[mythtv-users] Comcast Set-Top Box and OSD

[Brad DerManouelian]

Jeff Clark wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 26, 2008 at 5:53 PM, Brad DerManouelian
> <myth at dermanouelian.com> wrote:
>> Jeff Clark wrote:
>>  > Gotcha.
>>  >
>>  > Right now I have my coax plugged directly into my capture card and I
>>  > get the first 12 channels and a random channel 25.  I guess Comcast is
>>  > right - I need to have a box.
>>  >
>>  What kind of capture card are you using?
>>
>>
> 
> I'm using the WinTV PVR-150

Ok, that's an analog capture device. You'll definitely need to use the 
box to get anything useful. The other option is to get a digital capture 
device and try scanning with that to see what you get. However, as has 
been mentioned, you'll find at least some channels are encrypted. Which 
ones is anyone's guess. So at this point you can either choose to output 
s-video from your STB and control with a serial port (if your box has 
one) or ir blaster as you suspected or you can try your luck and invest 
in a digital capture card and see how many channels you can get on it.

Something else to consider.. do you have a firewire port on your cable 
box? You might be able to capture video and do channel changes with 
that. Encrypted channels still won't work, but you might be able to get 
a bunch of digital channels out of it - enough to be happy and not spend 
any money on a digital capture card.


-Brad