[Discuss-gnuradio] Cheap Hardware For ATSC Reception

[Daniel Schmelzer]

Hi All--

I am new to this area, so please indulge my uninformed questions.

What I'm looking for is the cheapest and simplest implementation for the 
ATSC demodulator module that is being discussed here.

The target "market" is home theater computer enthusiasts in the States. and 
Canada.  Currently, the cheapest ATSC implementation is the MyHD card, at 
about $320.  This card includes a hardware video decoder, but the newer 
Pentium 4s should be able to handle software decoding (my P4 1.7 w/Rambus 
only gets about 20 frames per second, unfortunately).

Please consider a Delta 410 audio card as part of the solution set, if it 
would be helpful.  A lot of people are beginning to use the 410 as an 
audiophile-quality pre-pro device, so the $200 for the card is already sunk.

Also, I note that a lot of cable companies in the States are implementing 
QAM64 and QAM256 for HD transport.  Is this modulation scheme too tied up in 
patents and encryption for it to be a worthwhile pursuit?

Regards--

Dan

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