Hi, here's the one for Ottawa, and its got tons of info. Have a look through it and in the meantime I'll copy your post into it.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=33034

Is it possible to integrate OTA with a BEV reciever? I've heard of someone doing this in the US with Dish Network. (They get their satellite channels, plus the digital OTA from an antenna appears on the electronic program guide).

Is it possible to integrate OTA with a BEV reciever? I've heard of someone doing this in the US with Dish Network. (They get their satellite channels, plus the digital OTA from an antenna appears on the electronic program guide).Works fine with my 9200. By adding OTA it in fact adds a third tuner to the 9200 as has been discussed elsewhere here. The guide info isn't populated however and I doubt if it ever will be. Therefore you have to set up manual recordings for taping the OTA channels. But this gives the ability to tape three different channels while watching a fourth recorded show. Doesn't get much better than this.

My 5100 also has the capability for OTA channels but I don't think you can record and in fact it appears to act just like an TV/Video switch which your TV could no doubt handle.

So if you have a 9XXX receiver and live within range of OTA channels then I would definitely give it a try.

Lots of threads discussing the BEV way of doing in the BEV forum so please post any more questions in those existing threads such as this one

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=80166

Thanks. So on the guide it displays the digital channel and subchannel, but not the program?

Yes, unfortunately BEV didn't include OTA PSIP data in their EPG software so you cannot get the OTA EPG info.

You can set up recordings manually if you have the time and already know the right info.

I'm in the market for a PVR with an integrated ATSC tuner, but they seem to be incredibly rare, no longer produced, or both. I have a lead on a Coolsat 8100, which is primarily an FTA unit, but it does have an ATSC tuner and can apparently record OTA HD to its hard drive. Has anyone had any experience with the 8100? I know I'll be paying a premium for the FTA capabilities, and it doesn't seem to be a fully-featured pause-live-TV-style PVR, but it really does seem like my only option. Should I just buy it or will I be better off waiting patiently for an LG LST-3410A or a Sony DHG-HDD250 to show up on Craigslist?

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

I know I'll be paying a premium for the FTA capabilities, and it doesn't seem to be a fully-featured pause-live-TV-style PVR, but it really does seem like my only option.

take a look at this:
http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/products/HDM6500A.aspx

Kro,
Have you see this unit anywhere? It appears to be a South Korean company based on the phone number, and doesn't seem to have a tuner. It talks about an optional tuner module which (the t-410 which is ATSC) but this seems like you then have to purchase two separate components as it seems the tuner is proprietary (you can't plug in an existing stb).
See: http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/products/tunert430.aspx
If you know anymore about this unit please post it!!!

FrankMac
On page 1 you will see there are a few options available to you:
Lg -3410A (ebay)
Sony DHG-HDD series (100,200,250,and 500), again an ebay item
Tivo 3, and Tivo HD (Tivo requires a subscription for full functionality)
Be aware that there might be potential problems with these units in the future; I'll explain that later.

Alternatively, Echostar is releasing a the TR-50 later this year. See post #94 in earlier in this thread.
_______________

An update to the current info listed here about the TR-50. I have harvested this from different sources on the internet:

New release date is scheduled to be August 2008 (pushed back from July).
Will be marketed by Sling - as in Slingbox
Will have a single rf input (which really burns me personally :( )
Dual tuners are (speculated) to be both NTSC/ATSC/QAM - to be confirmed when the units actually ship
Likely able to upgrade the hard-drive but they will use Echostar's filing system so you cannot put the drive into a PC or or even another Echostar product. The drive is sync'd with the physical unit.
Appears that it will be using Gemstar's new digital TVGOS service for guide data, to be carried on CBS. It will not be using PSIP data - at least that means we in the GTA can conceivably get CFTO's guide data! It should be able to use guide data from any digital CBS station that you can get. However what it also means is that there is a potential conflict for users in Canada. See post # 36 in the official TVGOS thread for more info: http://digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=75057&page=3.

That brings me to the potential problems I mentioned earlier.... The LG and Sony units use guide data from analogue TVGOS. There is rumours that at least LG is trying to develop a firmware update (I guess) that will allow their units to grab the digital TVGOS data stream and remain fully functional, but that appears to be a "wait and see" proposition right now. I have not seen anything that indicates Sony might also be trying to do this.
For the Tivo units the potential problems seem to be far, far, away; if and when cable companies move to Switched Digital Video, and since Canadian cable co's aren't using cablecards anyway I'm not sure what the impact will be, if any.

99gecko:

Trust me, if I had found an LG LST-3410A or a Sony DHG-HDD that shipped to Canada on eBay, I would have bought it. I've been looking for two weeks and they just don't come up. And thanks for all the info on the TR-50. I may just hold off until it comes out.

I'm still interested in hearing from people who have used the Coolsat 8100 for OTA. Anyone?

How about checking out the sonicview 8000HD. Its a FTA receiver that also has a single ATSC tuner. You can attach an external hardrive up to 500gb. The recording resolution is up to 1080i. It has hdmi and component output and optical outputs for 5.1 sound. simple single tuner pvr.

Tanoluch is right.

How come no one is talking about CoolSat 8100 HD or the SonicView SV-8000 HD. They have fta and ATSC in the same box.

Info is hard to get on those product. I will love to have some review.

Hi. I'm considering getting rid of ExpressVu and just going OTA but a big consideration is, will I be able to record HD OTA programming? It's a deal breaker for me, if I can't do it then I'll wait to get rid of ExpressVu. Anyone done this? Thanks, Jerry

To my knowledge, if you disconnect your ExpressVu antenna from the receiver, you won't be able to access the OTA channels. But if you cancel your subscribtion and keep it connected to the ExpressVu antenna, every channel will be red but you'll still have access to the OTA channels and you'll be able to record.

You can try this: unplug your receiver for a long period of time (I don't know how long, maybe 2 weeks), it will become "deauthorized" and every channel will be red, just like if you had no subscription. And then replug it to see if you can get to the OTA channels and record some content.

I'd like to get rid of ExpressVu but I guess it depends on if my HDTV has an integrated digital tuner. It's an older (2005) Sony SXRD KDS-R50XBR1. In the manual it says ATSC compliant 8VSB, and QAM on cable. I think I may be lucky here. Can someone confirm? Does this mean I can get rid of ExpressVu and just hook up an external antenna? Thanks, Jerry

How come no one is talking about CoolSat 8100 HD or the SonicView SV-8000 HD. They have fta and ATSC in the same box.I have a Diamond 9000HD which has an ATSC tuner and USB connectivity for an external HDD. It works great for recording HD without suffering from downconversion. It's not as seamless as my Rogers PVR but it works.

Output is via HDMI.

In the manual it says ATSC compliant 8VSBYes, you are good to go with OTA on your TV! :)

Thanks for the confirmation Stampeder. Now I'll have to figure out how, I'll wait until after the Olympics though. Jerry

I'm a 24-hour-old OTA newbie, and I have a few questions. I have a 9200 ExpressVu receiver and NTSC television. I'm thinking I'd get a Channel Master 4228, possibly with a preamp.


Will the 9200's ATSC receiver suffice? Are there any compelling reasons I'd want to get a separate STB instead?
Can I use the 9200's dual-tuner PVR functionality? Would I be able to record two shows simultaneously if they're coming from the same direction?
There isn't anything on my roof such as a chimney to attach an antenna to; is this a problem?
I'm used to my ExpressVu feed being unavailable during heavy rain; is this more-or-less what I should expect with an antenna?


Thanks!

I see in the menu it will search for local ota signals. Does it have a built in ota receiver?