I have a working PVR setup and it has been chunking along for years now (on current rev of knoppm) I was just reading up on the hardware wiki

http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=TVCards

and have a question, I want to look into recording HDTV channels off the comcast box. Now if I have this correct I would need to IRBlast the box and send the output to the computer to be able to pick up things like channel 771 (for example) since the card wouldn't know how to decode comcast channel 771.

do i have this correct? and can you decode the HD channels on comcast that are crazy, or should i spend my money on the comcast tivo box, and just use it for the HD content I want?

-spud

The only way you can record HD from the Comcast box is if it has a Firewire port AND if it's active AND THEN you only get to record unencrypted channels.

You can't send HD from your set-top box via composite or S-video. The only way is via component cables (analog) or DVI/HDMI (digital), and there's no current way to capture that signal efficiently.

You could use an ATSC (digital) tuner and record programs that Comcast offers via open QAM, but that's not all of the digital channels (neither SD nor HD).

You can have an IR blaster change channels on a set-top box and record SD from it (that's what I do) but you can't record HD.

If you want to record any HD content (including pay channels, etc.) basically the only way to do it is with their box.

I have connected my Comcast DCT-6200 to my Myth box via Firewire.

I use the 6200ch command to change channels. (Works perfectly).

However, I can't keep the MPEG stream running from the STB to my Mythbox.

Have tried the test-mpg2 program, which use plugctl. I was able to save the output from this and play it with MPlayer.

The scanning worked fine and I have the complete SD schedule, but I have yet to schedule and record a program.

If you have any luck, let me know, I'll do the same.

_________________
Dragon 2.0. Knoppmyth.
Gnome.
Samsung 56" DLP.
Comcast Cable Baltimore County.
Source 1: QAM_256
Source 2: Firewire