[mythtv-users] Newbie Question about tuners, IR Blasters, and Cable Box

[Brett Kosinski]

> I have researching Myth but have been drowning in information and the
> various ways that folks have been setting up their systems.
>
> I have Comcast/Time Warner and a Motorola DCT2224 and plan to get a couple
> of PVR-250 or 350 tuner/decoder cards.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. The PVR-250's are tuners, why do I need an IR Blaster?


Such devices can only tune regular broadcast cable.  If you have a DCT2224,
I can only assume you have digital cable, which is encrypted.  Thus, there's
no way for the capture card to directly tune the digital streams.  Hence the
need for an STB, which can.

2. Don't the tuners select the proper channel based on freqency, without
> using the STB?


Not in this case, unfortunately.  For basic, non-digital cable, this is the
case.  For digital, however, the streams are QAM modulated and encrypted.

3. -or- Does the channel have to change on the STB to record on the tuner
> card?


Correct.

4. Do I need more than one STB if I plan to have more than one tuner card?


Yes.

5. Does Motorola (or anyone else) make a dual tuner STB?


Probably not for what you need (two tuners *and* two video outputs, with the
ability to receive and output both feeds simultaneously).

You'll just need to pick up another STB.  Fortunately, they can be had for
peanuts on ebay.

As for STB control, you'll need a pair of IR blasters.  If you have
soldering experience, you can build 'em pretty cheaply.  However, if you're
lazy like me :), you can always buy them online.  I went with
www.irblaster.info, and they work terrific for my DCT2500.

Brett.
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