Kichigai Mentat wrote: > As I understand it, FireWire has the same limitations. Generally, the > encrypted channels tend to be subscription channels, like HBO, SHO, > MAX, PayPerView, OnDemand stuff. And, typically even ones like Discovery HD... > It's supposed to be possible to rig > MythTV to record those channels from the analog out, though. > But not in high def--only in NTSC. > You know, this makes me wonder, why the hell hasn't anyone developed > an HD card that accepts HDMI/DVI/Component in? I mean, seriously, is > it that hard (That's a serious question, not rhetorical)? As I > understand it, the signal is still a digital stream. Is the stream > not compressed, thus requiring the card to recompress it? > Yep. And when you consider the fact that it takes a 3GHz processor to /decode/ a high-def stream in real time and that encoding is significantly more processor-intensive than decoding, you'll realize it's impossible to to real-time encoding of high-def streams with a general-purpose processor. Those that make the application-specific processors for high-def encoders are still able to sell them for a huge premium--and will probably try to make sure it stays that way until all the broadcasters have purchased their equipment (i.e. they don't want to price it such that consumers can afford the capability when broadcasters can/will/are being forced to buy even with prices extremely high). Then, factor in the content producers lobbying to prevent your getting a copy of anything digital and chances are it won't happen--at least not in a way that Linux users can enjoy.
Note, though, that you can buy yourself a $10000+ high-def encoding system if you really want. As for me, though, I'll stick with my $165 pcHDTV HD-3000's and free OTA channels. Mike _______________________________________________ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
