Ota

[itschris]

Can someone please explain this? If you have cable or satellite, what is the benefit? How does play into recording HD?

 

[adk highlander]

Are you asking this with the idea of recording onto a computer?

If so, if the capture card in your computer has an ATSC tuner it would allow you to change channels and do all of your DVR recording with out using flashers and a set top box.

Some capture cards can use a cable card which would allow the same control as ota but you better check with your cable company and the capture cards is more expensive.

For sat. you would need to have your card use an IR flasher to tell the sat box to come on and change to the channel you want to view/record.

 

[itschris]

Sorry for being ignorant, but I don't know what flashers are. I was thinking about an HTPC for DVR purposes. I thought CableCard wasn't available just yet, only in OEM and there were still limitations on it.

I'm still a bit confused on OTA...I have my HD programming along with all my local and other channels through Knology (our local provider). What is the relationship or the parallel between OTA and Knology provided content? Is it just a signal and if so, how do you get, who puts it out, and what content does it carry?

 

[markw]

OTA stands for "Over The Air"

For this you need an antenna and the programming is free.

Satellite doesn't count as a free OTA provider because charges are involved.

 

[adk highlander]

IR Flashers are devices that will output an IR signal to control another device. They are used with many control systems like Niles and allow you to put your gear in another room and have an IR reciver in one room that transmits to a control unit that then sends the IR signal to a flasher to control that component. Some capture cards will have an IR output that will send the IR signal to control your cable/sat box.

Over air transmissions are from your local station providors towers. You must have an anteanna and an ATSC tuner to receive these signals. When you use a providor they pay to get the local transmission to them and they feed you the signal and charge you in the process. In many cases they will supply you with a box and that box has the tuner and outputs to your monitor via HDMI or some other connection. Here your TV is just a monitor and does not do any of the channel tuning. I do not think you can just take the cable that comes into your house and plug in into a capture card and have it control the channels. They way I did it was plug the composite outputs of my sat box into my capture card and used the IR flasher to change channels and turn it on when I wanted to record.

I'm not sure if this is clear.

 

[itschris]

I'm getting there... I think. Why would I pay $130/month to KNology ifI can just get an antenna and get all my channels for free? Clearly I'm not putting all the pieces together.

 

[Jack Hammer]

like said already, the difference is OTA is free. Use some old "bunny ears" or the fm coax antenna for your reciever. point it in different directions until you get the best signal (just like old analog tv with free content through an antenna). To record, try the same with a ota tuner in front of the dvr.

Jack

 

[bandphan]

Free and much better quaility.....

 

[adk highlander]

Free and better quality IF you are within range. Unfortunately where I live they actually moved the tower 30 miles farther away from me to another state.

I have too many trees around my house to add the new HD directv and the cable company will not finish the loop around my road because it is buried cable. It ends about 200yards away from me. I'm just a little bitter.

 

[bandphan]

I gues im lucky being sandwiched between Miami and West Palm with not much to interrupt the signals