[mythtv-users] Cable Co. QAM via pcHDTV HD3000 vs. STB and Firewire

Byron Poland wpoland at gmail.com
Sat Apr 9 04:05:16 UTC 2005


I've been playing around with getting my cable companies (Comcast, New
Castle Co. Delaware) QAM "free to air" broadcasts working with my
HD3000 card using the dvb drivers.  I actuall am able to tune all the
local HD channels, INHD 1&2 and a lot of simulcast digital std
content.  The problem is that most of it comes out like crap.  lots of
continuity errors, audio drop outs, and just lots of problem.  Pretty
much non watchable.  In looking for channels, I did the tedious
searching with dvbstream, and spliting up the stream with dtvstream
(-tsprog in mplayer was unreliable).  In doing this I recorded 15-180
second chunks and looked at them.  Things were decent at times, but
still tons of continuity errors.

In recent years I've totally replace the wiring in my house with RG6
Quad Shieled cable, and recently replaced my spliters.  Currently we
subscribe to only regular analog cable, and have an onsite filter (on
the pole) that gives up HBO (the good old days of onsite content
scrambling).

What I'm getting at is what are the chances of getting good quality
out of QAM (last thing I can thing to do is replace the wire from the
house to the pole with RG6 QS).  Or will subing to digital cable and
getting a firewire enabled cable box give me better / more reliable
quality.

I am able to get some channels ota, but not all, so thats why I'm
looking at cable.  plus being able to possibly tune some of the other
non-hd channels digitally is a nice incentive.

Well thanks in advance for any suggestions / observations shared.


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