Ghosting when watching live tv.

[Manoe]

Once I get home I will try this out. I do have digital cable...... I dont subscribe to the HD channels. Did you mean it wont tune HD channels?

"You wont be able to tune in digital channels, or encrypted/scrambled channels."

[sub]

No, you wont be able to tune in any HD digital channels or standard definition digital channels on your PVR150. If your cable company also carries analog channels, then you should be able to tune these in assuming they're not encrypted/scrambled.

For these digital or encrypted channels, you can still receive them, but would need to use the composite/svideo connection from your set top box.

[Manoe]

The set top box is absolutely tiny. Its a new Motarola box. It no larger than a small router. Right now I go coaxial in to that then out to the PVR-150. I am not even sure it has anything other than that on the back of it....

Let me get home and check things out. We have digital cable so I know I have issues. If there is an Svideo out of the cable box I need to run that into the PVR-150?

[Manoe]

http://broadband.motorola.com/catalog/pr...ductID=385

That is my cable box. I am screwed... I guess I need to order the HD channels so I get my old box back. What a freaking drag.

[sub]

Right now I go coaxial in to that then out to the PVR-150.

That is probably why you receive only one channel. When you do it this way, the set top box will usually only output the one channel via coax - usually on CH2 or CH3. This will be outputting the channel the set top box is currently tuned to. If this is how you intended to us it (or via composite/svideo), then people typically use an IR Blaster which will control the set top box each time it needs to change channels. If you do want to connect things this way, svideo from the cable box will give you a better picture than both coax or composite. If you end up sticking with coax, you'd need to set the capture source to use the 'external tuner, constant channel' option rather than 'internal tuner', otherwise you'll get static on all channels other than the specific one used by your set top box.

The alternative, used by most US cable users, is splitting the cable before it is plugged into the cable box, then have on side go to the cable box and one side to the PVR150. This usually allows you to directly tune in all analog channels, and doesnt need the set top box to be tuned to the specific channel GB-PVR needs. This approach will only work if your cable company also broadcasts regular (unscrambled) analog.

Hopefully that makes sense.

[Manoe]

It does. All I can do is try it out I guess.

S-Video is not an option with this cable box. Only RCA jacks.. lol and its a "NEW" cable box. I will see if the 2nd option works.

[Manoe]

Is there another card out there that would actually work for the digital cable? I think this would be far better for me.

[sub]

No, there isnt.

[Manoe]

I dont get this then. You have to have analog signal which I dont even know of any carriers in this area unless you get a BASIC cable package that is nothing but news channels.

So really there is no benefit over TIVO to do it yourself PVR? How does TIVO get away with it then? I just dont understand this? So in the next few years noone will be able to do this build your own because eventually everything will be digital.

[sub]

It depends which part of the world you're in. GB-PVR supports the analog tv, digital satellite (DVB-S), digital terrestial (DVB-T), digital cable (DVB-C) for most of the world. In the US you can use over-the-air digital (including HDTV) or analog, but currently the hardware and BDA standards arent fully defined for digital cable. The US digital system is different than everywhere else (except maybe Korea).

You can still watch and record digital cable in the US, but you'll need to use a set top box to do the decoding for you. GB-PVR supports IR Blasters etc for controlling set top boxes in these types of setups.

So in the next few years noone will be able to do this build your own because eventually everything will be digital.

In the US there will be digital cable cards for the PC towards the end of this year.