Ok, questions about htpc

[PrinceofWands]

I've been watching TV on my computer, and using it as my PVR, for many many years, with no issues. Now with the digital transition we received notice that Comcrap is requiring set-top boxes. We hate them, and were ready to drop them, but then I started reading about satellite options with HTPC's, and getting, well, pissed off.

Here's my situation:

We have NO HD stuff in my house, and won't have for many many many years. Not interested, period. No bluray, no hd tvs, no hd tv channels watched, nothing. DO NOT WANT!

We don't generally use MS os's, except for 2 XP partitioned systems for gaming. We'd rather not have to use MS for HTPC, and absolutely 100% refuse to allow Vista or 7 (I don't do totalitarian ideals like DRM) in our home.

All I want to do is have a normal television or three in the house, and still use my computer (running linux) for my bedroom TV and PVR.

Is this even going to be possible any more? Is it equally possible with DirecTV, Dish, or Comcrap? How do PC tuner cards (currently have an old hauppauge, but I can get something else) work with set-top boxes (ie what cabling, how to change channels, etc)? Will I need a separate set-top box for every tv and pc? Do purchased set-top units work (in order to avoid leasing fees) equally with all providers?

I've been trying to research it online for about 8 hours now, and it's almost impossible because everyone seems to be focused only on vista, and high-def stuff...which don't concern me in any way.

 

[zzuupp]

Your cable company is probably referring to the ability to get HD-channel-whatever that you might need a cable box. Theoretically, they still have to either provide analog local channels or (probably just one) cable box per household until 2012.

If they truly are going all digital, then they would have to provide the locals in clear QAM after the transition.

As far as cable channels in analog goes, there is no legal restriction about them providing them digitally & encrypting them. However, lawsuits have been filed.

Dish or Direct satellite tv would require a set top box for each TV or PC that you wanted to watch different channels on.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: zzuupp
Your cable company is probably referring to the ability to get HD-channel-whatever that you might need a cable box. Theoretically, they still have to either provide analog local channels or (probably just one) cable box per household until 2012.

If they truly are going all digital, then they would have to provide the locals in clear QAM after the transition.

As far as cable channels in analog goes, there is no legal restriction about them providing them digitally & encrypting them. However, lawsuits have been filed.

Dish or Direct satellite tv would require a set top box for each TV or PC that you wanted to watch different channels on.

Nope. Comcast is now requiring set-top boxes for standard analog cable subscribers. Customers who refuse will be cut to 30 channels (from 71) without a reduction in cost. Mind you, this was after two years of written guarantees that this would NOT happen. Hence our anger.

Do the satellite boxes connect to TVs and tuner cards using coax, the same as analog cable did? I've heard that DISH can change channels thru other connections, but DirecTV can only change channels using their box.

 

[erwos]

Assuming an all-digital world, you're going to need to use an IR blaster + video-in solution if you want to get "digital" channels. MythTV should be able to handle this if you give it a well-known card, such as the Hauppauge PVR-150 or PVR-500. I'm also seeing some support for the Hauppauge HD-PVR, which will let you capture HD sources off of component+optical in H.264. You claim not to care about HD (it reads like willful denial, honestly), but it's good to have options.

And, of course, if you only care about digital locals in clear QAM, there's the simple solution of the SiliconDust HDHomeRun - a personal favorite of mine.

 

[XMan]

OP, where do you live? I haven't heard anything like this and I have Comcast as well.

An alternative might be to pick up the Hauppauge HVR-2250. You can use it as a dual QAM tuner in Vista Media Center. It's cheaper than the HDHomeRun as well.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: XMan
OP, where do you live? I haven't heard anything like this and I have Comcast as well.

It's a market by market transition. IIRC, it happened to Chicago a few years ago. Make no mistake, it _will happen_ to everyone, because digital uses way less bandwidth for way more quality.

An alternative might be to pick up the Hauppauge HVR-2250. You can use it as a dual QAM tuner in Vista Media Center. It's cheaper than the HDHomeRun as well.

The OP was using Linux, IIRC.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: XMan
OP, where do you live? I haven't heard anything like this and I have Comcast as well.

An alternative might be to pick up the Hauppauge HVR-2250. You can use it as a dual QAM tuner in Vista Media Center. It's cheaper than the HDHomeRun as well.

Longview WA. Letters went out about two weeks ago on the Comcast transition.

Yeah, only if it runs in Linux. Vista not allowed here at all. But I'll look into it and see if peeps have gotten it working in something open.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: erwos
Assuming an all-digital world, you're going to need to use an IR blaster + video-in solution if you want to get "digital" channels. MythTV should be able to handle this if you give it a well-known card, such as the Hauppauge PVR-150 or PVR-500. I'm also seeing some support for the Hauppauge HD-PVR, which will let you capture HD sources off of component+optical in H.264. You claim not to care about HD (it reads like willful denial, honestly), but it's good to have options.

And, of course, if you only care about digital locals in clear QAM, there's the simple solution of the SiliconDust HDHomeRun - a personal favorite of mine.

Awesome info...exactly what I was looking for. So it is possible to do what I want, I just need different tuner cards or accessories. Sounds like now I need to find out exactly what set-tops can be used on the different satellite carriers, and find some cheap ones to buy.

The HD thing is multi-fold. I have no HD hardware, and live VERY VERY cheaply. I simply don't ever buy anything I don't actually need. I'm pretty much anti-consumer unless I gain great benefit from it. I enjoy watching my dvds on what I do have, and therefore feel no great need to spend so much on upgrades. I personally only watch maybe 5-10 hours of TV a week, and nothing that I can imagine HD being useful for (History channel, news, OPB, and the 2 or 3 shows I vaguely follow).

I also am ideologically opposed to DRM, and all the encrypting and BS involved in the whole digital craze, so I tend to want to ignore it on those principles as well. I go well out of my way to stay fully open source, open use.