[mythtv-users] MythTV and Comcast On Demand

[jesse k]

I have a MythTV/Gentoo box which is working very nicely. I've managed
to enable all the functionality I want other than getting premium
channels to work (the various HBOs). This is fine with me as On Demand
obviates the need to record those shows. However, the hardware I've
used to split and amplify my cable signal seems to interfere with the
On Demand service.

The setup (http://jessekirchner.com/file/cable_setup.txt) I have is as
follows. I use a Radio Shack 16-2568 2-way splitter (40-2150MHz) to
divide the incoming co-ax cable signal. One line goes to the
WinTV-PVR350 card in my MythTV box from which I deliver the signal
over S-Video to my television. Due to signal degradation from the
splitter, I use a Radio Shack 15-1170 inline powered amplifier
(50-2200MHz) to boost the strength before the Motorola DCT2000 series
set-top box. The signal is carried by co-ax from the set-top box to
the television.

I cannot use On Demand with the above-described setup. When I want to
catch up on Rome or Six Feet Under (RIP), I need to unhook the input
line from the splitter and feed it directly into the set-top box
during which time, my MythTV box cannot record with a live signal
(however, it will dutifully record hours of static). I've tried to no
avail removing the amplifier to see if that is blocking the On Demand
signal. This leads me to suspect that the frequency pass on the
splitter (40-2150MHz) is too narrow. (And yes, I realize that the
amplifier frequency pass is almost identical, but I dont have the
hardware to check that individually and I want to take this one thing
at a time.)

I'd like to find a splitter that will allow the necessary frequencies
through, but I have no idea where to start. Before I bug Comcast (I
don't have much faith in their ability to help with non-standard
questions), I want to see if anyone in this forum has encountered a
similar difficulty or might know a good place to post this query.
Also, if I seem to have a lapse in understanding, please feel free to
school me.
--
Jesse Kirchner
kirchner at alum.mit.edu
http://jessekirchner.com/