Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:29:56 -0400 From: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> To: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org Subject: Re: how to turn my computer into a TV Message-ID: <20120618152956.79c6223e@bhuda.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <CAA7C2qi8vCMA==p2-tTfFC5-6dow3N6yRSh8zNZgTB2AB4rgig@mail.gmail.com> References: <20120618172144.303410@gmx.com> <CAA7C2qi8vCMA==p2-tTfFC5-6dow3N6yRSh8zNZgTB2AB4rgig@mail.gmail.com>
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On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 11:22:08 -0700 VDR User <user.vdr@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at 10:21 AM, Dieter BSD <dieterbsd@engineer.com> wro= te: > > user.vdr writes: > >> Recording doesn't require any compression unless you are transcoding > >> in real-time. There's no difference between recording ATSC, NTSC, PAL, > >> etc, and it's actually irrelevant what the stream is. > > This is incorrect. =C2=A0ATSC is compressed before broadcast, so > > you receive the data already compresed. =C2=A0NTSC and PAL are > > broadcast in analog. =C2=A0The tuner performs A-to-D which gives > > an uncompressed data stream. =C2=A0Have fun trying to store that. > > As a practical matter, you have to compress the data in real time. > > Some, not all, tuners include hardware compression. > All consumer digital broadcasts are compressed typically with mpeg2 or mp= eg4. > With very very very few exceptions, all analog NTSC broadcasts have > been switched to digital, by the FCC mandated deadline of June 12, > 2009. A note of clarification: NTSC broadcasts are analog. When stations switched to digital, they switched to ATSC. So - with very very very few exceptions, there are no longer any consumer analog broadcasts in the US. With that clarification, what you're saying is true, but 1) only applies in the US (though I expect things are similar in other countries), and 2) only applies to *broadcast* signals. Both of these are true for what the OP is watching, but not necessarily for everyone. In particular, a large percentage of the population gets their TV from a cable, which is *not* a broadcast signal, and thus can include analog NTSC signals. Of course, they don't carry ATSC, either (they get QAM in the US, so if you want to receive those, you'll need a QAM capable tuner). The rules regarding when, how, and who can switch are as arcane as you'd expect. As an aside, if you're getting your TV via cable (or a dish), the signal broadcast by your local stations are probably better quality. Personally, I use Hulu Plus as my TV provider. This is *the* most cost-effective way to watch TV on your computer. No extra hardware needed, not worrying about cruft like NTSC/ATSC/etc, you can watch it at your convenience, etc. All for an order of magnitude less than I was paying for DirecTV. <mike --=20 Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/ Independent Software developer/SCM consultant, email for more information. O< ascii ribbon campaign - stop html mail - www.asciiribbon.org
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