#302608 - 28/09/2007 17:20
HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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I've been reading Drakino's thread on TV where everyone was talking about getting shows legally but without cable or satellite subscriptions. I dumped Comcast early this summer, but with new shows coming back this fall I'm trying to come up with a good solution for me and my family. Here's my situation: I have a HDTV. I have an OTA antenna. I can theoretically get all major network stations (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS) at my location (using antennaweb) I want to time-shift my shows. My first question is: with the antenna I've purchased, how high should I get that above my roof to get a good signal? I'm going to get out there and wave it around for a bit first to see how the signal is, but can I mount it a bit below the roofline if the direction is correct? I do not want it to interfere with my wireless internet transmitter (directional microwave). If I can mount it to the side of the house, it will help me a lot. Second question: What's my best bet for OTA time-shifting kit? I am willing to buy a new HD Tivo, but the only issue with that is Battlestar Galactica. And I don't like paying for the guide. Are you still using the Mac Mini approach, Tom? I am willing to buy the BSG episodes from the iTunes store - are they in HD and how much are they each? I haven't installed iTunes yet, so I can't check. I hesitate to go with the full Linux-based MythTV setup, but if that is my only option I will consider it.
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#302609 - 28/09/2007 17:26
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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As far as I know there aren't any HD TV shows on iTunes.
But I'm very curious about how to get BSG in HD. How on earth does one get Sci-Fi in HD?
_________________________
Matt
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#302610 - 28/09/2007 17:30
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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HDNet (or Universal HD?) showed BSG in HD in the past, well after they were originally shown on SciFi. Like after the whole season was over.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#302611 - 28/09/2007 17:45
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: wfaulk]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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Quote:
HDNet (or Universal HD?) showed BSG in HD in the past, well after they were originally shown on SciFi. Like after the whole season was over.
I had UHD last year and they were a year behind on the BSG episodes. They looked great, just a year behind.
So no HD TV shows on iTunes, huh? That SUCKS. I was really hoping I would be able to do this legally. Most of the shows I watch are on network TV, but some (Mythbusters, BSG, some kids shows) are only on cable/sat. I would pay to get them individually, but only if they were in HD (well, maybe BSG in HD).
Is it just me, or are consumers getting screwed big time these past few years? The whole Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD thing has me waiting to buy either until one wins, Cable service sucks and the HD signals are compressed (same with Sat.) there is no Tivo option on Satellite and nothing seems to integrate very well together. Apple seems to be somewhat ahead of the curve, but DRM, no HD TV shows and no PVR option in their lineup doesn't help me.
I was paying $125 a MONTH for cable and internet access, including the DVR that was supplied by Comcast. They pissed me off so much that I cancelled the whole shebang and plunged myself into this mess just because I hated dealing with them so much. That's a lot of money a month - on par with a lot of my other utility bills. Sorry for the rant, I just can't believe that there isn't enough of a consumer market for good alternatives to Cable or Sat.
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#302612 - 28/09/2007 18:23
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
Second question: What's my best bet for OTA time-shifting kit? I am willing to buy a new HD Tivo, but the only issue with that is Battlestar Galactica. And I don't like paying for the guide. Are you still using the Mac Mini approach, Tom? I am willing to buy the BSG episodes from the iTunes store - are they in HD and how much are they each? I haven't installed iTunes yet, so I can't check. I hesitate to go with the full Linux-based MythTV setup, but if that is my only option I will consider it.
I am using the Mini still, and EyeTV on it is much better after a few patches. I haven't however recorded anything with it this season though, as I'm now moving down the path of just buying or renting the DVDs when the entire season is out. I haven't watched a single new show this season, and plan on catching Battlestar Galactica at the Alamo Drafthouse again.
As others have pointed out, the iTunes videos are not HD, they are DVD resolution in most cases. Odds are though with the whole NBC fiasco with iTunes, Battlestar Galactica won't be on the store this season, and the only online services that will have it will either be the free commercial supported IE required version, or the still Windows required Amazon service.
I think in general my experience has moved me into a mindset where I don't want to watch live TV, even if it is timeshifted to get rid of commercials. I just want to have the DVDs somewhere, and go through episodes at my own pace.
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#302613 - 28/09/2007 18:27
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: drakino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
still Windows required Amazon service.
Windows or TiVo.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#302614 - 28/09/2007 19:25
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14484
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
I have a HDTV.
I have an OTA antenna.
I can theoretically get all major network stations (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS) at my location (using antennaweb)
I want to time-shift my shows.
My first question is: with the antenna I've purchased, how high should I get that above my roof to get a good signal? I'm going to get out there and wave it around for a bit first to see how the signal is, but can I mount it a bit below the roofline if the direction is correct?
I would definitely mount it *above* the roof line. But how far above, is best determined by experimentation, due to the way that UHF signals (most HDTV stations) propagate.
I would also put that antenna onto a rotor, which makes it much easier to determine the optimal pointing direction (it is a directional antenna, after all). An electronic rotor control might even allow something like MythTV to automatically rotate it to the best direction depending upon the channel being recorded (requires simple shell scripts + an IR blaster).
Cheers
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#302615 - 28/09/2007 19:31
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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old hand
Registered: 09/01/2002
Posts: 702
Loc: Tacoma,WA
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I built one of these antennas out of coat hangars and wood and it works great, gets all the stations I want. It helps that in my case all the stations are in one direction from me. It's definetly worth trying to make one and putting in your attic, or outside if possible.
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#302616 - 28/09/2007 19:49
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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SageTV seems to be the best PVR software at this time. That is to say, the most usable and well configured without requiring a lot of tweaking and in-depth customizing. Some people are happy with MythTV on Linux.
SageTV runs under Windows, Mac OS and Linux. I only have experience running the Windows version. While I don't like the fact the underlying OS can be quite unstable, I would recommend it above the others in general due to the greater support for a variety of capture devices.
The latest 6.1 and 6.2 releases are quite a bit better than all previous major versions. After completely wiping my system and installing a fresh/clean copy of XP Pro with SP2 it's running rock-solid. When I say clean I mean CLEAN. I have only installed the minimum drivers to get all the onboard hardware, graphics card and capture cards working. Plus a small ATI tweaker tool to turn on overscan and TweakUI to turn on auto-login and turn off Auto-Insert options for removable media.
In addition to installing SageTV you will want to install a third-party MPEG decoder. The one built into SageTV sucks ass even though no one seems to talk about in their forums. It positively does not handle an interlaced stream properly. Anyway, I'm just using ffdshow and it works beautifully. You can also install Intervideo Elecard or other commercial codecs for both regular and CSS-compliant decoding.
The product currently supports OTA ATSC, DVB (T, C and S), analog cards with hardware encoders, etc. A ton of cards. The Mac OS version doesn't support even a fraction and I'm not sure which products the Linux version supports right now (many less though).
Anyway, the only other options of relatively finished/polished products are MCE, BeyondTV and ReplayTV. Replay has a yearly charge of $20 which isn't bad. But all three of those products have an inferior UI in my opinion.
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#302617 - 28/09/2007 20:05
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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addict
Registered: 18/02/2002
Posts: 658
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Quote:
I was paying $125 a MONTH for cable and internet access, including the DVR that was supplied by Comcast. They pissed me off so much that I cancelled the whole shebang and plunged myself into this mess just because I hated dealing with them so much. That's a lot of money a month - on par with a lot of my other utility bills. Sorry for the rant, I just can't believe that there isn't enough of a consumer market for good alternatives to Cable or Sat.
I am literally in the exact same situation except with Cox instead of Comcast. I'm paying about $130 a month for cable and TV and that to me seems like a rip off. I'm paying all these extra fees basically so I can have my local channels in HD and still get Discovery, History and the Military Channel. My problem however is that South Orange County does NOT get good coverage and I can't really mount an antennae on my roof as I live in apartments.
I dunno if you've used this website yet but it is pretty helpful. According to them, from where I live, I need a "Medium Directional Antenna with Preamp" to get the big networks. I'm damn near 50 miles away from the towers!
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#302618 - 28/09/2007 20:22
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: cushman]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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Quote:
My first question is: with the antenna I've purchased, how high should I get that above my roof to get a good signal? I'm going to get out there and wave it around for a bit first to see how the signal is, but can I mount it a bit below the roofline if the direction is correct?
Buildings and geographical features, such as trees and hills, will affect your reception. Waving the antenna around like you are proposing is certainly a good starting point.
You should take a stroll around the block and look for clues to other people using the same service and see what lengths their aerial installers went to and where they point.
Knowing where your transmitter is in relation to your dwelling is well worth finding out. Over here in central UK we have an overlapping coverage of UHF transmissions and some folks fall into the trap of aligning/tuning into a fringe transmitter rather than their main one and get a crap signal. Having said that, obstacles in the transmitter's line of sight may make fringe transmitters a better proposition.
I can't find the link any longer but the BBC's reception advice page used to explain that raising your antenna by 3' could double your signal strength.
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#302619 - 28/09/2007 21:37
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3583
Loc: Columbus, OH
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I would (and possibly will) try a HDHomerun tuner on MythDora. Mark L is using a HDHomerun tuner. He might be able to give his impressions of it.
_________________________
~ John
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#302620 - 29/09/2007 00:58
Re: HDTV and OTA signals (w/PVR options)
[Re: JBjorgen]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14484
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
I would (and possibly will) try a HDHomerun tuner on MythDora. Mark L is using a HDHomerun tuner. He might be able to give his impressions of it.
It works, provides dual ATSC tuners, and doesn't take up a PCI slot (important for my mATX system, which has only two PCI slots in total). Seemless integration into MythTV-0.20-fixes and the latest bleeding edge SVN versions too.
It's digital, so the 1920x1200i (local CBC) picture and 5.1 surround sound are both perfect. But I have never used any other ATSC receivers, so there's not much for me to compare with. Recording with Myth is easy, as it should be: one can actually record just using the *UNIX cat (EDIT: netcat (nc), that is) command if one wanted to. 
Except perhaps the built-in ATSC tuner in our Viewsonic LCD TV, which sucks (much less sensitive) by comparism with the HDHR . The only downside for some, is that it does require a DHCP server on the same LAN segment for it to function.
Cheers
-ml
Edited by mlord (29/09/2007 01:33)
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