[mythtv-users] MythTV/TiVo integration

Mike Perkins mikep at randomtraveller.org.uk
Mon Nov 19 13:30:16 UTC 2007


Neil Dunbar wrote:
> On Mon 19 Nov 2007 11:33:46 Justin Hornsby wrote:
> 
>> People who are using unofficial cable equipment in the UK are not only
>> violating the T&Cs of their contract - they're also usually trying to
>> avoid paying for their TV.  Cable theft is (and should be) taken very
>> seriously.
> 
> Maybe - but let's just get this straight - I'm neither advocating illegal 
> action, nor condoning it. It is certainly illegal to attempt to use such 
> machinery to avoid subscription charges. It is not however *illegal* to use 
> unofficial hardware per se (ie, to get channels for which you are lawfully 
> entitiled to). It may be a contract violation which will entitle Virgin Media 
> to stop service to a location.
> 
> Providing SoftCAM information and all that stuff is certainly out of order. I 
> don't approve of such behaviour, and apologise if people got the impression I 
> was punting it.
> 
I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I was trying to get something for free. 
I wasn't, I am a bona fide Virgin Media customer and am quite happy to hand over 
the cash in return for services. Although I do grind my teeth every time Sky 
puts up their portion of the price.

However, I am a computer guy, and I run a Mythtv installation, and I can record 
off my STB with a Scart-to-Svideo adapter cable and an IR-blaster. I just wish 
it was possible to stick the end of the incoming cable into a card on my back 
end and treat the input the same as the DVB cards I already have. This would (a) 
give me better quality input than S-video, and (b) make channel changing a snap. 
What's not to like about that idea?

If there *is* a solution out there, there must be a fair number of UK Virgin 
Media + Mythtv users out there who would take advantage of it.

Mike Perkins



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