[mythtv-users] Channels received over firewire

[Kevin Kuphal]

nik gibson wrote:
> I've finally updated my channels listing and taken out the channels 
> that don't come through over firewire.  Unfortunately most of the 
> channels I want and pay for don't come through (TNT, ESPN, USA, 
> Cartoon, HBO, etc...)  I'm wondering what's the point if it's this 
> hard and in the end you don't get the majority of the channels you 
> want?  
> Is this just something that everyone accepts or do I have a 
> particularity nasty cable provider?  I have TimeWarner, if the channel 
> availability through firewire is better with someone else I'll happily 
> look at switching.  I've wasted countless hours trying to get a PChdtv 
> card to work, at this point firewire is the only feasible option for 
> getting (a few) HDTV channels into mythtv.  Unfortunately for me I 
> don't think it's going to work if I can't receive 90% of the channels 
> I want.
Welcome to the wonderful state of HD in the US.  You either get:

1) Whatever unencrypted channels your provider decides to output on a 
firewire box if you can get one and get it working.

2) Whatever unencrypted channels your provider decides to output over 
QAM on cable

3) Whatever over-the-air (OTA) channels you can receive using an antenna 
in your home

All of these generally result in the big three or four broadcasters and 
little else.  I don't expect this to get much better in the future with 
technologies like CableCard on the horizon.

Kevin