My experience with DTV, Time Warner cable, and HVR-2250

[dbuffo]

I thought I would share my DTV experience here. I learned a lot and I think this might clear some things up about DTV for other people too. I have been using analog cable with my trusty PVR-150 in my living room PC for a few years. I love BTV and it works great for me and my wife. There were some channels that we wanted that we were not getting with the standard analog cable. I also wanted to be able to record 2 shows at once. I decided to go for it when 4.9 came out and I saw that it supported clear QAM recording.
I read all I could on the forums but it still was not quite clear to me what QAM meant. I wanted to get Digital cable because it was actually cheaper for me and it offered the channels I wanted. I did not want a cable box though. I did not want to mess with another remote and an IR blaster and all that. I thought that clear QAM meant I would not need the box.
First I upgraded my living room system and I put in an HVR-2250. I chose it because I really liked my PVR-150 and it supported dual analog and digital tuners. I also left the PVR-150 in there. Why not? It still works great. After everything was installed and working great, I decided to switch to Digital Cable.
Here is what I found: I picked up about 45 new Clear QAM channels, but that was nowhere near the number of additional channels I should have been getting. The bottom line is this: You still need the box to get all the channels you want. There is no way around that yet. I’ve heard about a PC based CableCard device but I don’t think it actually works yet. I’m not holding my breath.
So I had to use the box, and that means an IR blaster. My PC does not have a serial port for a direct connection to the box. Do they even make serial ports anymore? The USB-UIRT looks like a fine device but I did not want to pay $50. I got the ADS IR blaster for less than $20 shipped from wwwdotayagroupdotcom
I plugged it in, found the drivers on the internet and it worked just fine. Luckily, my cable box is a Motorola DCT-2000 and it was on the list of cable boxes that BTV supports. I only had a little trouble getting it to work with my box. I tried many different settings and it would not change channels correctly. Finally, I lowered the number of repeats from 6 to 4 and that solved everything.
Here is my current setup: Cable is split into two. One goes to the cable box and the other goes to HVR2250 coax input. The box has RCA A/V out which goes to the S-video and audio input on the HVR2250. Card came with an RCA to S-video adapter, very handy. The card still picks up the standard cable from the coax input and can record 2 shows at once. For the digital channels, it tells the box what channel to go to and receives it through the S-video in. I was so glad this worked because the cable box interface is ridiculously slow. The BTV channel guide is awesome and super speedy.
What about the PVR150? I plan on getting a triple splitter so I can still use it. I think they make those right? I am still using the firefly remote that I got with my original PVR-150. As for everything else, I got a Harmony 610 from Target ($50!) that controls my TV, DVD/VCR, and surround sound system. If it could control BTV, that would be awesome. I don’t think that is possible since the firefly is RF and the 610 is IR.

Here are the main points:

• If you want all the digital channels, you must have a cable box.
• Don’t be afraid of the IR blaster. It is your friend. They are not that expensive ($20) and not that hard to setup.
• BTV is awesome.

Thanks.

[rothe]

Congrats on successfully navigating these waters.

I have a suggestion for you: use the PVR-150 for your S-video connection from the cable box. That will allow you to reserve both digital tuners in the 2250 for clear-QAM recordings, and you'll still be able to grab standard-def programming from the digital cable box.

I will suggest that you skip the three-way splitter, because that will only lower your signal strength into the other tuners (2250 and cable box). And if you use the 150 with your cable box, then there will be no need for the analog hookup into the 150 because you'll already be getting those analog channels (and their digital equivalents) through the cable box.

[dbuffo]

Thank you for the suggestion. I will give that a shot.

[dbhenkel]

You have stated that you have Time Warner and are getting a 45 clear QAM channels. Which TW system are you on. In central Ohio we only get the local channels via clear QAM all other channels require a STB.

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by dbhenkel

You have stated that you have Time Warner and are getting a 45 clear QAM channels. Which TW system are you on. In central Ohio we only get the local channels via clear QAM all other channels require a STB.

I'm not the original poster, but I'm on TW as well and get 40+ QAM channels, but there's a lot of redundancy (including SD versions of locals and their weather channels) and junk.

I get the locals (5 PBS, 3 NBC, 3 ABC, 3 CBS, 2 Fox, 2 CW, RTN, ION, a few local indies, WGN, 2 C-SPAN, a few local access, and of course a plethora of shopping channels and TV Guide variants.

I suppose the only stuff without OTA equivalents are WGN, C-SPAN, some of the local access, the shopping and TV guide stuff. Oh, and interestingly, the PBS-HD--our area has a confusing situation with the PBS station and how it differs OTA vs. TWC cable, with TWC's version offering more HD programming overall, but less HD on the main PBS channel, but mainly on shows that don't need to be in HD anyway, like the News Hour, talking head shows and kid shows.

[dbuffo]

The 45 QAM channels were in addition to the standard analog 2-99 channels. I haven't gone through the channel mapping process yet but I assume that a lot of them are duplicates of analog channels.

[blaze818]

i just mapped my QAM channels, i live lubbock tx and i have sudden link cable im not exactly sure but i think when i mapped i got about 120 channels that showed up for me to match.

i must say i was scared of QAM but after doing it and setting up a snapstream.net account for the channels, i dont know why i waited

dbuffo
if you do end up splitting you cable 3 ways make sure to get an amplifier/splitter, or else youll probably regret it haha.

good luck, ive had a BTV system since 2003 and im still learning things myself

[vidiot1985]

Originally Posted by dbuffo

The 45 QAM channels were in addition to the standard analog 2-99 channels. I haven't gone through the channel mapping process yet but I assume that a lot of them are duplicates of analog channels.

Unfortunately, no. The only duplicates you're likely to find between QAM and the analogs are like the ones I listed, i.e. locals, WGN, C-SPAN, shopping, that kind of stuff.

Don't expect to find digital (nevermind HD) versions of Discovery, Food Network, CNN, Versus, etc. on clear QAM. Though if you do, count yourself lucky!

[mayhem70]

Comcast Seattle users do get Discovery Channel in the clear but only at 480p...we also get Encore WAM movie channel...though mostly older movies.