TV tuner cards and P4 3GHz burned-in motherboard source.

[Tony Godshall]

Here's a description of the two HDTV cards...

http://mythtv.beirdo.ca/wiki/index.php/FAQ#What_is_the_difference_between_the_air2pc_and_the_pchdtv_.28hd3000.29_Capture_Cards

Looks like the pcHDTV can decode both analog and digital TV signals, but the
firmware can't do digital-cable decode (yet, if ever)

Looks like the Air2PC can't do analog but can do both HDTV and non-HDTV 
digital from both antenna and cable.

I guess if you can affort to, you should get both to cover all bases ;-)

I'm getting the pcHDTV, which is available now and is most directly compatible
with the EFF instructions.  I'm also getting an indoor HDTV antenna and back-
ordering an Air2TV.  

Now to get a computer.  Can anyone recommend a good
burned-in-and-tested motherboard+CPU+memory vendor for me to put into
an existing case?  Or should I just go down to compusa/circuit city/
fry's/wherever and get a mass-market box to get the best bang-for-the-buck?
Of course, they call give a cut to Microsoft.

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 14:56:38 -0800, Tony Godshall <togo@of.net> wrote:
> [I previously posted...]
> > Subject: [buug] Re: Anyone interested in doing a EFF PVR build-in?
> > ... as described in...
> >
> > http://eff.org/broadcastflag/cookbook/buildin.php
> >
> > I can host a half dozen or so at my apt in Alameda.
> > My cable brings in, I think, a couple of free HDTV
> > channels, and we get 3Mbps.
> >
> > Alameda is not as handy as some places, but it's only
> > a short bus ride from downtown SF or downtown Oakland.
> > I'd happy go elsewhere too.
> >
> > If folks are interested, I'll announce a meeting for a
> > Saturday following the BAD meeting.
> 
> Hi, folks.
> 
> PVR Build-In will be Saturday 12 March, 11AM at my
> second-floor apartment in Alameda (two blocks West of
> Webster, near shoreline).  My apartment is second floor
> and looks West, so I think we have a pretty good chance
> of picking up San Francisco HDTV stations.
> 
> EFF has confirmed that they are sending the EFF build-in kit:
> 
> * EFF hat and a few t-shirts
> * Cool case stickers
> * KnoppMyth ISO - a CD with the latest KnoppMyth distribution
> * Print version of "Cooking with EFF: KnoppMyth and pcHDTV for DTV Liberation"
> 
> I told them I have two RSVP's so I assume they are only
> sending three T-shirts.  Let me know ASAP if you plan to
> show and maybe they'll send more.
> 
> If you want it to be an HDTV PVR, you'll need to get
> a Linux-friendly HDTV tuner, such as the pcHDTV
> (antenna-only) or Air2PC (antenna + unencrypted digital
> cable).  EFF's instructions are for pcHDTV so that would
> probably be simplest.  If you want to do Analog, that's fine
> too- the cards typically do both cable and antenna.
> 
> EFF recommends a P4 at 3GHz+ with 800MHz FSB to record HDTV.
> 
>   http://www.eff.org/broadcastflag/cookbook/guide.php#requirements
> 
> HDTV tuner cards seem to be going fast, so order right away!
> 
> The priority will be to get EFF HDTV PVRs up and running but
> folks wanting to do analog are also welcome.  I believe the
> EFF-supplied (KnoppMyth) CD supports has a pretty recent kernel
> device lib.  Lower spec computers are OK for Analog, especially
> if you have a card with hardware MPEG encoding.  See...
> 
>   http://mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html#ss3.1
> 
> I have limited room, so you'll need to RSVP me if you plan
> to come.
> 
> Tony
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> 


-- 
Tony Godshall