized/encrypted at a time starting about a week 
after the deadline.

Here's one issue on which any further utilization of cable might hinge, 
and one about which I have a sketchy understanding that I think may be 
more or less correct. I'd like to ask for confirmation about that on this 
list. So, one way I might try continuing to view/record cable programming 
on my MythTV system would involve, as a preliminary step, acquiring one of 
the DTA's the cable co. is offering free of charge (I am unwilling to pay 
even a minimal fee to rent any equipment from them so, though renting an 
STB from the might offer me more flexibility in interfacing with a MythTV 
system, that's not an option I intend to explore for now). The DTA 
available to me is this one: https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Cisco_DTA_271HD. 
Am I correct in assuming that, as an initial step, I could, using the lirc 
configuration provided at that link, cause my MythTV system to prompt the 
DTA to do channel changing, e.g., in preparation for recording a showing?

I realize, btw, that this would likely be the least challenging aspect of 
what I'd need to do to be able to once again record from cable. The more 
daunting task would be to configure some sort of device to turn an HDMI 
stream (emanating from the DTA) into a network signal, then get MythTV to 
capture it from the network. From other recent threads I get the 
impression that bits and pieces of information for doing this sort of 
thing are available, though adapting those directives to particular 
situations like mine might be too much of a challenge for someone with my 
modest technical abilities. But I do feel as though I need to consider all 
the possibilities and, even though I may not wind up trying to implement a 
scheme like this, I might nonetheless benefit by increasing somewhat my 
understanding of the issues.

Afterthought: implementing a system such as I've alluded to looks, based 
on past experience, like getting involved in a game of whack-a-mole--does 
it not? In other words, someone puzzles out some sort of weakness in the 
system that can be exploited, which the big players then move to plug, at 
which point the set-up ceases working. Until the next weakness is 
discovered . . . rinse and repeat, ad infinitum. If correct, this is 
something to be well aware of before putting a lot of time and effort into 
such a project.