HD Newbie

[mattm58]

Ok, I haven't got my HD setup done yet, the TV is actually getting purchased today. My question is this, I know I can get a number of HD channels via QAM, but if I subscribe to Comcast HD, will HDHomerun, etc, be able to record the encrypted stuff, or does it have to go through Comcast's hd receiver first? If the latter, is it just a passthrough to decrypt, or do you have to use an IR blaster, etc. to change the channels on the receiver?

-M

[ldavis]

Matt,

The bad news is that if the channels are encrypted then you will not be able to record them via Sage at HD resolutions. You can have your cable receiver decode first and then record the S-video output but not the HD output. Future solutions might include cable cards that can be plugged directly into your PC but that is not available now as far as I know. HD Homerun can only recieve unencrypted QAM and OTA.

I for one am not all that excited about cable card support though I know I will be in the minority. I am just very conerned about what that will mean to Sage and what compromises they will have to make to the flexibility of their program as will be required to make themselves compatible. I have recently backed off to nothing but OTA HD because its free and I do not want to "dance with the devil". I will just have to read a book.

[scm]

Originally Posted by ldavis

I will just have to read a book.

ldavis--You went Auburn! When did you learn to read.... ?


Matt--I am using the HDHR, and ldavis is correct. Only unecrypted channels work. Sorry.

[ldavis]

Originally Posted by scm

ldavis--You went Auburn! When did you learn to read.... ?

scm,

Actually, they require it for admission as opposed to some schools. Unless, of course, you can play football, in which case Auburn has a hard time outbidding "certain" other schools for the gifted illiterate .

[FidgetyRat]

Yeah I too am afraid of the $$cable-company$$ internal cards. I can immagine what sort of DRM support they are going to force out of Sage.

Imagine having your recordings auto-delete after one watch or in 5 days.



Also, being an HD beginner as well (plan to buy my HDTV in the next 10 years) what is Over the Air? Is that literally Antenna on the back porch HD? or unencrypted local channels via cable/sat?

[scm]

FidgetyRat--yes, Over-The-Air (OTA) HD is the local channel's digital broadcast that you receive via the antenna on the back porch (or in the attic in my case). The OTA feed is typically the highest quality HD you can receive. Often sat and cable have to compress the signal for it to fit in the bandwidth they have available to them, then they decompress at the sat/cable box. Local OTA broadcasts are not limited in bandwidth in this way.

Unencrypted channels on the cable are what we are referring to as unencrypted QAM channels.