[dgk]

I was going to buy a DVD recorder as my PVR but thought that I'd rather just do it to a hard drive and burn stuff later if I want to keep it. So, I figure, why not use a computer? After all, then I can drop in through remote desktop if I forget to set it.


I have one with a (don't laugh please) 9600 ATI All-In-Wonder so I try to figure out how to get it to change channels on the (Scientific Atlanta) cablebox like my old VHS recorder does. But apparently even the Remote Wonder can't do that. Drat.


I do have access to Microsoft Media Center XP because I'm on MSDN so I suppose I can use that somehow. But following some of the links in the Stickies shows that it's subject to some sort of DRM and uses a proprietery format. Plus, it seems overkill for what I want to do.


Anyway, I don't have HDTV and all I really want to do is be able to use the PC as a VCR. It isn't like I watch a whole lot of TV. Do I actually need a tuner (and how does it deal with cablebox scrambling? - I'm on Time Warner) or can I have some IR thing that changes the box? Do I need Media Center or can I just use some other software that has scheduling abilities? What would a better card be for TV capture or is the 9600 sufficient?


Anyway, I posted on Overclockers and someone pointed me here.


Thanks for any help.

 

[stottle]

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but shouldn't you be able to get unencrypted SD channels just by hooking a cable connection to the AIW and skip the cable box entirely? Simple cable splitter would do the trick. Since all the channels are on the cable at the same time, you change channels by telling the AIW software which change to tune to. There's no need to talk to any boxes.


If the signal is encrypted so you need to get the signal from the cable box, you probably need to get some sort of IR transitter (such as USB-UIRT). This may be more trouble than its worth, depending on how much effort you have in mind.


Brett

 

[IVB]

Search on QAM, read those threads.


I'd say more here, but I'd just be repeating what's in those threads.

 

[dgk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stottle I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but shouldn't you be able to get unencrypted SD channels just by hooking a cable connection to the AIW and skip the cable box entirely? Simple cable splitter would do the trick. Since all the channels are on the cable at the same time, you change channels by telling the AIW software which change to tune to. There's no need to talk to any boxes. If the signal is encrypted so you need to get the signal from the cable box, you probably need to get some sort of IR transitter (such as USB-UIRT). This may be more trouble than its worth, depending on how much effort you have in mind. Brett

Thanks. Many years ago I tried just plugging the cable into my TV and channels were all over the place. 2 was on 8, 7 was 22, stuff like that. Plus many were scrambled. I figured that they just don't want us bypassing the box. But I can't lose anything by trying again.