[somewhat off-topic] Comcast and Verizon

[Matthew Gillen]

On 10/26/2009 11:56 AM, R. Luoma wrote:
> After all this time, I am finally moving.  At present, I do not have "high-speed" internet, but I will now have the choice of Verizon (fios - what is that?) and Comcast... or I could stick with the POTS dialup (as I do now).
> 
> First the linux-y questions:
> 
> I do not have any MS-Windows desktops (only linux ones).  If I choose to
> get "high-speed" internet from Verizon-fios or Comcast cable, will this
> lack be a problem?  If it is, how have people dealt with it?

If they send an installer (for either), then they can always do the validation
/ serial # authorization over the phone with the tech.  IIRC, Vz's was
browser-based, and firefox on linux worked.

My opinion, stay away from Comcast when it comes to internet service.  They
specialize in abusing customers, "shaping" bandwidth in ways that 'discourage'
certain uses (Vonage, bittorrent), and various other "the customer is our
bitch" policies.

> next the Vidiot questions:
> 
> Both Verizon and Comcast offer various flavors of TV.  I only have the old
> television sets (and no converter -- I watch DVDs and such).  Can the old
> sets be used with these piped-in TV services?  If so, how do I verify this
> before signing up for the service?  How does MythTV come into the mix?

For Vz, they'll provide you (and charge you monthly fees for) set-top-boxes
(STBs).  A digital-cable-ready TV will not be able to just plug right into the
wall.  You'll *have* to use their STBs, unless you only want to watch what's
broadcast over the air (those are the only channels they carry in Clear-QAM).

Comcast is going that way; if they're still offering pure analog in your town,
they won't be for long.

Myth is hampered by the encrypted channels; you can't connect your tuner
directly to the wall.  This will be an issue for all of Vz's offerings, and
soon-to-be all of Comcasts offerings (Comcast definitely already does it for
any HD channels). You can get it to work using the firewire port on the STB,
and an infrared transponder that lets MythTV change the channel on the STB.
However, that isn't great for several reasons:
 - you can't record two things at once or record and watch something else at
the same time (at least, not with the same STB).
 - some shows will still be encrypted when they come off the firewire port,
making recording them useless.  You have no way of really knowing what shows
they're going to do that with.

Honestly, I just bypassed Vz's TV crap completely when I set up MythTV for my
house.  I get really good over-the-air signal at my house, so I hooked up a
SiliconDust HDHomeRun to a rabbit-ears antenna, and just restrict myself to
recording OTA stuff.  I can record the Patriots in HD, works great.  (of
course, I can't record the RedSox if it's not a big game on network TV, since
they're usually on NESN...)

Matt