Digital Cable

[eng3]

I was just curious, I noticed that many people have digital cable now. I do not know, but my guess is that it basically receives streams of compressed video. My guess would be that it possibly uses MPEG-2 since it is very common.


Does anyone know if my "guesses" are correct?

I was just thinking that if my cable box receives an MPEG-2 stream and decoders it so I can watch it, then shouldn't it be possible for someone to make some "capture" card for my computer that would allow me to "download" the video stream.

Just an idea.

[jggimi]

Whether or not you can get any digital audio or digital video will depend on your cable provider's network, set-top equipment, or compatible set-top equipment you acquire on your own, if allowed by your provider.

I happen to be a digital cable customer. My provider's equipment only produces analog outputs; the best quality video it can provide is composite. The company's HDTV equipment has SPDIF output (Dolby Digital) for audio, and component video ... but inventories are low and they will only provide the equipment to HDTV customers. They will not support 3rd party equipment in any manner, and unfortunately, the set-top equipment needs to communicate with the transmission equipment, so I am stuck with what they rent or sell.

If you can get Digital Video Broadcast outputs, then the DVB Forum (http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=64) is the place to go. This forum is for analog capture.

[eng3]

Originally posted by jggimi
Whether or not you can get any digital audio or digital video will depend on your cable provider's network, set-top equipment, or compatible set-top equipment you acquire on your own, if allowed by your provider.

I happen to be a digital cable customer. My provider's equipment only produces analog outputs; the best quality video it can provide is composite. The company's HDTV equipment has SPDIF output (Dolby Digital) for audio, and component video ... but inventories are low and they will only provide the equipment to HDTV customers. They will not support 3rd party equipment in any manner, and unfortunately, the set-top equipment needs to communicate with the transmission equipment, so I am stuck with what they rent or sell.

If you can get Digital Video Broadcast outputs, then the DVB Forum (http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=64) is the place to go. This forum is for analog capture.

oh, yeah I know that set-top equipment can only output analog.
but the data from the cable company to the box is digital since it is called digital cable. I was just wondering if anyone knew what format they use, like if they used MPEG-2