Getting Cable HD on the PC?
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Easiest way currently is the HD PVR ; however, this can only record. You cannot watch live TV within Media Center with it. So in other words, the PVR would act like a VCR. You set the recordings within the PVR and it changes the channel on the STB when time to record. You will not be able to use 1 tuner on the STB to watch and have the other tuner record for the PVR. So when you want to watch live TV, you have to change the TV to the STB input and when you want to watch recorded shows you have to switch to the HTPC input (which the PVR could be recording another channel off the STB while watching a recording off the HTPC).
If tech savy, you can attempt the OCUR CableCard Tuner hack which does away with your STB entirely, but it still doesn't work with some encrypted channels (due to type of digital technology used or something) and it doesn't work with on demand material.
If tech savy, you can attempt the OCUR CableCard Tuner hack which does away with your STB entirely, but it still doesn't work with some encrypted channels (due to type of digital technology used or something) and it doesn't work with on demand material.
This is not entirely true. There is a third party plugin called DVBLink ($30 with 30 day free trial) that makes it possible to use the HDPVR in 7MC or Vista w/TV Pack. Once setup, it works just like any other tuner card in media center. I am doing it right now and with firestb (using firewire to change channels on the STB) it is great.
This is not entirely true. There is a third party plugin called DVBLink ($30 with 30 day free trial) that makes it possible to use the HDPVR in 7MC or Vista w/TV Pack. Once setup, it works just like any other tuner card in media center. I am doing it right now and with firestb (using firewire to change channels on the STB) it is great.
So right now you're saying odds of me playing live HD TV from my time warner box to my computer isn't doable and I should wait to see how Windows 7/Hauppage will handle this solution?
I noticed Leadtek has a Winfast PxDVR3200 card that accepts component in, but MCE I'm assuming wont recognize it?
I noticed Leadtek has a Winfast PxDVR3200 card that accepts component in, but MCE I'm assuming wont recognize it?
Since the card is apparently made for the European market since it supports DVB-T and the since card does not have component input connectors I beleive that the use of "HDTV" in the specs refers to European HDTV broadcasts.
I would suggest the HD-PVR and then use of one of the 3rd party application packages listed at the hauppauge website that supports it for both live and recoreded programming.
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html
And then when you upgrade to Windows 7 and the Hauppauge HD-PVR Windows 7 Media Center drivers are available you can switch to them if you want to.
I would suggest the HD-PVR and then use of one of the 3rd party application packages listed at the hauppauge website that supports it for both live and recoreded programming.
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html
And then when you upgrade to Windows 7 and the Hauppauge HD-PVR Windows 7 Media Center drivers are available you can switch to them if you want to.
No were saying its totally doable now but it requires 3rd party software that costs extra money. Link to software: http://www.dvblogic.com/hdpvr.php
But in the future there will probably be a better solution thats free.
No were saying its totally doable now but it requires 3rd party software that costs extra money. Link to software: http://www.dvblogic.com/hdpvr.php
But in the future there will probably be a better solution thats free.
According to the specs I provided the basic link to you do not have to purchase any 3rd party software since some is included:
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Bundled software applications
Arcsoft “TotalMediaExtreme” for video capture, preview, playback, and authoring and burning your TV recordings onto a Blu-ray DVD compatible disc
Arcsoft “TotalMedia Theater”, a video player so you can play back your TV recordings to your PC screen
Arcsoft “MediaConverter” , to convert your H.264 HD recordings onto other formats
Includes Hauppauge's WinTV scheduler for scheduled TV recordings
"
"
Bundled software applications
Arcsoft “TotalMediaExtreme” for video capture, preview, playback, and authoring and burning your TV recordings onto a Blu-ray DVD compatible disc
Arcsoft “TotalMedia Theater”, a video player so you can play back your TV recordings to your PC screen
Arcsoft “MediaConverter” , to convert your H.264 HD recordings onto other formats
Includes Hauppauge's WinTV scheduler for scheduled TV recordings
"
Tell me about it. I record OTA and still use internet to download the same show, if I want to keep it. It's too much of a pain in the butt to convert that bloated WTV file to h.264 and so much easier to just download it off usegroups.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_311 /forum/post/16948649
yep, not easy.
this is why downloading tv torrents is so rampant...
now if things were made simple...![]()
Tell me about it. I record OTA and still use internet to download the same show, if I want to keep it. It's too much of a pain in the butt to convert that bloated WTV file to h.264 and so much easier to just download it off usegroups.
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451 Posts
I personally AM using a HD-PVR to watch and record HD TV on my HTPC. That said, I use SageTV for my recording and live view software, not windows media center. It works great for me. It is really the only feasible solution that will work with any cable system out there. The firewire recorders will not work on encrypted channels, and the QAM recorders as well will not get encrypted channels. CableCard might have been feesible, if only you could buy the card/board as a component and didn't have to purchase the entire system as a whole (which basically killed it because in this niche market, all the existing users are doing full custom gear and want to continue using fully customizable gears, in which the HTPC-in-a-box just won't cut it in the market that want components so they can build it themselves). The HD-PVR is the only real solution out there at this time.
I actually have two front ends, one for live view and one for watching previously recoded shows. But that is just because I like to tinker (the second one is Media Portal, which supposidly can record from the HD PVR, but I much prefer SageTV's recording interface and algorithms (i.e. being show centric not time centric, so in SageTV I just say record "Lost" and it will record it on any and all channels that it might be showing as well at programming changes and channel line-ups for things like sports games or scheduled special events, etc., which would cause the show to not be on a certain week, or I can even tell it to only record new episodes... Media Portal only lets me say to record a certain channel at a certain time of the day... so if something happens like the show being pushed back an hour, or changing dates, I would have to go and change the recording schedules.... Sage does all the for me automatically). Anyway, I like Media Portal's overall look/feel and the interface as a whole, but the recording part needs some love still.
I actually have two front ends, one for live view and one for watching previously recoded shows. But that is just because I like to tinker (the second one is Media Portal, which supposidly can record from the HD PVR, but I much prefer SageTV's recording interface and algorithms (i.e. being show centric not time centric, so in SageTV I just say record "Lost" and it will record it on any and all channels that it might be showing as well at programming changes and channel line-ups for things like sports games or scheduled special events, etc., which would cause the show to not be on a certain week, or I can even tell it to only record new episodes... Media Portal only lets me say to record a certain channel at a certain time of the day... so if something happens like the show being pushed back an hour, or changing dates, I would have to go and change the recording schedules.... Sage does all the for me automatically). Anyway, I like Media Portal's overall look/feel and the interface as a whole, but the recording part needs some love still.
There is a hack out there now that can work on just about any modern motherboard. The ATI CableCard Tuners are still expensive, though, around $200. And you're never guaranteed that your cable company will give you a cable card (although you could threaten FCC rules) or that it'll even work with their system, and they don't offer support.
There is a hack out there now that can work on just about any modern motherboard. The ATI CableCard Tuners are still expensive, though, around $200. And you're never guaranteed that your cable company will give you a cable card (although you could threaten FCC rules) or that it'll even work with their system, and they don't offer support.
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1,375 Posts
@ Fallen You might want to check out Multishortcut for MP. I use BTV for the same reasons that you use Sage and have messed around using MP as a front end. Some of the guys have been successful in using it to launch BTV for watching recordings and/or Live TV. MP and BTV coexist fine. Just exit BTV and its back to the MP interface. Not sure if it will work with Sage, but........maybe worth a look for you.
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@ Fallen You might want to check out Multishortcut for MP. I use BTV for the same reasons that you use Sage and have messed around using MP as a front end. Some of the guys have been successful in using it to launch BTV for watching recordings and/or Live TV. MP and BTV coexist fine. Just exit BTV and its back to the MP interface. Not sure if it will work with Sage, but........maybe worth a look for you.
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