Mailing List Archive

Most of the cheap Tuner cards discussed here actually do both. They have a coax antenna/cable input and a built in TV tuner as well as SVideo and/or Composite (plus audio) inputs to capture video directly.

-----Original Message-----
From: Latka [mailto:latka@speakeasy.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 1:25 PM
To: MythTV-Users List
Subject: [mythtv-users] Do I need a tuner card with DirecTV?


I'm a little green in the area of capture/tuner cards, and can't seem to
find a definitive answer to one question: If I'm using a satellite receiver
(DirecTV RCA 420RD), do I actually need a TV tuner card or just a video
capture card (I'm guessing that there are cards that simply captured an
already "tuned" source)?

My sat receiver has both S-Video and composite (RCA) outs, so I'm guessing
that a TV tuner in my (to-be-built)myth box would be useless, although I
would like a radio tuner.

Thanks.

_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users@snowman.net
http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

Well then, go ahead and get the winTV radio, or something like it. I
think most of the supported capture cards come with a full blown tuner
whether you need it or not, but all the ones that I have seen have
either an s-video or composite input as well (so you should be good to go).

Latka wrote:

>I'm a little green in the area of capture/tuner cards, and can't seem to
>find a definitive answer to one question: If I'm using a satellite receiver
>(DirecTV RCA 420RD), do I actually need a TV tuner card or just a video
>capture card (I'm guessing that there are cards that simply captured an
>already "tuned" source)?
>
>My sat receiver has both S-Video and composite (RCA) outs, so I'm guessing
>that a TV tuner in my (to-be-built)myth box would be useless, although I
>would like a radio tuner.
>
>Thanks.
>
>_______________________________________________
>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

I'm new too, so maybe its already been answered.

If I have a tuner, or a capture card, with DirecTV, I still need to have
the DirecTV reciever set to the channel I want to record right?

OR is there some way that myth will change the channels to the appropriate
ones while I'm away and record what I want.

Thanks.

-Bryan

At 04:02 PM 6/5/2003 -0400, Bryan wrote:
>I'm new too, so maybe its already been answered.
>
>If I have a tuner, or a capture card, with DirecTV, I still need to have
>the DirecTV reciever set to the channel I want to record right?
>
>OR is there some way that myth will change the channels to the appropriate
>ones while I'm away and record what I want.

There are two (closely ralated) ways that MythTV systems can control
external devices that need to select channels.

1. Use an IR Blaster to send to the device the signals that its remote
control would send.

2. Use a direct serial-port connection between the MythTV host and the
other device to send it commands to change channels.

From the Myth side, both are similar because they typically involve
sending instructions to a serial port, commonly using the package LIRC
(Linux Infra-Red Control). On the device side ... well, if the device has a
serial port designed for device control (some do, some don't), then you can
use a serial-cable connection for the control. If not, use the IR Blaster,
assuming the remote codes for the device are known.

For more info, do the usual sorts of searches on LIRC, IR Blaster, and the
make and model of your DirecTV control box. Or search this list's archives
... this topic comes up again and again. And once you know what hardware
you need ... if you are not up to building it yourself, most people say the
Snapstream store is a good source of the relevant cables and IR device.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan" <bry-yahoogroups@bry.net>
To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users@snowman.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 4:02 PM
Subject: RE: [mythtv-users] Do I need a tuner card with DirecTV?


> I'm new too, so maybe its already been answered.
>
> If I have a tuner, or a capture card, with DirecTV, I still need to have
> the DirecTV reciever set to the channel I want to record right?

Yes. (Unlike analog cable, where most channels aren't "scrambled", all
satellite channels are encrypted, for obvious reasons)

> OR is there some way that myth will change the channels to the appropriate
> ones while I'm away and record what I want.

You can control your receiver with your computer. The Gossamer Threads
interface has a great search function. Check out this recent thread:
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/perl/mailarc/gforum.cgi?post=64465;search_string=Directv;guest=576902&t=search_engine#64465

On Thursday, Jun 5, Latka wrote:

> I'm a little green in the area of capture/tuner cards, and can't seem
> to
> find a definitive answer to one question: If I'm using a satellite
> receiver
> (DirecTV RCA 420RD), do I actually need a TV tuner card or just a video
> capture card (I'm guessing that there are cards that simply captured an
> already "tuned" source)?

No, all you need is a v4l-compliant video input card. In your case,
you'd just need an s-video or RCA video input card, then use the
3rd-party changechannel program with an appropriate serial cable
connecting your MythTV box to your satellite receiver to have MythTV
change the channels for you (there are 2 connections from your MythTV
box to the receiver; one for control, one for video). Read here:

http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO.html#toc11.3

> My sat receiver has both S-Video and composite (RCA) outs, so I'm
> guessing
> that a TV tuner in my (to-be-built)myth box would be useless, although
> I
> would like a radio tuner.

The TV tuner would indeed be useless.
--
Jarod C. Wilson, RHCE
<jcw@wilsonet.com>
"A wise man once said nothing at all."

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> > I'm a little green in the area of capture/tuner cards, and
> can't seem
> > to
> > find a definitive answer to one question: If I'm using a
> > satellite receiver
> > (DirecTV RCA 420RD), do I actually need a TV tuner card or
> just a video
> > capture card (I'm guessing that there are cards that simply
> captured an
> > already "tuned" source)?

If you really, really, really just want a card that has a Bt878 but
no tuner, you could get an Osprey. But that's overkill, and will
cost more than just getting a cheap card that already has a tuner and
just using the SVideo input.

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> > > I'm a little green in the area of capture/tuner cards, and
> > can't seem
> > > to
> > > find a definitive answer to one question: If I'm using a
> > > satellite receiver
> > > (DirecTV RCA 420RD), do I actually need a TV tuner card or
> > just a video
> > > capture card (I'm guessing that there are cards that simply
> > captured an
> > > already "tuned" source)?
>
>If you really, really, really just want a card that has a Bt878 but
>no tuner, you could get an Osprey. But that's overkill, and will
>cost more than just getting a cheap card that already has a tuner and
>just using the SVideo input.

What about getting a VIVO video card instead of just a video-out card
like an ATI All-in-wonder Radeon? I think some of the Geforce's have
VIVO, but only on the newer or more expensive ones.

The short answer to your question is yes, you don't need a tuner to
capture something from your directv, but you still need something
that has drivers on linux. I'm pretty sure that the capture on the
geforce4 ti set works, but you'll have to ask around for getting the
ATI card working.

Kevin
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