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[Phoenix]

For a while I've known that the FCC mandated that firewire be on upcoming cable boxes and required on HDTV boxes and I'd know that you could use the firewire connection to pipe video into the box pretty easily, but I didn't realize that Mac hackers have actually come up with a way to actually use the Comcast Motorola DCT-6200 along with any G4 or better mac as a complete PVR solution.. and one that supports HD, right out of the box!


Source

 

[sc0la]

hot

mac mini = set top box

maybe I'll get a mac mini and mod that shit out. also being able to stream songs from other computers from itunes directly via the airport and right into your home theater system would be cool.

 

[ckohler]

This is true. I had this cable box for a while with Insight and I had read the forums about other Mac users running Virtual DVHS software to trick the cable box into trading data with the Mac via firewire.

I gave it a try once but wasn't able to get the video to come out right. It was all garbled. Still, I may have been doing it wrong at the time and was impressed that the Mac talked with the cable box so easily.

 

[element]

awesome!!!

wish i had a an HDTV now

 

[sc0la]

make sure you get bluetooth installed for wireless input.

Though a bluetooth headset and a voice recognition program that converted commands would be super cool. "record" "stop" "play"

 

[aaaaa0]

Luckily I am in an area that gets HDTV OTA, and got one of these for ~$130:

http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder/index.html

Works flawlessly in my triple tuner Media Center PC.

Which I put together with one of these (~$150 retail):

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=032-P1-NVTV-TX

Recorded Alias, 24, and a pile of other stuff in HD just last week.

 

[element]

Luckily I am in an area that gets HDTV OTA, and one of these:

http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder/index.html

Works flawlessly in my triple tuner Media Center PC.

Recorded Alias, 24, and a pile of other stuff in HD just last week.

ive thought about getting one of those with my corp discount. But it is over-air only HDTV?

 

[aaaaa0]

ive thought about getting one of those with my corp discount. But it is over-air only HDTV?

Alas, yes. Only OTA. But worth every penny if you get good reception.

 

[Laurent]

Alright, another argument for using Macintosh, and another reason for having ordered a Mac mini with the SuperDrive option! All I need is HDTV with that box and I'll be good to go...

EDIT: Damn, I don't think neither Videotron nor Bell ExpressVu uses that box...

 

[Marty Chinn]

I would get a Mac Mini as my first mac ever to use as a HTPC but the lack of SPDIF output will likely prevent me from ever doing it. Sad that they fell short.

 

[Phoenix]

I would get a Mac Mini as my first mac ever to use as a HTPC but the lack of SPDIF output will likely prevent me from ever doing it. Sad that they fell short.

Yeah I talked to our corporate Apple representative and explained that to him by phone and he was genuinely interested and I could hear him taking notes in the background.

 

[Laurent]

Old topic, but does anyone knows if the same thing could be applied to Scientic Atlantic's Explorer 8300? A friend of mine just bought one and I noticed the FireWire connectors on the back of it...

 

[onion_pixy]

No digital audio out on the Mac Mini is CRIMINAL! Apple, why?????

 

[Marty Chinn]

Yep, digital audio out would have made me bought my first mac ever. Too bad Apple for missing the mark. Till then, nothing beats an Xbox with Xbox Media Center.

 

[aaaaa0]

Streaming HiDef MPEG2 over Firewire from the Motorola 6200 also works on PCs.

For Windows XP:

With Free Software:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=403695

With SageTV:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=511377&highlight=Motorola

For Linux:

With MythTV:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=508369&highlight=Motorola

 

[Laurent]

HEY! I bumped that old thread to get ANSWERS! But I guess no one knows how to successfully use the FireWire ports on the 8300...