What devices ro use in move from Analog to Digital

[Karen0302]

Hi,

I am getting ready to move from an Analog cable system to a Digital one. Both will be from Comcast. Can anyone recommend some capture devices that will work with Comcast Digital? Thanks!

Karen

[ke6guj]

If you want to capture the actual digital content in digital format, then you either need to get a QAM digital capture card, such as the PVR-1600 or the HDHOmerun. That would allow you to record any unscrambled open-QAM channels that comcast is sending out. It may only be your local broadcast channels, or may include more. It won't include your pay-premium channels.

Another option is firewire capturing from the STB (your cable box). It doesn't require a digital capture card, only that the PC and STB both have firewire ports. With firewire, you would be able to record any non-encrypted ( called 5C encryption) channels that comcast is sending out. It may only be your local broadcast channels, or may include more. If you are real lucky, you may be able to record every channel you pay for, but that is rare.

Your open-QAM channels may or may not be the same as your non-5C'ed channels.

One last option is to modifiy a STB and have a R5000-HD module installed, but they are $$$. With a R5000, I believe you can record everything you pay for.

Pay-per-view and On-demand aren't really accessable via Sage via normal methods.

Those are the only ways you can capture digital as digital.

Now, If capturing digital in SD is acceptable and you mainly want access to additional channels and a clean signal, you cna just hook up the new STB to your PVR-350 and capture via the s-video/composite input. That would record the clean digital signal in SD and all HD content would be downconverted to SD via the STB before sending it to the 350.


And be aware that you will have both analog and digital from Comcast, so you can keep your 350 to record the analog, and then do whatever you want for the digital. Sage will use all available content from whatever sources you may have.

[Karen0302]

Jack,

Thanks for the reply!

Going the STB (set-top-box?) way isn't really an option for me. I currently use a PVR-350 and two PVR-250s so I would need 3 STBs and I am not certain that Sage would change the channels on the boxes anyway.

If I go with the PVR-1600 option, will Sage be able to change the channels and play back the recorded digital video?

Karen

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Karen0302

Jack,

Thanks for the reply!

Going the STB (set-top-box?) way isn't really an option for me. I currently use a PVR-350 and two PVR-250s so I would need 3 STBs and I am not certain that Sage would change the channels on the boxes anyway.

Yup, STB = set top box. You don't have to go with 3 STBs if you don't want to. YOu could add just 1 STB if that would take care of your digital needs. You could mix and match analog and digital. That is what I do, I have 5 analog tuners, 2 QAM tuners, and 1 firewire'd STB.

I beleive you could use the IR blaster from the 350 to control 1 STB if you wanted to. And if you wanted to do 3 STBs, you could get a USB-UIRT and Sage will use it to control those 3 STBs.

If I go with the PVR-1600 option, will Sage be able to change the channels and play back the recorded digital video?

Sage added support for the 1600 in V6.1, IIRC. So, if you are still running V5 or earlier, you will need to upgrade so Sage can use the 1600. Sage can use both the digital QAM tuner and the analog tuner to record one of each at the same time. Sage can playback digital recordings. You just need a good video card, and right now some people have problems with some minor stuttering in HD.

[Karen0302]

Is the stuttering only an issue with HD? At the moment I have no plans to replacement my TV set. I am doing this because Comcast is going to drop analog in 2009 and because two of my Hauppauge PVR cards are an older model which have problems with channels on the low and high ends.

Karen

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Karen0302

Is the stuttering only an issue with HD?

I think it only applies if you are watching HD content in HD. If you watch HD content down-converted by Sage to SD, I dunno if there is an issue.

At the moment I have no plans to replacement my TV set.

Then, the minor loss of quality if you hooked up digital STBs to your analog tuners via s-video/composite wouldn't be a big deal.

I am doing this because Comcast is going to drop analog in 2009

Have you seen http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27299 ? Looks like either Comcast will have to postpone it til 2012, or will have to supply down-converters. Now, how many they will provide is the question. I'd need 7 converters myself.

and because two of my Hauppauge PVR cards are an older model which have problems with channels on the low and high ends.

How are they in capturing via the s-video/composite connectors?


The main thing to realize is that unless you get lucky, you may be only getting 5-10 digital channels via QAM/firewire, and that won't replace the 75-100 analogs you currently have.

[Karen0302]

Why would I only get 5-10 digital channels? Comcast lists well over 100 on their website. I must be missing something here.

Actually, to be completely honest, another reason I am making the change is to get rid of the two Hauppauge PVRs that aren't very good at getting the low and high channels. If I am doing that it only makes sense to make sure that the system can handle digital stuff as well.

I really don't want to use STBs at all. It is just too much trouble getting the channels changed. I want a card(s) that I can plug in in place of my current PVR-250s and PVR-350 that will get the Comcast Digital stuff.

Karen

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Karen0302

Why would I only get 5-10 digital channels? Comcast lists well over 100 on their website. I must be missing something here.

What your missing is that Comcast wants you to use their STBs. They don't want you to be able to tune in digital without it, so they scramble the digital signal. They also want to be able to offer different digital tiers, and if any QAM tuner could tune in all digital channels, they couldn't do tiering. So they basically scramble everything. The FCC said that the cable companies have to allow the consumer to tune in "local" channels without needing an STB. SO the cable send out the locals, and some other "basic" digital channels without any scrambling, open-QAM.

I really don't want to use STBs at all. It is just too much trouble getting the channels changed. I want a card(s) that I can plug in in place of my current PVR-250s and PVR-350 that will get the Comcast Digital stuff.

There aren't any cards out there that will get all the digital stuff you want. That is why you have to do it STB way. You do realize that you can automat the channel changing via Sage? Yes, it does take some configing, but many users use it everyday without problems.

The only solution that would work the way you want it is a "Cable Card" tuner. It uses a cable card from the cable company that allows your tuner to tune in all digital, but they are sorta vaporware at the moment, and the DRM restrictions are so great that you'd only be able to use in Vista Media Center.

[Karen0302]

Okay, I see what you mean now. I was assuming, incorrectly it appears, that they just blocked the signal for those channels you weren't supposed to get at the pole like they do with analog.

Thanks very much for explaining everything. You've convinced me that I want to stay with analog for as long as possible.

Thanks again!

Karen