ATSC Modulator

[kevinsickles]

I have been thinking about how to distribute HD to multiple TV's, The current use of the built in modulator works great for SD TV,

I was thinking, Can you do HD over Coax? Obviously yes, The coax feed from my OTA antenna receives great and multiple HD signals,

So instead of trying to figure out how to wire the house with HDMI or composite cables, Is there any hope of an ATSC Modulator (internal or external) that will distribute HD on Coax, in house?

Ok you HD Geeks what am I missing? http://www.satelliteguys.us/images/smilies/smile.gif

Thank you
Kevin

 

[maxmoto]

What is the source?

 

[kevinsickles]

If Dish built it in to the DVR, coax out, (yes I am sure way down the road)

If external to the DVR either HDMI or Coax in from the DVR

 

[AllieVi]

… Is there any hope of an ATSC Modulator (internal or external) that will distribute HD on Coax, in house? …

Certainly. All the existing coax distribution systems (commercial, educational, corporate, etc.) that are now SD will be converted to HD over time. The necessary modulators will be available. “When?” is the only unknown at this point.

 

[GunnerJoe]

I have been thinking the exact same thing. It would really nice to have since it would use existing wiring. I doubt the Dish DVR designers haven't thought of this. Hopefully it's just a matter of time and not legal issues...

-GunnerJoe

 

[tnsprin]

I have been thinking the exact same thing. It would really nice to have since it would use existing wiring. I doubt the Dish DVR designers haven't thought of this. Hopefully it's just a matter of time and not legal issues...

-GunnerJoe

There was a dish ATSC modulator for the 5000.

However forget about it ever returning. The content providers do not want to see it return. They want to require HDCP (on HDMI or DVI) to restrict how their programs can be seen and to prevent unrestricted recording.

 

[highdefjeff]

I have been thinking about how to distribute HD to multiple TV's, The current use of the built in modulator works great for SD TV,

I was thinking, Can you do HD over Coax? Obviously yes, The coax feed from my OTA antenna receives great and multiple HD signals,

So instead of trying to figure out how to wire the house with HDMI or composite cables, Is there any hope of an ATSC Modulator (internal or external) that will distribute HD on Coax, in house?

Ok you HD Geeks what am I missing? http://www.satelliteguys.us/images/smilies/smile.gif

Thank you
Kevin

Maybe not over coax, but the future is rapidly approaching!

Audiovox Launches XM Mini-Tuner Accessories and Wireless HDTV - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

 

[hendrix04]

that article is over a year old, so shouldnt that be out by now?

 

[harshness]

ATSC modulators will likely remain the sole domain of licensed content distributors. The copyright holders have a vested interest in not allowing content to be moved around digitally by consumers.

By the time anyone gets serious about home distribution, it will likely happen across some sort of wired digital network.

 

[AllieVi]

ATSC modulators will likely remain the sole domain of licensed content distributors. The copyright holders have a vested interest in not allowing content to be moved around digitally by consumers.

By the time anyone gets serious about home distribution, it will likely happen across some sort of wired digital network.

If the copyright controls are embedded in the data stream, it really doesn’t matter what conduit moves the signal around.

I expect the extensive cable infrastructure will be used and modulators will eventually be commonly available. They probably won’t be cheap, though.

 

[harshness]

If the copyright controls are embedded in the data stream, it really doesn’t matter what conduit moves the signal around.

Perhaps you could share with us how this is supported in the ATSC standard?

 

[KKlare]

We know the cable companies do it with QAM instead of ATSC. Is it simpler or cheaper? Or is it just because it uses only one screen size?
-Ken

 

[harshness]

We know the cable companies do it with QAM instead of ATSC. Is it simpler or cheaper?

It meshes better with the installed plant and allows them to have some control over what their customers receive (DTV's only supported content control schemes are the Broadcast Flag and parental controls). The Broadcast Flag, by definition, will prevent a program from being modulated.

QAM is significantly more efficient than the fixed 6MHz spacing of ATSC.

 

[kb7oeb]

QAM v 8VSB is more accurate but irrelevant. The reason cable supports copy protection is because they encrypt the signal and the only devices made to decrypt it honor copy protection flags. Many cable companies place locals on a qam signal without encryption and nothing prevents recording unencrypted channels.

Dish will make the 211 play from a 622 over ethernet before they ever release an ATSC modulator.

 

[kevinsickles]

Hasn't every attempt of "limiting" how consumers use the content they payed for, failed?

Since component out strips the protection, Won't I be able to distribute my content in any method I want?

So looking forward what is the best option?

 

[tnsprin]

Hasn't every attempt of "limiting" how consumers use the content they payed for, failed?

Since component out strips the protection, Won't I be able to distribute my content in any method I want?

So looking forward what is the best option?

There have been tests done to make sure the current receivers will downgrade component to 480. It does and some content providers want to activate that downgrade.

So component is not going to be something we can rely on.

 

[whatchel1]

Not Cheaper

We know the cable companies do it with QAM instead of ATSC. Is it simpler or cheaper? Or is it just because it uses only one screen size?
-Ken

I talked recently with the cable co that distributes our TV station's HDTV signal. I was told that it cost the cable co $5K for the QAM modulators at their head end.

 

[harshness]

I talked recently with the cable co that distributes our TV station's HDTV signal. I was told that it cost the cable co $5K for the QAM modulators at their head end.

Did they tell you how many input signals (channels) one modulator would handle? QAM, by definition, multiplexes a number of channels into a frequency band.

 

[whatchel1]

Unknown

Did they tell you how many input signals (channels) one modulator would handle? QAM, by definition, multiplexes a number of channels into a frequency band.

I was told that info so that stays unknown.

 

[vkristof]

I came across this thread while researching what Dish plans might be for distributing HD around the house.

I had not thought of the copyright implications at all: I just thought this would be a fairly expensive chip to fab when you compare it to an NTSC modulator.

It would be handy for home distribution: I just added a current-gen dual tuner PCIe card specifically so that I could watch the Dish rcvr's second output in a home office.

The actual Dish rcvr is at the far-end of the house.

Is there any further speculation/rumors on what Dish will do for a secondary, whole-house feed from their mult-room DVRs?