HDTV and SageTV

[Alwayslearnin]

I am trying to make sure my understanding is correct.

If I have Directv, and I am too far from a major city to receive the OTA HD signals, the only way for me to record HD is to use the Directv HD DVR or (buy an R5000-HD)

If I have cable, I have a similar issue in that no PVR card can read the HD signal. but I can copy unencrypted signals with the HDHomerun, but no way to know which one's are unencrypted until you hook it up.

I can send my HD signal through my PVR cards, but it will record in SD and I will have gained nothing for upgrading.

I'm not even sure my local HD signals can be received from Directv if I'm not in the range of a normal antennae anyway.

Basically, with current technology, I cannot use Sage to record my HD signals without being close enough for OTA signals, correct?

Keith

[tmiranda]

Yes, you are correct. The only way to get HD is via OTA or unencrypted QAM. Cablecard is coming but so far only MicroSoft solutions will support it.

[Alwayslearnin]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Yes, you are correct. The only way to get HD is via OTA or unencrypted QAM. Cablecard is coming but so far only MicroSoft solutions will support it.

Thanks!

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Yes, you are correct. The only way to get HD is via OTA or unencrypted QAM.

That isn't entirely correct.

There are currenty 4 ways to get HD into Sage.

OTA HD tuner cards.
Unscrambled QAM content with a QAM tuner, such as the HDHomerun.
Unencrypted, or non-5C'ed, content recorded off a cable company's HD STB via Firewire.
A R5000-Modified satellite receiver.

Unscrambled QAM content does not neccesarily equal unencrypted Firewire content. For example, I only get my locals unscrambled via QAM, but I get every channel I pay for out of my firewire port of the STB with no 5C encryption.

[Jabroni]

You can get HD content via MyTheater + SageTV Network Plugin so u can playback all the Mytheater content inside SageTV.. I have a Satellite BDA card which is supported by MyTheater.

[justplainnuts]

So, how does one record HD from DirecTV? Is is possible?

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by justplainnuts

So, how does one record HD from DirecTV? Is is possible?

AFAIK, right now you cant. What you need is a R5000 modded receiver and they don't have one for the new DirecTV MPEG4 HD receivers. Go here for more info, http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/home.htm

You may be able to get an older DirecTV HD reciever modded, but DirecTV is moving from MPEG2 to MPEG4 and the older receivers will no longer work.