AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › Home Theater Computers › I don't want to watch HDTV through my HTPC, just use it for PVR function...possible?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I don't want to watch HDTV through my HTPC, just use it for PVR function...possible?

post #1 of 11
3/3/08 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone,
I have been racking my brain reading through posts in this section and can't seem to find an answer to my problem.
I am in the midst of building a HTPC to be hooked up to my Panasonic Plasma TV and work as a PVR to record SD/HD content from my Digital Cable Box. For live TV I just want the Digital cable box to feed the Plasma TV via my Pioneer Elite Receiver, but for times when I want to record a TV show I want my HTPC to work as a PVR (since my Digital box is not an HDPVR).
Problem is that it seems to me that I have to also have my TV feed always passing through my HTPC for live TV, and I don't want this to be the case.

Is their a product available now (or in the next 6 months) that will allow me to accomplish what I'm trying to do?

Any help suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Cheers,
the_dinger
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 11
3/3/08 at 4:37pm
This is similar to what I have. I watch live TV straight from the cable box (which is also HD-DVR). My HTPC records SD stuff. Keep in mind that unless you have a DCR you will only be able to record the local channels is HD. Everything else will be SD.

I have coax coming out behind my computer and is split so one side goes to HTPC and other side goes to cable box. Both are then connected to my TV. To switch between the two I use the TV/VCR button on the remote.

Of course you could just upgrade your cable box to a HD-DVR and save the expense of building a HTPC. Then you can record HD (although capacity and interface leave much to be desired).

Is this what you were looking for?

Jason
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 11
3/3/08 at 4:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_n View Post

This is similar to what I have. I watch live TV straight from the cable box (which is also HD-DVR). My HTPC records SD stuff. Keep in mind that unless you have a DCR you will only be able to record the local channels is HD. Everything else will be SD.

I have coax coming out behind my computer and is split so one side goes to HTPC and other side goes to cable box. Both are then connected to my TV. To switch between the two I use the TV/VCR button on the remote.

Jason

Thanks for your quick reply Jason.
I should have specified that I am looking to be able to record HD channels in HD quality to my HTPC. (FYI:My HTPC has a MoBo with an HDMI port).
Any other ideas how I can ahieve this scenario other than running straight coax via a splitter to the HTPC?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 11
3/3/08 at 5:00pm
Can you elaborate on why you don't want to run coax to your HTPC?

You must have a signal in order to record. How will you get that signal in without coax? I suppose HD Homerun would come in via ethernet, but the coax still has to get to the HD Homerun.

I am also operating on the assumption that you know the only way you can record HD (not including local channels) to your HTPC is with a Cable Labs approved HTPC equipped with DCR. Even with this setup the coax is going to go into the DCR.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 11
3/3/08 at 7:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_n View Post

Can you elaborate on why you don't want to run coax to your HTPC?

You must have a signal in order to record. How will you get that signal in without coax? I suppose HD Homerun would come in via ethernet, but the coax still has to get to the HD Homerun.

I am also operating on the assumption that you know the only way you can record HD (not including local channels) to your HTPC is with a Cable Labs approved HTPC equipped with DCR. Even with this setup the coax is going to go into the DCR.

It's not that I don't want to run coax to my HTPC, it's just that coax alone won't push through a HD feed with my content providor (Rogers in Toronto, Canada)
The HD Homerun solution you mentioned seems like it might be an answer for me in order to record TV when I'm not able to watch it live. At the end of the day I don't want to have to start up my computer everytime I just want to watch TV.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 11
3/3/08 at 8:36pm
Not sure what your set-up is, but perhaps this
gadget will partially solve the problem. Of course, it limits you from channel surfing if you want to record a particular channel.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 11
3/3/08 at 9:01pm
I'm not sure I understand the details of your situation, so I'll just ramble a bit and hope that it's helpful.

If I understand correctly, you MUST use your cable box to watch TV.
The most basic scenario without the HTPC in the picture is that you have:
wall cable outlet -connected to- cable box -connected to- TV.
Presumably, you have the cable box connected to the TV using component or HDMI since you have HD service.

So, to record this content, you need a set up like this:
wall cable outlet -connected to- cablebox -connected to- PC.

Now for this to work, you need some way to connect the output of the cable box to the PC and naturally, the PC needs to be running a PVR software package. The one I'm using is SageTV.

If the cable box does have component output (which I gotta believe it does), then there is supposed to be a HD component capture product coming out this spring (this is one thread I've seen about it: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29780 and since the thread was started by the CTO at SageTV, I gotta believe Sage will support it).

To watch TV on a TV (as opposed to just watching it on the HTPC), you would either have the HTPC colocated with the TV or use a media extender like Sage's HD100 and leave the HTPC in a closet or the basement. The media extender solution, imo, is the optimal solution.

So, now the setup is like this:
cable wall outlet -connected to- cable box -connected to- component capture product/PC - connected to Ethernet network

Ethernet network -connected to- media extender -connected to- TV.

Then via the media extender and an IR blaster you can control Sage which in turn controls the cable box and delivers whatever you want to watch from the HTPC to the media extender and thus to the TV.
Now, in this model, to record one show and watch another at the same time would require a second cable box. But, there's no real way around that if you need a cable box to access content.

That said, if you only need the cable box for HD and can see SD over the cable directly, then you can have the set up described above, but also add an analog tuner card or USB-based analog tuner product to the HTPC part of the picture. You would split the cable signal before the cable box and run the split off cable directly to the analog tuner card.

Finally, unless your cable company provides clear QAM HD, or you have the ability to receive OTA HD, the HD Homerun will not help.

OK, that's enough rambling for now.


Mitch
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 11
3/3/08 at 10:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch G View Post

I'm not sure I understand the details of your situation, so I'll just ramble a bit and hope that it's helpful.

If I understand correctly, you MUST use your cable box to watch TV.
The most basic scenario without the HTPC in the picture is that you have:
wall cable outlet -connected to- cable box -connected to- TV.
Presumably, you have the cable box connected to the TV using component or HDMI since you have HD service.

So, to record this content, you need a set up like this:
wall cable outlet -connected to- cablebox -connected to- PC.

Now for this to work, you need some way to connect the output of the cable box to the PC and naturally, the PC needs to be running a PVR software package. The one I'm using is SageTV.

If the cable box does have component output (which I gotta believe it does), then there is supposed to be a HD component capture product coming out this spring (this is one thread I've seen about it: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29780 and since the thread was started by the CTO at SageTV, I gotta believe Sage will support it).

To watch TV on a TV (as opposed to just watching it on the HTPC), you would either have the HTPC colocated with the TV or use a media extender like Sage's HD100 and leave the HTPC in a closet or the basement. The media extender solution, imo, is the optimal solution.

So, now the setup is like this:
cable wall outlet -connected to- cable box -connected to- component capture product/PC - connected to Ethernet network

Ethernet network -connected to- media extender -connected to- TV.

Then via the media extender and an IR blaster you can control Sage which in turn controls the cable box and delivers whatever you want to watch from the HTPC to the media extender and thus to the TV.
Now, in this model, to record one show and watch another at the same time would require a second cable box. But, there's no real way around that if you need a cable box to access content.

That said, if you only need the cable box for HD and can see SD over the cable directly, then you can have the set up described above, but also add an analog tuner card or USB-based analog tuner product to the HTPC part of the picture. You would split the cable signal before the cable box and run the split off cable directly to the analog tuner card.

Finally, unless your cable company provides clear QAM HD, or you have the ability to receive OTA HD, the HD Homerun will not help.

OK, that's enough rambling for now.


Mitch

Mitch, that's an elegant, but imo unnecessarily complicated solution.

The original poster just wants one signal to act independently under two different situations:
1. cable --> live TV for regular watching, and
2. cable---> HTPC HDMI input only to record.

The Geffen splitter will solve problem by feeding the source cable signal to two separate video outs via HDMI *simultaneously* since it's not a switcher. And it's HDCP compliant.

So, Cable Box --->splitter HDMI In; then
HDMI out1 to TV (via receiver);
HDMI out2 to HTPC.
The PC is on only when recording, which is what he desired.

This solves his problem by eliminating the PC from the chain when he's just watching live TV. It has its limitations, but I think it's what he intends. If he intends to surf channels while recording, it obviously won't do.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 11
3/4/08 at 1:03am
I have never seen nor heard of a mobo with an HDMI INPUT, only with HDMI OUTPUT. I believe the only HDMI input solution is the Black Magic card.
But I may be well be wrong.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 11
3/4/08 at 5:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gav View Post

Mitch, that's an elegant, but imo unnecessarily complicated solution.

The original poster just wants one signal to act independently under two different situations:
1. cable --> live TV for regular watching, and
2. cable---> HTPC HDMI input only to record.

The Geffen splitter will solve problem by feeding the source cable signal to two separate video outs via HDMI *simultaneously* since it's not a switcher. And it's HDCP compliant.

So, Cable Box --->splitter HDMI In; then
HDMI out1 to TV (via receiver);
HDMI out2 to HTPC.
The PC is on only when recording, which is what he desired.

This solves his problem by eliminating the PC from the chain when he's just watching live TV. It has its limitations, but I think it's what he intends. If he intends to surf channels while recording, it obviously won't do.

I would LOVE this to be the solution, but as the next poster wrote I believe the vid card only does HDMI out. I am planning to use this MoBo (with integrated graphics card) http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/...=GA-MA78GM-S2H but am open to choosing something with component out if that will solve my problem

To answer someone else's post, the HTPC will be in the same shelf as my other audio/video components and within a few feet of the TV and an internet connection. I would be happy for either a component cable or HDMI solution as my TV and Digital Cable box have connections for either.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 11
3/4/08 at 5:25am
Frankly I think you're missing one of the best things about an HTPC based DVR, pausing live TV. I leave mine on all of the time. I will never watch TV any other way again.

I also use SageTV and love it. However, until the HD Capture device mentioned above comes out, I am only recording local channels in HD. But here's what I think is the best setup:

HTPC on 24/7, but setup to sleep when not in use.
cable> STB (cable box) > HD Capture device > HTPC > TV

This allows you to record "on the fly," pause live tv, and record as you originally intended.

Around our house, it's VERY common for us to start watching something and then at the first commercial break, pause it, go do something else for 10 minutes, then come back and watch the rest skipping the commercials.

And even better is when you decide that you want another TV setup, you can just buy an extender for that TV and you're done.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Home Theater Computers

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Video Components › Home Theater Computers › I don't want to watch HDTV through my HTPC, just use it for PVR function...possible?