[mythtv-users] HDTV - PVR: Does it work?

[Andrew Dodd]

Quoting Ian Neubert <ian at ianneubert.com>:


> Seriously, I don't get why this thing is so freakin expensive either. To
> its
> credit though the MDP-120 has a good HDTV tuner, I was able to get perfect
> picture & sound when it claimed 30% signal strength.
At least the answer to *that* question is simple.

Most hardware MPEG decoders can only handle MPEG-2 MP at ML (Main Profile at Main
Level).  This is more than sufficient for everything up to DVD.

HDTV uses MPEG-2 MP at HL (Main Profile at High Level), for which hardware MPEG
decoders are rare and need a LOT more silicon.  The $100ish difference between
the pcHDTV and its brethren and the MyHD, etc. is the hardware MPEG decoding.

My MyHD is borderline as far as reception where I am.  I wish I could test the
pcHDTV out and see how it compares in receiver quality to the MDP-100.  I sure
as hell am not buying the MDP-120 (which IS known to have a better demodulator
and tuner than the 100...)

If I ever sell the family on letting me put the antenna on the roof (They all
think rooftop antennas look tacky, I personally think no one will notice.) to
improve reception, I'll almost surely consider a pcHDTV.  :)  While my box can't
handle it right now, I don't mind having the pcHDTV on one machine for capture
and the MDP-100 on another machine for playback.

An Athlon 2400+ can record an HDTV stream with barely any effort.  All that
matters is that your hard drives can handle 3-5 MB/sec transfer rate.  (I forget
the exact amount.)  Plenty of people have streamed HD over 100 MBit networks.