Hauppauge HD PVR2

Not sure how it's "interesting" that it sits between a cable box and a television. It's just a capture device. And I think this it the third model. I have the first one, which is component-video only. Clunky, especially when it comes to channel-changing. Also needs a reboot every now and again or it just locks up. For my needs, the original HD-PVR is enough. Every channel on my cable box is protected with "copy once," so the added HDMI capability is of little use to me. However, the quality hit is barely noticeable and I do use the snot out of it.

I might have to add one of those to my setup as I already have a HDHomerun Prime and it would be good for SOME of the free on demand I watch occasionally seeing how they gae me a HD box for free when they talked me into upgrading for a good price, at the time anyways. Only things here that seem protected are the movie channels, everything else is open for now.

I didn't know if I should start my own thread or use this already created Hauppauge PVR thread. I'm looking to utilize my Hauppauge (I have the original) as a capture device. Can someone explain to me the best way to configure this. Here is my setup in my living room. Cable TV coming in connected directly to my 6 YO Sammy DLP. My DVR (1 TB Cisco 8742 HDC) is in my home theater room, so I have no cable box in the Living room, therefore have only Standard Def TV in LR. I don't think my TV is equipped with a cable card slot, but it might (How would I know?) I would like to be able to record HD content using the Hauppauge and whatever else I need to rent/buy. I have considered buying a TiVo Premier with "lifetime", but they are very pricey. From the reviews I've read, MoxiBox seems to have plummeted in quality, so that's out. I could just rent another DVR from Cox, but I would rather buy something than rent. Being simple to operate is important because the primary user of this setup will be my tech challenged wife and 10 YO daughter. Any advice is appreciated.
Edited by gregavi - 1/18/13 at 10:21am

Your easiest is to rent another DVR.
To archive off of the DVR (either current or dvr recorded shows) you need to either use the component out of the DVR to the input of the hauppage and capture on your computer OR you need hdmi out of the DVR to a HDMI to component converter then use those component cables to the hauppauge and capture to your computer. Replay files on whatever you have that will play them.

Thanks.

I already use the Hauppauge for archival purpose. I'm looking for a way to use the Hauppauge as a DVR. I thought that's what some people used it for??

I guess you could use it that way with a tv box (dvr or just digital box), but at that point why not just get another DVR.
What might work better is a card or usb tv tuner that you can just put your coax in then use your computer, of course that only works on clear channels.

You are sort of stuck with a cable company and they like it that way

I don't mind using the cable company. I just don't want to rent another one of their DVRs when I believe there are ways around it. I also have a SageTV unit that I am not currently using. I think that can somehow be used in the mix for what I am shooting for.

But you still need a tv tuner card or a way to get the tv signal to the hauppauge or computer . Isn't Sage just the software? If so using Sage and a usb tuner would probably work well.

My SageTV is a hardware device similar to a Popcorn Hour or WDTV. There is SageTV software that is used with it. SageTV was bought by Google in June of 2011.

I figured I would need some sort of turner. It is why, in my first post I stated "I would like to be able to record HD content using the SageTV/Hauppauge and whatever else I need to rent/buy."

Is there a standalone multi channel cable tuner available? I would then need a way to store content. I know some people make HTPCs. I could use one of my old PCs and build one, but I didn't want to have a PC running all day just to serve that purpose. I do have a PC server in my Home Theater room that ( I guess) I could convert into a HTPC with a multi channel cable tuner card. Maybe that is the direction I should go.
Edited by gregavi - 1/20/13 at 9:54am

Storing the content isn't that hard, it is getting it.
I take it your cable isn't scrambled, yet?
If not, how about the Tivo premier without subscription, according to tivo A TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is intended for use only with a paid subscription to the TiVo service. Without the TiVo service:

A TiVo DVR has extremely limited functionality and can only be used to watch live TV or watch previously recorded shows.
No smart, automatic-recording service or Trickplay functionality is represented or should be expected.


Then run that output to your hauppage and you could use a laptop to say energy.

You actually probably know more about this than I do LOL.

How about this
http://www.amazon.com/SiliconDust-HDHomeRun-Definition-Television-HDHR3-US/dp/B004HO58SO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343682763&sr=8-1&keywords=hdhomerun

some info on this page
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1422535/windows-media-center-vs-tivo-premiere

I don't know about the scrambled cable but wouldn't your suggestion work if I rented a cable card from my provider (Cox $2/mo) and placed it in the TiVo Premier output to the Hauppauge?

I'm also looking at building a HTPC using this 4 tuner HD cable card.

http://www.amazon.com/Ceton-InfiniTV-PCIe-4-channel-CableCARD/dp/B003B4VLJQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1358785666&sr=1-2&keywords=4+tuner+hd+cable+card

Thanks. Yeah, I've looked at that Home Run device and read through some of that post from Charles R. It definitely is something to consider. Seems like a lot of work, but it may be worth the effort. I may try to contact Charles to get an update on how everything is working out. I don't mind the effort if the payoff is worth it.

I'm not sure if the tivo would work with a cable card without a subscription. If it would then that should do what you want - probably all manually though, you know no set recording times.

I thought since you wrote "Here is my setup in my living room. Cable TV coming in connected directly to my 6 YO Sammy DLP" that your cable wasn't scrambled like most.
Here with comcast, there are very few channels that you can receive that way, most need their box.