New User Question

[lomeshp]

Hi.

I just discovered LinuxMCE today!  What an awesome system.  After searching through many websites, I was unable to find a answer to my question.  Anyone with any advise will be helpful.

I plan on getting Verizon FIOS in a few weeks.  I have three HD tvs in the house.  I want to be able to watch LIVE HD TV and watch recorded HD shows.  If I only get one HD receiver from Verizon, is this possible to record HD Stream in LinuxMCE?  I understand with one box I can only watch or record one channel at a time, but that is no problem.  However, I do want to be able to watch Live HD TV from any of my 3 TVS.  Is this possible?  If yes, what hardware would I need to make this happen?

Thank you in advance.

[Aviator]

You need a Hauppauge HD PVR box to record the stream.

[lomeshp]

Not sure if that answered my question.  Can I watch HD tv in three different rooms with LinuxMCE and single Verizone Fios box?

[mhorst]

It is possible, provided you can get the HD signal into your computer and a way for your computer to switch the channels on the HD receiver.
How do you do that? I'm not 100% sure, but I guess you need the hardware mentioned in Aviator's answer

Note: I don't have a HD receiver, but I do have two TVs, each connected (only) to a Media Director PC, and a third computer in my wiring closet connected to the analog TV cable via a Hauppage PVR-500; works perfectly, I can watch live TV on any of the TV screens in my house.

[Schmich]

Yeah, you connect the set-top box to the Hauppauge HD PVR through the component input. If this works like DVB-S/T then you can even watch on all 3 TVs at the same time (the same channel ofc). I don't have this type setup so I have no idea how much configuration needs to be done including for setting up an IR blaster to change channels.

[_if_]

basically you don't need a seperate receiver at all, get a TV card and connect it to the core or MD...you then will be able to stream TV to any MD in your house, that's what the system is designed for.
Or is there any reason why you want to use a receiver?

[lomeshp]

Will I be streaming HD to other TV?  Also, what is MD?

[_if_]

you should really get an idea about what LinuxMCE is first. This is a good start: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User_Manual

[lomeshp]

Thank you all for the response.  I will have to try it out and see how it goes.

[Techstyle]

look at my setup:

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User:Techstyle

you can see the HD PVR is connected to the Cable box by Component video and Optical digital Audio.  This captures a stream from the cable box in HD.  The Cable Box (and other components in my system) recieve Infrared commands from the USB-UIRT (http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/USB_UIRT), which is connected to the same core/MD as the HD PVR. 

[kyfalcon]

It is my understanding that verizon sets their CCI bit to copy freely which means the ceton 4 in one card is available for your use. I have it working, although it can be a little flaky, because i built my own verion of mythtv.

[lomeshp]

@TechStyle, so now you can watch Live HD stream from the cable box on on your master bedroom TV?

@kyfalcon, not sure what you mean by "verizon sets their CCI bit to copy freely which means the ceton 4 in one card is available for your use."  Can you explain please?

Thank you,

[Techstyle]

I have some issues at the moment which means my system is pulled down but yes the live hd stream can be watched through out the network on any MD.

When I say live I mean delayed by the time it takes for the hdpvr to covert the signal to a digital one

[kyfalcon]

@TechStyle, so now you can watch Live HD stream from the cable box on on your master bedroom TV?

@kyfalcon, not sure what you mean by "verizon sets their CCI bit to copy freely which means the ceton 4 in one card is available for your use."  Can you explain please?

Thank you,

The signal comes from fios as an encrypted signal. The ceton card is capable of decrypting this and processing the signal if the CCI bit is set to copy freely. The ceton card has 4 tuners which means this will act like 4 HD tuners in one.

[lomeshp]

I think ceton 4 is an awesome option.   I did contact their customer support regarding use on Linux and this is the reply I got back

Most Verizon systems across the country do not currently copy protect above the level that linux users can access (CCI 0). Be advised though that they could change their policy in the future.

We don't currently have a USB driver for linux, so you would want to go with the PCIe version right now.

So while I am excited about using the Ceton card with LinuxMCE, it is a bit worry some incase Verizon decides to drop the support.