Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On 9/22/05, Dave Sherohman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have Comcast and no convertor. (I used a Tivo from its initial > release until it died a couple months ago and made a point of only > getting the clear channels so I wouldn't have to deal with an IR > blaster.) I doubt that they would scramble everything in other > markets if they don't here. Have you ever heard of a cable company > doing that? (I haven't.) > I've heard of it being done on Time Warner in Manhatten for example... presumably to either extort you into more STB's for additional TV's or to drag you kicking and screaming to digital cable (that's my theories as to the why, anyhow) *shrug* I was shocked too when I stumbled across it in other threads ... e. -- http://www.byopvr.com ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On Thu, 2005-09-22 at 16:23 -0400, Paul Schied wrote: > Hello everyone, > > I am new to this forum and am considering trying to get mythtv working > but want to clear a couple of questions up before going any further. > > I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not > digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will > need to hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the > cablebox (so it is decoded). FWIW, I don't know how it is where you live, but I have comcast cable, extended basic cable, and I don't need a cable box. I split the cable, one end to my MythTV machine, the other directly to my TV, which is "cable-ready" - like any non-ancient TV. I only have one capture card in my Myth box. I hardly ever want to watch live TV, and if I do, I use the TV tuner instead of Myth because of the slow channel surfing. After using Myth for a while, you'll find your need for live TV diminished. Even for the shows I need to see right away, I just record them and start watching them 10-20 minutes into them so I can skip the commercials. Scott ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On Thu, Sep 22, 2005 at 04:58:18PM -0400, Erik Pettersen wrote: > The outstanding question is if somehow his cable company is the kinda > that actually scrambles analog and requires cable box to view anythign > at all... I have Comcast and no convertor. (I used a Tivo from its initial release until it died a couple months ago and made a point of only getting the clear channels so I wouldn't have to deal with an IR blaster.) I doubt that they would scramble everything in other markets if they don't here. Have you ever heard of a cable company doing that? (I haven't.) -- The freedoms that we enjoy presently are the most important victories of the White Hats over the past several millennia, and it is vitally important that we don't give them up now, only because we are frightened. - Eolake Stobblehouse (http://stobblehouse.com/text/battle.html) ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On 9/22/05, Folashade Adeyosoye <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Just put a splitter when it comes out of the cablebox, one to the computer > and the other to the TV. > This won't work... you'd want the split BEFORE the cable box for analog cable. The outstanding question is if somehow his cable company is the kinda that actually scrambles analog and requires cable box to view anythign at all... *shrug* e. ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On Thu, Sep 22, 2005 at 04:23:46PM -0400, Paul Schied wrote: > I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not > digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will need to > hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the cablebox (so it > is decoded). If you just have extended basic, you can probably return the box to Comcast and run the cable directly into your capture card. (You can test this by running it straight into your TV before buying a card or sending the box back if you're sane enough to not just take my word for it.) As long as it's not digital, the only channels that need to be descrambled are generally the premium channels - HBO, Cinemax, etc. The basic stations are normally sent in the clear. > I want to be able to watch tv while recording a different channel. From what > I've read I am pretty sure this means I need two tuner cards which will both > need to have the cable coming from a cablebox. If you want to watch one thing on live TV (as opposed to watching a previously-recorded program) while recording something else, then, yes, you would need two tuners. However, once you give myth a try, you may find yourself never wanting to watch live TV again... Also, there are dual-tuner cards out there, such as the Hauppage PVR-500 (which I currently use, although only one tuner is working for me), so you don't necessarily need two cards. When I bought mine, newegg.com was selling the dual-tuner PVR-500 for only $10 more than the single-tuner PVR-150, so I see no reason not to get one. > My question is if I just > split the cable from the cablebox, is there any way to record something and > simultaneously watch a different channel or do I have to have two cable > boxes for this? Each cable box only has one tuner (there are some exceptions, but the only ones I know of have DVRs built-in, so you're not likely to be using mythtv with them) and, if you run your signal through the cable box, you have to use its tuner, not your own (which will generally be locked on channel 3 or 4 to match the cable box's output). So, if you run your video through the cable box, then 1 box = 1 tuner = 1 show at a time, regardless of how many tuners your mythtv system may have. But, like I said above, you probably don't need the cable box anyhow. (Even if you do have some scrambled premium channels, you could set them to only be recorded on a specific tuner which goes through the cable box while having a direct cable line into the other tuner to record non-scrambled channels.) -- The freedoms that we enjoy presently are the most important victories of the White Hats over the past several millennia, and it is vitally important that we don't give them up now, only because we are frightened. - Eolake Stobblehouse (http://stobblehouse.com/text/battle.html) ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
On Thu, 2005-09-22 at 16:23, Paul Schied wrote: > Hello everyone, > > I am new to this forum and am considering trying to get mythtv working > but want to clear a couple of questions up before going any further. > > I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not > digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will > need to hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the > cablebox (so it is decoded). > I want to be able to watch tv while recording a different channel. > From what I've read I am pretty sure this means I need two tuner cards > which will both need to have the cable coming from a cablebox. My > question is if I just split the cable from the cablebox, is there any > way to record something and simultaneously watch a different channel > or do I have to have two cable boxes for this? > > Thanks, > Paul If you have analog cable service you can put a splitter on the cable coming out of the wall, run one connection to your mythtv tuner card and the other to cable box. Most newer TVs have multiple inputs. You can use your TV to select which input to view. Once you have the basic mythtv setup working you will want to add at least a second tuner card and possibly a third. I found that two cards resolve most recording conflicts. I have digital cable service but they still send analog cable service over the same lines so you can hook that directly up to cable ready TVs. One thing to consider is to use good cables and you may need to consider an amplifier. I picked one up form Radio Shack that not only amplifies the signal but acts as a 4 way splitter. If for some reason you need to use the cable box they provided you will need to use an IR blaster to change channels and you will need multiple cable boxes to view and record two shows at once. This is also true if you want the mythtv box to access digital cable channels. ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
You'd need two cable boxes... if you split the cable after the cable box you'll just get two versions of the same channel =P I think what I'd do is confirm what cable I have or didn't have, if I were you... I'd run (temporarily) coax straight from the wall to the TV (assuming your TV has a TV tuner most standard definition TV sets do) and use the TV's tuner/autoscan to see what "analog" cable stations you get. I have the lowest tier digital cable, and it's not even worth it for me (for the shows I record) to bother slaving the cable box... I just tape stations under 80 (for my cable system, yours may vary) via analog cable, which is happily split within reason multiple times BEFORE the cable box. So, I'd figure out what was available via straight coax/analog... and then decide what you want to do. But if you want to record one show via cable box, while concurrently watching another show that requires a cable box, you'll need 2 cable boxes... I started working on a FAQ re: that topic but didn't get too far http://www.diy-pvr-dvr-htpc.com/index.php/Can_I_Watch_Something_Else_While_Recording_With_1_Tuner Erik -- http://www.byopvr.com On 9/22/05, Paul Schied <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello everyone, > > I am new to this forum and am considering trying to get mythtv working but > want to clear a couple of questions up before going any further. > > I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not > digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will need to > hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the cablebox (so it > is decoded). > I want to be able to watch tv while recording a different channel. From what > I've read I am pretty sure this means I need two tuner cards which will both > need to have the cable coming from a cablebox. My question is if I just > split the cable from the cablebox, is there any way to record something and > simultaneously watch a different channel or do I have to have two cable > boxes for this? > > Thanks, > Paul > ___ > mythtv-users mailing list > mythtv-users@mythtv.org > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users > > > ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
RE: [mythtv-users] Beginners question
Just put a splitter when it comes out of the cablebox, one to the computer and the other to the TV. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Schied Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 4:24 PM To: mythtv-users@mythtv.org Subject: [mythtv-users] Beginners question Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and am considering trying to get mythtv working but want to clear a couple of questions up before going any further. I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will need to hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the cablebox (so it is decoded). I want to be able to watch tv while recording a different channel. From what I've read I am pretty sure this means I need two tuner cards which will both need to have the cable coming from a cablebox. My question is if I just split the cable from the cablebox, is there any way to record something and simultaneously watch a different channel or do I have to have two cable boxes for this? Thanks, Paul ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
[mythtv-users] Beginners question
Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and am considering trying to get mythtv working but want to clear a couple of questions up before going any further. I have comcast cable, extended basic cable. To my knowledge it is not digital but I DO have a cablebox. From what I've been reading I will need to hook up the cable to my tuner card after it goes through the cablebox (so it is decoded). I want to be able to watch tv while recording a different channel. From what I've read I am pretty sure this means I need two tuner cards which will both need to have the cable coming from a cablebox. My question is if I just split the cable from the cablebox, is there any way to record something and simultaneously watch a different channel or do I have to have two cable boxes for this? Thanks, Paul ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
