Switching from Analog to Digital with Shaw Cable

[itsanogo]

Hi, I have decided to go with Shaw Digital TV. 'Been using SageTV with MediaMVP for almost 4 years now. But digital tv is a completely different world so you can consider myself a rookie in this field.

I am replacing my MCE-500 with a HDHomeRun that I bought on newegg.ca but I did not receive it yet.

This is what I think should happen: Hauppage Remote -> MediaMVP -> SageTV -> USB-UIRT -> STB DCT700
Is that correct?

I want to use the 2 tuners from the HDHomeRun since we very often watch a show and record another one at the same time. I will then need to get 2 STB, and 1 (or 2?) USB-UIRT? This is also where I'm getting confused.

Can anybody help me?

[Opus4]

The two SiliconDust HDHR tuners record clear QAM connected directly to the cable line and/or ATSC from OTA broadcasts via an antenna. It does not get connected to a cable box and cannot record encrypted channels -- only the non-encrypted clear QAM ones.

If you have channels that must be decrypted by the box, then you will need to record the output of the box as SD using something like your existing Hauppauge 500 or you can use the Hauppauge HD-PVR to record HD output from the cable box via a component cable connection.

- Andy

[Fuzzy]

The HDHomeRun will not work with the STB. It is designed to connect directly from the cable line, and can tune in either ATSC (OTA Digital from an Antenna), or Clear QAM (Unencrypted Digital from the Cable Company). The usefulness of the HDHomeRun will be determined by what your cable co offers in the clear on their feed. More and more these days, this is limited to either just the local channels, or perhaps local + a few very basic cable channels. The only option for recording the encrypted digitals would be with an HD box (which the DCT700 is NOT) and an Hauppauge HD-PVR, or an R-5000 modified HD cable STB (which the DCT700 is not). Best option might be to check what you get with the HDHomeRun, and use it for whatever is available on it, and continue using the DCT's and the MCE-500 for everything else.

[itsanogo]

Oops, I just got the order cancelled at newegg. Thanks!
I will keep looking at my alternatives... and may stay with my analog cable for a while. It is involving too much hardware $$ for now.

[pjpjpjpj]

You can find a basic explanation of options here:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41428