*I'm getting ready to design a MythTV box. I have most of the hardware picked out, but I'm looking for some recommendations on TV Tuners. I prefer USB tuners as they are likely a lot easier to deal with when dealing with multiple tuners in the same machine, and given a simple USB hub can be stacked to MythTV's maximum number of controllable tuners easily (which is what, by the way? Anyone really know?), but PCIe are ok as well, IF you can get multiple tuners on one card (like the old WinTV PVR500 cards that had two tuners on a single PCI card. Three to four tuners on a single card is better). I need some tuners that are compatible with the U.S. digital TV signal, and/or specifically the DirecTV service. I'm sure there are no tuners that will interpret the DirecTV satellite signal themselves since last I heard DirecTV and Dish Network were both being ultra quiet about how to properly decode their signals (probably so they can sell more hardware) so I'll probably need some IR blasters also, to control their set-top boxes. I'll be getting my DirecTV through Qwest in their triple bundle (phone, inet, TV) if it makes a difference. I can't say for sure how they transmit the DirecTV signal as I have not actually moved into my new home where I'll be serviced by QWest just yet. That's happening before much longer though, and I wanted to have the specs for the MythTV box nailed down ahead of time. I doubt they use a custom decoder box for the TV signal, but then again, stranger things have happened and I just don't know. I've been stuck in Louisanna the past couple of years and am only just getting back to Utah (probably the greater Salt Lake area, if it matters, and please don't ask what I'm doing all the way out here. It's a LONG story that I would really rather not get into).*
* * *The primary goal is, of course, to be able to hook up multiple TV tuners, each to a set-top box with an IR blaster and have the blaster change channels on the set-top box as needed. It would be even better if there was a way to dispense with the set-top boxes all together. However, as I understand the satellite services, both DirecTV and Dish Network encrypt their signal using a proprietary encryption and then rely on their set-top boxes to decrypt properly, so any attempt to not use their set-top boxes would require that encryption scheme and somehow I doubt that they will release it to anyone else. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. If I am, then great, I want to know the tuner that does it! But at the moment, I just don't see it. * * * *And no, I can't just use the onboard DVR that several of their set-top boxes offer. The problem with that is it's not on my computer network so I can't check view recorded programs from another room or from outside the house. That's specifically what I'm trying to address using MythTV. Otherwise I probably would would just hook up one or two set-top boxes with the four simultainous show recording functionality and use them. As best as I am aware (and I freely admit that some of my information could be rather dated as I've been away from the Linux world for a few years [again, don't ask, please]), the best way to accomplish that under Linux is MythTV. Thus I turn to you all for help. I'm trying to catch up with what's the latest.* * * *Thanks again folks! Appreciate in advance all your help!* * * *--- Dan* /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
