[fireeater]

I need to get some advice in Cable TV decoders in North America , I know Silicon Dust HDhomerun prime does exist, but I want to know whether Dreambox HD DVB-C can be used here in NA.

my questions are:

-Can I purchase a European Dreambox 800 HD DVB-C to use with XBMC LIVE TV?
-Is the Dreambox 800HD DVB-C compatible with NA Cable TV QAM frequencies?

I appreciate experts' advices.

Thank you in advance.

[fireeater]

Come on Friends, please help me?

[noggin]

AIUI the US uses ATSC QAM rather than DVB-C - so I think the answer is no. They are incompatible modulation systems. I don't know if you can swap out a DVB-C tuner for a QAM tuner. Even if you could I don't think there is a way of integrating a US CableCard (required to decrypt US pay-TV cable - and increasingly the "Free" stuff) into a Dreambox.

[fireeater]

Thank you so much for the reply.

So its not possible to use Dreambox DVB-C in USA.

do you know anything similar to Drreambox which can be used in USA orther than HDhomerun prime?

[BLKMGK]

Even the HDHR runs into crypto issues if not used with a "certified" platform like Windows so beware and check their support forums for more information. There is at least one other CableCard tuner box that uses USB3 as a connection I think but it too requires Windows last I heard. OTA is of course possible but clear QAM is becoming harder to find on various cable systems as the FCC is now allowing even that to be encrypted! Last I checked my FIOS wasn't but even if that was still the case it could change in a whim from my provider.

Yes, this sucks compared to some of what you find overseas :-(

[fireeater]

Even the HDHR runs into crypto issues if not used with a "certified" platform like Windows so beware and check their support forums for more information. There is at least one other CableCard tuner box that uses USB3 as a connection I think but it too requires Windows last I heard. OTA is of course possible but clear QAM is becoming harder to find on various cable systems as the FCC is now allowing even that to be encrypted! Last I checked my FIOS wasn't but even if that was still the case it could change in a whim from my provider.

Yes, this sucks compared to some of what you find overseas :-(

@BLKMGK
1st of all thanks for the post.

Well in overseas as you say, there are many kind of hardwares(BOXES) are in use. where as here very few are available due to different frequencies and modulations.

[noggin]

Thank you so much for the reply.

So its not possible to use Dreambox DVB-C in USA.

do you know anything similar to Drreambox which can be used in USA orther than HDhomerun prime?

Not really. Unlike Europe - where the DVB family of terrestrial (DVB-T/T2), cable (DVB-C - and I think C2 soon), and satellite (DVB-S/S2 and soon Sx I believe) - and some (not always well enforced admittedly) regulation - have allowed common receiver designs, and common Conditional Access Modules (a bit like CableCards) to be deployed, in the US the satellite and cable markets are very separate, and the terrestrial market is mainly FTA.

The US model is heavily based on proprietary set-top boxes for cable and satellite these days. Cable boxes were supposed to have Firewire outputs to allow for D-VHS (!) etc. recording (and PC interfacing has been possible) but I know this is a tricky issue. Similarly CableCards were supposed to allow more freedom for consumers to integrate Cable into their TVs (removing the STB) or to allow a choice of STB/DVR (and Tivo has had some success with this approach I believe). However Cablecard support on PCs is hugely "nailed down" and really only sensible in Windows (and at one stage it tied recordings to your Motherboard ISTR…)

So whereas in Europe, in many countries it is possible to subscribe to a cable or satellite network, buy your own set top box or IDTV and conditional access module (if needed - some receivers have integrated CAMs), or buy a DVB card (T/T2/C/S/S2) for your Windows/Mac/Linux (and now Android) box with a CAM (or a software modelled one) and just slot your viewing card into the CAM, in the US you have to use proscribed equipment, operating systems etc.

It really is a totally different landscape in the US compared to Europe when it comes to this kind of stuff.

[fireeater]

Thank you so much for the reply.

So its not possible to use Dreambox DVB-C in USA.

do you know anything similar to Drreambox which can be used in USA orther than HDhomerun prime?

Not really. Unlike Europe - where the DVB family of terrestrial (DVB-T/T2), cable (DVB-C - and I think C2 soon), and satellite (DVB-S/S2 and soon Sx I believe) - and some (not always well enforced admittedly) regulation - have allowed common receiver designs, and common Conditional Access Modules (a bit like CableCards) to be deployed, in the US the satellite and cable markets are very separate, and the terrestrial market is mainly FTA.

The US model is heavily based on proprietary set-top boxes for cable and satellite these days. Cable boxes were supposed to have Firewire outputs to allow for D-VHS (!) etc. recording (and PC interfacing has been possible) but I know this is a tricky issue. Similarly CableCards were supposed to allow more freedom for consumers to integrate Cable into their TVs (removing the STB) or to allow a choice of STB/DVR (and Tivo has had some success with this approach I believe). However Cablecard support on PCs is hugely "nailed down" and really only sensible in Windows (and at one stage it tied recordings to your Motherboard ISTR…)

So whereas in Europe, in many countries it is possible to subscribe to a cable or satellite network, buy your own set top box or IDTV and conditional access module (if needed - some receivers have integrated CAMs), or buy a DVB card (T/T2/C/S/S2) for your Windows/Mac/Linux (and now Android) box with a CAM (or a software modelled one) and just slot your viewing card into the CAM, in the US you have to use proscribed equipment, operating systems etc.

It really is a totally different landscape in the US compared to Europe when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I got it,

so most likely I will be ended up with HDhomerun prime.