Mailing List Archive: MythTV: Users

Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada

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mlists at dressler

Aug 27, 2009, 10:41 AM

Post #1 of 11 (1236 views)
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Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada

I've been running an HDPVR for a while now but previously had been
running the sa4250 via firewire.

The HDPVR is great for my HD-TV but I don't have a strong enough machine
to play the recordings or live TV on another TV. Firewire SD would be
sufficient as I had done this before. The problem I had before,
however, was not all my subscribed channels were clear on firewire.
Even some of the locals, like channel 6, would not come through.

My question is, has anyone scanned the firewire on the Rogers boxes in
Ottawa to see if anything has changed recently? I might add firewire
back to my set up just for viewing SD on another SD tv.

Thanks in advance.

Norm
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eric at lisaneric

Aug 27, 2009, 12:48 PM

Post #2 of 11 (1170 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
> I've been running an HDPVR for a while now but previously had been running
> the sa4250 via firewire.
> The HDPVR is great for my HD-TV but I don't have a strong enough machine to
> play the recordings or live TV on another TV.

Can't the HDPVR also digitize SD signals? It doesn't do HD exclusively does it?

If you just tune to an SD channel, you should be able to watch it just
fine on your other set.

Eric
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mlists at dressler

Aug 27, 2009, 2:31 PM

Post #3 of 11 (1171 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

Eric Sharkey wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 1:41 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>
>> I've been running an HDPVR for a while now but previously had been running
>> the sa4250 via firewire.
>> The HDPVR is great for my HD-TV but I don't have a strong enough machine to
>> play the recordings or live TV on another TV.
>>
>
> Can't the HDPVR also digitize SD signals? It doesn't do HD exclusively does it?
>
> If you just tune to an SD channel, you should be able to watch it just
> fine on your other set.
>
> Eric
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
regardless of incoming quality. That is too much for the slower
machines I have already in the house.

Norm

eric at lisaneric

Aug 27, 2009, 2:37 PM

Post #4 of 11 (1160 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
> regardless of incoming quality.

It actually scales the video up before compression? How odd. There
has to be some way to turn that off.

Someone on this list who actually owns one (I don't) should comment on that.

Eric
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robert.mcnamara at gmail

Aug 27, 2009, 2:40 PM

Post #5 of 11 (1177 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 2:37 PM, Eric Sharkey<eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
>> regardless of incoming quality.
>
> It actually scales the video up before compression? �How odd. �There
> has to be some way to turn that off.
>
> Someone on this list who actually owns one (I don't) should comment on that.
>
> Eric

That's not the case at all. The HD-PVR will always record at the
resolution supplied to it. If your *cable box* is set to only output
one resolution, the HD-PVR will record one... if it is (properly)
configured to change according to the stream, so will the HD-PVR.

For reference, the early issues with changing resolutions are long since solved.

Robert
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eric at lisaneric

Aug 27, 2009, 2:43 PM

Post #6 of 11 (1187 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
> regardless of incoming quality.

Could you mean "everything HD PVR records is at the same bit rate
regardless of incoming resolution"?

That makes slightly more sense.

Eric
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robert.mcnamara at gmail

Aug 27, 2009, 2:45 PM

Post #7 of 11 (1162 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Eric Sharkey<eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
>> regardless of incoming quality.
>
> Could you mean "everything HD PVR records is at the same bit rate
> regardless of incoming resolution"?
>
> That makes slightly more sense.
>
> Eric

Even that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, since the HD-PVR is
capable of both constant and Variable bitrates.

Robert
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mlists at dressler

Aug 27, 2009, 4:04 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1185 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

Robert McNamara wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Eric Sharkey<eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>>
>>> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
>>> regardless of incoming quality.
>>>
>> Could you mean "everything HD PVR records is at the same bit rate
>> regardless of incoming resolution"?
>>
>> That makes slightly more sense.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>
> Even that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, since the HD-PVR is
> capable of both constant and Variable bitrates.
>
> Robert
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
Well, my cable box is set to output 720p - and that is what the hd-pvr
records. I'll check the cable box to see if there is a variable
dependent on source but I doubt it...

Norm

robert.mcnamara at gmail

Aug 27, 2009, 4:07 PM

Post #9 of 11 (1179 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Norm<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
> Robert McNamara wrote:
>
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Eric Sharkey<eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>
>
> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
> regardless of incoming quality.
>
>
> Could you mean "everything HD PVR records is at the same bit rate
> regardless of incoming resolution"?
>
> That makes slightly more sense.
>
> Eric
>
>
> Even that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, since the HD-PVR is
> capable of both constant and Variable bitrates.
>
> Robert
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
>
> Well, my cable box is set to output 720p - and that is what the hd-pvr
> records.� I'll check the cable box to see if there is a variable dependent
> on source but I doubt it...
>
> Norm
>

Then the fault would be with the STB, not the HD-PVR.

Robert
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mlists at dressler

Aug 27, 2009, 4:31 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1167 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

Robert McNamara wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Norm<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>
>> Robert McNamara wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Eric Sharkey<eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Norm Dressler<mlists [at] dressler> wrote:
>>
>>
>> The problem is everything HD PVR records is at the same resolution
>> regardless of incoming quality.
>>
>>
>> Could you mean "everything HD PVR records is at the same bit rate
>> regardless of incoming resolution"?
>>
>> That makes slightly more sense.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>>
>> Even that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, since the HD-PVR is
>> capable of both constant and Variable bitrates.
>>
>> Robert
>> _______________________________________________
>> mythtv-users mailing list
>> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
>> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>
>>
>> Well, my cable box is set to output 720p - and that is what the hd-pvr
>> records. I'll check the cable box to see if there is a variable dependent
>> on source but I doubt it...
>>
>> Norm
>>
>>
>
> Then the fault would be with the STB, not the HD-PVR.
>
> Robert
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users [at] mythtv
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>
I agree -- there's nothing wrong the HD-PVR - I love it for my HD Set up.

It's for my lower powered box I'm looking to get signal on.

That all being said, I'm experimenting with have the box change output
signals based on source. I added in the other resolutions in the STB so
lets see what happens. First run didn't work but it could be the older
v4l drivers I have. Compiling the latest right now.

Norm

chrisznews4 at rogers

Aug 29, 2009, 6:15 PM

Post #11 of 11 (1132 views)
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Re: Rogers - Firewire in Ottawa, Canada [In reply to]

Norm Dressler wrote:
> I've been running an HDPVR for a while now but previously had been
> running the sa4250 via firewire.
> The HDPVR is great for my HD-TV but I don't have a strong enough
> machine to play the recordings or live TV on another TV. Firewire SD
> would be sufficient as I had done this before. The problem I had
> before, however, was not all my subscribed channels were clear on
> firewire. Even some of the locals, like channel 6, would not come
> through.
>
> My question is, has anyone scanned the firewire on the Rogers boxes in
> Ottawa to see if anything has changed recently? I might add firewire
> back to my set up just for viewing SD on another SD tv.
>
I assume the reason that you can't play the resulting capture on the
other machine is that the hd-pvr records in h.264 which is rather cpu
intensive or requires off load to a graphics card (e.g. with VDPAU).

As for the scan, I looked on my boxes (I'm in the Glebe) and the only
stuff that is clear is their Ad channel and a couple of other Ad like
channels. All local stations are encrypted which I find reprehensible
given we now also have a surcharge for those stations to be carried on
their cable!

But to be fare, I know I checked the HD channels. I'm not absolutely
certain I checked the SD specific channels.

However, at least we can use the ieee1364/firewire port for channel
changing and powering on/off the box.

Christian

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