[mythtv-users] standard vs digital cable

[Joseph A. Caputo]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net]On Behalf Of Lonny Selinger
> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 3:25 PM
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] standard vs digital cable
>
>
> I know in my area (Sask Canada) we have digital boxes as well .. its
> digital to the box and the out is analog. Just playing around with a
> PVR-250 to see what all it would pick up, I can get all my analog
> channels straight from the wall, and get all my digital channels off
> the out from the cable box ... the only problem is its using their
> menuing system etc ... I can display any channel through the PVR-250
> tuned to the out channel on the box.
>
> I've spoken to a couple people and they say you can use almost any
> digital reciever here and get the higher channels so I'm wondering if
> grabbing a digital card (at some point), that also handles analog
> would be the solution.
>
> I read that WinTV-D cards should be able to do this but I haven't
> hammered away to see what the support uner Linux is ... so far its
> looking scarce and not worth it *yet*


Digital cable is not the same thing as digital television.  Digital
television is when the broadcast data (from satellite, over-the-air or
cable) complies with a particular digital broadcast standard.  Digital cable
is not a standard.  It is simply a digital transport for the same old
NTSC-resolution TV picture.  Basically, the cable provider compresses the
video feed into an MPEG stream so more channels will fit down the pipe (plus
you don't get picture interference like with a purely analog broadcast).
Each cable provider has their own implementation readable by only their own
set-top boxes.  This is why you never see a 'digital cable ready' television
set or a 'digital cable' tuner card... a set/card would have to be able to
decode the signal from *your* particular cable company, and of course the
cable companies have no incentive to enable you to use any device other than
their own set-top box.

Bottom line:  the WinTV-D or any 'digital tuner' cards are useless for
digital cable.

-JAC