[mythtv-users] Happauge HVR-1800 . . . latest opinions?

[stefan_jones at comcast.net]

Answers at bottom. 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allen Edwards" <allen.p.edwards at gmail.com> 
To: beww at beww.org, "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 1:03:35 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Happauge HVR-1800 . . . latest opinions? 




On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 12:59 PM, Brian Wood < beww at beww.org > wrote: 



On Wednesday 25 February 2009 13:48:50 stefan_jones at comcast.net wrote: 
> My mythbox currently has a Happauge PVR-150 and a pcHDTV3000. Working just 
> fine. 
> 
> My Comcast network is going "mostly all digital" in a couple of months. 
> 
> The "low end" Basic Cable channels (2-32 or so) will still be available in 
> analog form for a few years, but everything else (SciFi, Comedy Central, is 
> being replaced with digital equivalents. 

If they are forcing you to pay for an STB in order to receive what you get now 
you should report them to the government. They have said they want to know 
about any activity of that sort by the cable companies. They are trying to 
take advantage of the confusion over the digital conversion in order to pry 
more dollars out of their subscribers, and the FCC has said they want to keep 
an eye on that kind of thing. 

-- 
beww 


>>You could be right but I thought as long as the OTA stuff did not require a rental they were OK. If they take the >>OTA stuff digital, they need to provide the STB. 


Comcast will still make the Basic Cable analog channels and about a dozen broadcast QAM channels (the HD versions of ABC, CBS, PBS, etc.) available w/o a converter box. So, my current analog card (or the one in the HVR-1800) would still have a use. 

For the "Basic Extended" channels, you'll need a STB of some sort. Standard Cable customers who are getting inconvenienced by this will be getting one free STB and two limited-function "DTAs". These are the cable equivalent of a broadcast converter. QAM in, analog out. (To use them with a Myth setup you'd need an IR blaster.) 

Now, *from what I've seen so far,* and from what a kindly gent at Comcast told me, there are no plans to encrypt the "Standard Cable" range of channels. The digital channels are actually there now. I can tune them in with my HDTV, and I'm working out the bugs to tune them with the HDTV3000. (The mapping is messed up; but that's an issue on another thread.) As long as they stay clear, I'll continue my subscription to Comcast. If they start to encrypt, I'll go to the $10 a month Basic plan and join Netflix. 


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