I have a coax cable run by the FiOS installer, an Xbox 360, a PS3, an ATI TV Wonder USB, a Denon 4308ci, and a projector (among other things ;)). I subscribe to FiOS for internet access, but not for TV. I normally use Hulu and Netflix for that stuff. One thing I lack is a TV with a built in tuner that I can use to test and make sure the coax cable is passing through the free local channels. Another thing I lack is a coax cable running to my PC, which I could use for streaming via Media Center.

What I was hoping to do was to plug the coax cable into the ATI TV Wonder, and connect the TV Wonder to my Xbox (or PS3) via USB. I tried to do this with my Xbox and view via Media Center, but the built-in Media Center is just an extender, so I can't get it to accept the TV Wonder signal.

Is there any way that I can use these components in combination with each other so that I can watch free local channels? I assume it's the same issue as if I had bought an OTA antenna, with the only difference that the signal would be coming from the antenna instead of the FiOS line.

Thanks in advance!

First the All In Wonder would need to be able to tune unencrypted QAM and secondly you'd need a PC with Vista Media Center to hook the tuner to.

If you don't meet either of those requirements, it may just be cheaper and easier to buy a QAM tuner to hook directly to your TV.

I'll have to check if the All In Wonder can tune unencrypted QAM. A friend of mine at ATI just gave it to me, so I didn't ask too many of the details. :)

BTW, does anyone know if the coax cable connected by Verizon carries the local channels if I don't subscribe to the TV service? Are they required to pass that stuff through?

Windows Media Center does not support clear QAM with XP. AFAIK... VistaMC may not also.

To be clear, I was hoping to avoid using Media Center if possible. All of my equipment is on a wireless home network, which I've heard is hard to use for live video content. I've heard that I would need a direct CAT-5 connection, and I don't want to set that up if I can avoid it.

It sounds like I need a relatively cheap STB that can act as the tuner, turn the channels, and connect to the AVR. Is that right?

BTW, does anyone know if the coax cable connected by Verizon carries the local channels if I don't subscribe to the TV service? Are they required to pass that stuff through?

No, Verizon is not required to supply you with the local channels if you do not subscribe to their TV service. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if they had them passing through the ONT to your house. It much easier for FiOS to block these at the ONT than what a local cable company would have to do, fwiw. However, considering the large number of different ONTs they are using in the system, you could get lucky and they might be passing them, for now at least.