[mythtv-users] Getting into HD

[James Orr]

On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 1:30 PM, James Pifer <jep at obrien-pifer.com> wrote:

> I've been a mythtv user since the 0.14 days. I'm very happy with my
> setup and other than the backend server freezing once in a great while
> (bad memory I think) everything is super stable.
>
> I've just recently picked up an HDTV and I'm looking at getting digital
> cable for this TV. Obviously you get a more channels with digital cable.
> I know my kids will want me to record shows for them, such as off the
> Military channel. My understanding is you have to use the cable
> company's digital set top box to get the extra channels. My cable
> provider is Time Warner.
>
> So if I get digital cable, is there any way for me to record these
> channels with mythtv? I don't even want them in HD quality since none of
> my frontends can even do it.
>
> Another option would be to use one of the cable company's DVRs. Really
> don't want to do that or pay extra for it. I put recorded videos in
> mythvideo and my kids are very used to that interface. I'm guessing it
> would be difficult at best to get them off the DVR.
>

I'm in a similar situation having just bought an HDTV.  We've made a few
other large purchases recently as well, so I'm going to live with SD for a
while (which still looks pretty good, and the PS3 is HD) but my plan for
upgrading is as follows ...

The backend has 3 PCI slots, each has a PVR-250 currently.  Two go to SD
digital cable boxes and one uses coax.  My first step will be to buy a HD
HomeRun.  That should let me free up the co-ax PVR-250 and remove it.

Next I want to put a firewire card in my now free PCI slot and replace one
or both of my SD digital boxes with HD.  My SD boxes are controlled via
USB->serial cables, and as I doubt the HD boxes will have a serial port I'll
need the firewire to at least change channels.  Anything I can capture there
is a bonus and I'll use the PVR-250 to capture anything else.  Eventually I
will replace the 250 with an HD-PVR.
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