TV Tuner Card

[Touge180SX]

Ok, here comes another question.

I was looking at TV Tuner cards today on the Egg and I noticed that someone complained about their card not supporting Digital Cable. I have digital cable here on base so it will be running off of that and not over the air signals. Does anyone have any ideas which ones work with digital cable for sure?

[mikeb12]

all the ones we've discussed will.. the problem is like mentioned before is if you want the scrambled channels, then you need to go through the box the cable company supplies, otherwise it's scrambled.

that's the best I could get out of it. that ques used to bug the hell out of me too.

[Touge180SX]

Awesome, thanks Mike!

[Touge180SX]

Well, I ordered my TV Tuner card. I ended up going with the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 with dual tuners. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116010

It said it works with digital cable boxes so we will see. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks again everyone for the help!

[dekard]

Ok, so with an HTPC the PC output (meaning the desktop) will always look crappy but video in the like will look good. Ok, got it. Thanks Mike!

Um, no. Using either a VGA cable or HDMI the picture quality of the desktop is perfect on my 47" LCD. When I was using a SD CRT tv (old) the desktop looked like crap since the TV just didn't support any kind of resolution. On the other hand, the LCD is georgous at all times. We use it for internet access all the time and its just perfect.

If your picture quality isn't right than somehow the signal isn't quite right.

Ok, I have another question a little off topic.

I got everything together and threw the 8800 in there hooked up through DVI-HDMI and my TV says 1080p and so does NVidia Control Panel. My question is why does it look worse on the desktop (grainy looking) with this setup than it did using the VGA cable and built in video on the motherboard?

[Touge180SX]

Ok, got it Deck. I actually think my picture quality is good now as I switched it to 1920x1080 now. Another thing is I think I am just not used to seeing the desktop on this big of a screen. :tongue:

[Memorysan]

Touge, I have been trying to research the same question...and was having a hard time finding what I wanted. (I actually came on here to ask the same question you did, but stumbled across yours here) Since I know we have the same set up (base cable, same location, same company, etc.) I will just get the same card you got. How well is it working for you? Can you watch one digital channel and record another digital channel? Does it pause, rewind, fast forward live TV? Is the signal from the base good enough to get through to the computer well?

In other words...now that you have bought it and tried it out with the same situation I have...should I get the same card?

With the mother board I am looking at, and since I am planning on just using the on board video and no video card, I will have 1 PCI-E x1 and one PCI-E x16 available. Is there a better card I should use?

Sorry to hijack your thread, but it seems like you have your answer already and since I have the same situation as you, I thought it would be easier to post on here instead of asking the same question.

You do get both the analog and the digital channels good through the PC, right?

I plan to just run it through the computer and train the wife how to do it (once I have it all figured out myself) instead of using a splitter to run directly to the TV.

[Touge180SX]

Memory,

I'm still working on the whole digital cable thing through as Windows Media Center says I need a remote commander thing that goes in front of the sensor on the cable box, anybody know about this?

As for the card, if you have an available PCI-E slot I would use that.

Do you plan on running that 7.1 sound card I have or onboard sound? Also, you will need a wireless adapter card for internet if you are doing it wireless.

[jebo_4jc]

Yea it's called an IR blaster.

Are you already using a remote? IF not, the best way to get it is to just buy the remote package, as long as it includes the IR blaster.

Basically, the IR blaster just relays the remote commands over a wire to a little point in front of your cable box. It's how your PC controls the cable box.

http://www.highdefforum.com/promotio...aster-new.html

http://www.hdtvtunerinfo.com/mceremoteinstall.html

[Touge180SX]

Yeah, my Happauge card came with a remote so the IR Blaster is probably in the box, just have to look.