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

[Bruce Taber]

On Tue, 2006-11-21 at 03:49 +0000, Dennis Whitson II wrote:
> 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.
> 
I have this setup with additional cards.

> My questions are:
> 
> 1. The PVR-250's are tuners, why do I need an IR Blaster?
> 
The tuners do not need the IR Blaster. They're tuned directly.

> 2. Don't the tuners select the proper channel based on freqency, without using the STB?
> 
> 3. -or- Does the channel have to change on the STB to record on the tuner card?
> 
The PVR-250s tune in what I refer to as the analog cable. Generally,
those channels are 98 and below. IOW, the same channels you can get on a
cable ready television without the need for the STB.

> 4. Do I need more than one STB if I plan to have more than one tuner card?
> 
You can use the STB to tune in the digital channels and recorded by one
of the PVR-250s, which, is set and tuned to channel 3 or 4 depending on
the cable system. To change channels on the STB you can sometimes use a
serial port on the computer connected to the STB. I've heard that some
cable systems disable the serial port on the box - YMMV. Mine works
great on a serial connection and I don't have a need for the IR Blaster.

> 5. Does Motorola (or anyone else) make a dual tuner STB?
> 
Don't know about dual tuners. I just have the one STB and would like to
do away with it entirely if I could. That is where the additional cards
are coming into play. Those cards are the DViCO Fusion Lites and/or
PCHDTV 3000. I think that is the designation on the PCHDTV.

> Is my understanding correct or am I way off?
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> 
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