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I'm confused...How to deal with HD Cable with HTPC

480 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  madpoet, 
I
I'm been reading through these forums and haven't really found the answers I'm looking for. I currently use Comcast cable with the Moto 6412 dual tuner DVR. While I'm not set on using that STB, I am fairly happy with all of the functionality (although the UI leaves a little to be desired). I'd still like to add an HTPC to my media room to support MP3 browsing, photo browsing, etc, etc but I can't quite see the vision on how to integrate this with cable. It seems as though everyone is using tuners in the PC which obviously won't work with cable. Frankly, I guess anyone with DTV or Dish would have the same challenge. I can't imagine that all users of an HTPC are using OTA (no HBO, Showtime, etc) Is there a way to have MCE (or any other HTPC application) CONTROL a cable box and just have the "tuned" video play through the PC so you can still benefit from the UI on the PC?
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M
Tuners don't work with cable? You need to do more research ;)
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Actually, I am aware that they work with cable, but my reading here suggests that premium HD content won't be supported until there is a CableCard capable tuner card (and Comcast supports CableCard). Am I missing something?
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B
You are not missing anything. There is no way to watch the encrypted hd "through" the pc. Additionally, it is difficult to use any pvr with mce. This is because botht he pvr and mce will be changing the channel. MCE just assumes that it is the only thing that changes the channel.


I think that the vast majority of people that are using mce are only getting over the air hd (no hbo, showtime, etc). I know that is the situation I am in.
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So is it only premium channels (Like HBO and Starz, etc) that are encoded? I also watch quite a bit of content from INHD and INHD2 from Comcast plus ESPN and Discovery HD. Are all of those channels out of the picture since they're not available OTA?
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Quote:
Originally posted by Interactive
So is it only premium channels (Like HBO and Starz, etc) that are encoded? I also watch quite a bit of content from INHD and INHD2 from Comcast plus ESPN and Discovery HD. Are all of those channels out of the picture since they're not available OTA?
It depends on the local cable provider. For example, here Comcast had ESPN HD unencrypted, but I believe they recently changed that (probably because more people are getting QAM tuners).
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Are there any outboard boxes available from the cable companies to unencrypt the signals before a tuner??
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This might be a dumb ? but am I correct from all my research and reading that a QAM tuner is needed to be able to tune in the cable channels above 100ish (basicly the channels above what a normal TV can tune in without a cable box)?


thanks,

-Josh
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Quote:
Originally posted by umdivx
This might be a dumb ? but am I correct from all my research and reading that a QAM tuner is needed to be able to tune in the cable channels above 100ish (basicly the channels above what a normal TV can tune in without a cable box)?


thanks,

-Josh
A QAM tuner is necessary to view HD cable signals. I'm not sure the number of the channel means much. Channel 104 on your box might actually be channel 82-1. The box translates it automatically (but you'd have to figure it out with a QAM tuner without cablecard).
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Quote:
Originally posted by Interactive
I'm been reading through these forums and haven't really found the answers I'm looking for. I currently use Comcast cable with the Moto 6412 dual tuner DVR. While I'm not set on using that STB, I am fairly happy with all of the functionality (although the UI leaves a little to be desired). I'd still like to add an HTPC to my media room to support MP3 browsing, photo browsing, etc, etc but I can't quite see the vision on how to integrate this with cable. It seems as though everyone is using tuners in the PC which obviously won't work with cable. Frankly, I guess anyone with DTV or Dish would have the same challenge. I can't imagine that all users of an HTPC are using OTA (no HBO, Showtime, etc) Is there a way to have MCE (or any other HTPC application) CONTROL a cable box and just have the "tuned" video play through the PC so you can still benefit from the UI on the PC?
Well, there's this way (firewire) to record to a HTPC and get live streams from a Motorola cable box if the channel is not 5C encrypted...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=403695
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Most however are. If you want anything other than locals, your best bet is a 5c compliant device such as a DVHS deck.
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