[mythtv-users] Mythtv users with Comcast HD cable boxes (Chicago?)

[Johnny]

> I'm using Comcast cable QAM + a SD cable box going to a pvr 500 with Comcast
> near Chicago. I'm getting tired of losing 1/3 of my resolution watching
> letterboxed shows on SD channels. If I get an HD cable box, can it
> downconvert 720p and 1080i content to 480i widescreen svideo output I could
> record with the pvr 500 and at least reclaim a full 720x480 pic on
> widescreen content?

I am not sure that I follow your reasoning here. Are you displaying
this on a 16x9 HDTV or on a 4x3 SDTV? I will assume you are using an
HD set. Are you saying you are frustrated by the fact that on SD
channels they often use 16x9 footage and then letterbox it for the 4x3
SD, so it ends up letterboxed and pillarboxed on your HDTV? So your
plan is to get an HD cable box and then tune into HD channels and then
have the box output 4x3 S-video? In that case it would still be
letterboxed. Or are you hoping that the cable box will support a 16x9
anamorphic widescreen (720x480 is not 16x9) over the S-video. Having
the option to do 16x9 over S-video would depend on the specific STB. I
believe some of them do, but many of them only do 4x3 over the
S-video.

But the 2nd part of your problem would be the PVR-500. They only
capture 4x3. So the question is would it just take the 16x9 anamorphic
as is? I would guess it would but it wouldn't have the 16x9 flag that
they use for anamorphic widescreen DVDs etc. In that case you fix it
during playback by changing the aspect ratio. I haven't tried that but
it might work. Maybe somebody else here has.