[buug] ANNOUNCE: EFF PVR Build-In, Saturday 12 March, 11AM
Tony Godshall
Tony Godshall <togo@of.net>
Sun, 6 Mar 2005 15:53:08 -0800
> > [tony]
> > > 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.
> >
> > [more tony]
> > 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.
[Michael]
> This is the first I've heard of this, sounds really neat.
>
> Anyone have an idea if you follow the general build-guidelines how
> many channels we're talking about?
I don't know for sure. The antenna selection site the EFF
references (antennaweb.org) predicted I could receive this
amazing list...
* red - uhf KCSM-DT 43.1 PBS SAN MATEO CA 248° 9.4 43
red - uhf KICU 36 IND SAN JOSE CA 115° 29.9 36
* red - uhf KICU-DT 36.1 IND SAN JOSE CA 115° 29.9 52
red - uhf KKPX 65 PAX SAN JOSE CA 136° 51.6 65
* red - uhf KKPX-DT 66.1 PAX SAN JOSE CA 220° 10.1 41
red - uhf KBHK 44 UPN SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 44
* red - uhf KBHK-DT 44.1 UPN SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 45
red - vhf KGO 7 ABC SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 7
* red - uhf KGO-DT 7.1 ABC SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 24
red - vhf KTVU 2 FOX OAKLAND CA 248° 9.4 2
* red - uhf KTVU-DT 2.1 FOX OAKLAND CA 248° 9.4 56
red - uhf KCNS 38 SAH SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 38
* red - uhf KCNS-DT 38.1 SAH SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 39
red - uhf KSTS 48 TEL SAN JOSE CA 114° 29.3 48
* red - uhf KSTS-DT 48.1 TEL SAN JOSE CA 114° 29.3 49
* red - uhf KTEH-DT 54.1 PBS SAN JOSE CA 115° 30.0 50
red - uhf KTLN 68 IND NOVATO CA 312° 31.1 68
* red - uhf KTLN-DT 47.1 IND NOVATO CA 312° 31.1 47
red - uhf KFSF 66 TFA VALLEJO CA 248° 9.4 66
* red - uhf KFSF-DT 66.1 TFA VALLEJO CA 248° 9.4 34
red - vhf KQED 9 PBS SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 9
* red - uhf KQED-DT 9.1 PBS SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 30
red - uhf KMTP 32 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 32
* red - uhf KMTP-DT 33.1 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA FCC Ext 248° 9.4 33
red - vhf KRON 4 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 4
* red - uhf KRON-DT 4.1 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 57
red - uhf KDTV 14 UNI SAN FRANCISCO CA 114° 29.3 14
* red - uhf KDTV-DT 14.1 UNI SAN FRANCISCO CA 114° 29.3 51
red - uhf KTSF 26 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA 220° 10.2 26
* red - uhf KTSF-DT 26.1 IND SAN FRANCISCO CA 220° 10.1 27
red - uhf KBWB 20 WB SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 20
* red - uhf KBWB-DT 20.1 WB SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 19
red - vhf KPIX 5 CBS SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 5
* red - uhf KPIX-DT 5.1 CBS SAN FRANCISCO CA 248° 9.4 29
blue - vhf KNTV 11 NBC SAN JOSE CA 137° 51.6 11
* blue - vhf KNTV-DT 11.1 NBC SAN JOSE CA 137° 51.6 12
blue - uhf KRCB 22 PBS COTATI CA 323° 42.9 22
* blue - uhf KRCB-DT 22.1 PBS COTATI CA 323° 42.9 23
blue - uhf KTEH 54 PBS SAN JOSE CA 115° 30.0 54
violet - vhf KCRA 3 NBC SACRAMENTO CA 36° 54.9 3
violet - vhf KVIE 6 PBS SACRAMENTO CA 35° 54.6 6
violet - uhf KSMS 67 UNI MONTEREY CA 133° 82.1 67
* violet - uhf KSMS-DT 31.1 UNI MONTEREY CA 135° 57.4 31
violet - uhf KION 46 CBS MONTEREY CA 141° 92.8 46
violet - uhf KDTV-CA 28 UNI SANTA ROSA CA 328° 63.8 28
violet - vhf KXTV 10 ABC SACRAMENTO CA 37° 53.4 10
violet - uhf KAXT-CA 22 IND SANTA CLARA-SAN JOSE CA 121° 42.3 22
violet - uhf KMCE-LP 43 AZA SAN MARTIN, ETC. CA 133° 82.1 43
violet - uhf KTFK 64 SAH STOCKTON CA 52° 22.4 64
violet - uhf KFTY 50 IND SANTA ROSA CA 328° 64.9 50
violet - uhf KFTL-CA 28 IND SAN FRANCISCO, ETC CA 115° 30.0 28
violet - vhf KOVR 13 CBS STOCKTON CA 37° 53.4 13
violet - vhf KSBW 8 NBC SALINAS CA 133° 82.1 8
violet - uhf KTNC 42 AZA CONCORD CA 52° 22.5 42
violet - uhf KCBA 35 FOX SALINAS CA 133° 82.2 35
The asterisks are digital.
However, plan use an indoor antenna, so the list could be
way shorter. But the signals are digitally encoded, so I would
expect the image to be snow-free (if it comes in at all).
If someone brings an outdoor antenna to try (we can do a
temporary mount to the bannister), I'll try that too.
Part of my plan for the build-in for me is to play with the
technology, tho it may turn out I return the antennas to
Best Buy and Radio Shack and stick to Alameda Power and Telecom
for now. But if I do start to use the pcHDTV right away, I figure
I'll put a couple of analog tuners in my box too and have MythTV
grab each show from the source that comes in best- Daily Show and
Hitler Channel and Discovery from cable, broadcast networks in HDTV
from antenna where possible and from analog cable where not. I
ought to be able to get PBS from either- AP+T carries five KQED
channels in (unencrypted, I hope) digital. I would be surprised
if their broadcast antennas produce anything different. Actually,
tho, I think when they run HDTV stuff, some or all of the non-HD
digital channels go into "not available" status.
I do have a Motorola HDTV tuner/PVR provided by AP+T (for
$2/mo extra, what a deal!) for comparison, but I don't
subscribe to any of the premium channels.
Come to the Build In and find out the answer to your
question, or wait till it's over and you'll get a better
answer (at least for a second floor apartment in West Alameda
near the waterline with line of sight to SF blocked by 2-story
townhouses and trees and line of sight to SJ blocked by the
rest of the apartment building).
Tony