Tuner questions and options (1 Viewer)

[bc0508]

I am currently getting my house setup with mediaportal. I have been testing for a while.. It seems the family will not be happy with out the live channels.

I currently have directv and going down to one tuner with out dvr on it will save alot to cash and I could go to cable if that is easier I would like to do hd recording.

I saw the Hauppauge HD-PVR with a blaster for the directv but I am not sure you can do the live channel streaming with it.

I am not sure on the options on cable.

Talked to the local cable company they will provide a cablecard if I go with them I assume since tivos use this.

 

[mm1352000]

Hi bc0508

We can't support viewing/recording of encrypted cable content (content that requires a CableCard) any other way than via a capture input right now. Like any other capture device, the HD-PVR allows you to stream the channel that the STB is tuned to. With capture inputs the number of channels you can view or record will always be limited to the number of STBs that you have.

mm

 

[bc0508]

Thanks for the followup... I will just try to go with the hd-pvr or hdhomerun with basic cable until something is figured out to support the other...

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again

...until something is figured out to support the other...

I don't think you've quite understood the full situation. Let me fill you in. Software must be certified by CableLabs if it is going to be permitted to show anything other than "copy-freely" encrypted content. That certification process is costly and time consuming - it is unlikely we could afford it and certification might take a year or more. Further, it would require *huge* changes in MediaPortal, some of which are against the principles that this software, team, and community stand for (in other words we would have to close large sections of our source code and implement functionality restrictions to prevent circumventing DRM). Personally I think it would be unrealistic to expect MediaPortal to ever support non-copy-freely content unless Cable labs reduces the DRM restrictions. I don't like this any more than you do but that is what we have to put up with when DRM gets involved. To summarise: if your cable provider does not use "copy-freely" restrictions then it might be better to use WMC.

mm

 

[bc0508]

Oh I didn't fully understand. I think I will go with the capture method and go from there. I think I will also go with the hdhomerun and grab some over the air locals. After all it is only a few things that I will have to find a work around.

You guys have a great product and I will sending some donation to the project.

 

[milhouse]

If you do go with cable instead of DirecTV, the locals should all be in the clear (QAM). So use an ATSC/QAM tuner card, plug in the coax, and you can pull in the unscrambled channels (including locals HD). Then use the capture device (HDHomeRun) just for premium content. This might give you a bit more flexibility in having multiple channels recording at the same time.

 

[bc0508]

I think that is my plan to do.. I just need to get everything in place working out the last few things before I do the switch. .