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Author Topic: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?  (Read 622 times)

Offline Stalwart

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cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« on: September 11, 2009, 07:18:10 PM »
I've got a computer, a television, and cable, in every bedroom and the den.  For our lifestyle, we'd just as soon get rid of every TV, except the one in the den.  I'm wondering how things worked out for folks who tried PC card cable TV tuners.  Does anyone get good HD TV over cable right on their computer without going through a cable box?

 :aok
Stalwart
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2009, 11:29:40 PM »
My ex used a Media Center PC in place of a VCR or DVR box to record her HD shows while she was away. It was a crappy little HP that her little brother destroyed with porn and games, so I'm guessing it can be done rather easily. :lol
« Last Edit: September 11, 2009, 11:34:02 PM by OOZ662 »
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A Rook who first flew 09/26/03 at the age of 13, has been a GL in 10+ Scenarios, and was two-time Points and First Annual 68KO Cup winner of the AH Extreme Air Racing League.

Offline sluggish

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2009, 04:09:41 PM »
This is all you need...


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3402577

Plus if have remote access you can watch cable from your laptop anywhere...
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Offline sntslilhlpr6601

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2009, 04:34:27 AM »
Quote from: sluggish on September 12, 2009, 04:09:41 PM
This is all you need...


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3402577

Plus if have remote access you can watch cable from your laptop anywhere...

While I think that thing is pretty nifty, when it comes to supporting something like a heavy coaxial cable usb isn't the right choice. Usb ports and connectors are pretty much the most flimsy thing on a computer. I would definitely go with an internal pci card for a desktop and for a laptop I would try to find something in pcmcia. Plus I wouldn't really trust usb to keep up with hd video but I could be totally wrong on that.
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Offline batch

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2009, 05:21:43 AM »
you would trust pci or pcmcia(the equivalent of pci on a laptop)....... but not USB.......  yep totally wrong
« Last Edit: September 13, 2009, 05:26:49 AM by batch »
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2009, 05:42:57 AM »
I would plug it into the hub on the floor that I use for my joystick...as everyone ought to.
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A Rook who first flew 09/26/03 at the age of 13, has been a GL in 10+ Scenarios, and was two-time Points and First Annual 68KO Cup winner of the AH Extreme Air Racing League.

Offline Stott

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2009, 04:31:01 PM »
Wife and I use new laptop to watch dvds and streaming netflix in bed. That tuner will only view standard tv broadcast and not pick up anything beamed thru cable? There are so few real time HD broadcast that it seems it is not worth the effort. Can you run a laptop connected to a cable box thru that adapter? We just finished the 14 Fireflys. BTW..the laptop is an HP 18T with 18.2" 1920x1080 screen so the experience is quite good for a laptop. Some external USB speakers makes it all good.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2009, 04:32:56 PM by Stott »
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Offline Serenity

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2009, 07:20:00 PM »
Quote from: sluggish on September 12, 2009, 04:09:41 PM
This is all you need...


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3402577

Plus if have remote access you can watch cable from your laptop anywhere...

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!

Sorry, I just bought one of those from newegg and hit a MAJOR snag: It's a ***** to use. When you plug in the cable, it DOES work, and it DOES record, but it is not recognized by Windows Media Center at all, and on HP MediaSmart, it does not recognize cable channel numbers or programming info.

However, I also have an HP Pavillion Desktop with T.V. Tuner built in and that works outstandingly.
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2009, 08:55:21 PM »
Quote from: Stott on September 13, 2009, 04:31:01 PM
We just finished the 14 Fireflys.

 :aok
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A Rook who first flew 09/26/03 at the age of 13, has been a GL in 10+ Scenarios, and was two-time Points and First Annual 68KO Cup winner of the AH Extreme Air Racing League.

Offline sluggish

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2009, 09:37:33 PM »
Quote from: Serenity on September 13, 2009, 07:20:00 PM
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!

Sorry, I just bought one of those from newegg and hit a MAJOR snag: It's a ***** to use. When you plug in the cable, it DOES work, and it DOES record, but it is not recognized by Windows Media Center at all, and on HP MediaSmart, it does not recognize cable channel numbers or programming info.

However, I also have an HP Pavillion Desktop with T.V. Tuner built in and that works outstandingly.

You have to go to the manufacturers website and get the updated drivers.  And it IS a cable tuner also.
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Offline Serenity

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2009, 12:58:06 AM »
Quote from: sluggish on September 13, 2009, 09:37:33 PM
You have to go to the manufacturers website and get the updated drivers.  And it IS a cable tuner also.

Yeah, I watch cable TV on it, it's just none of the computer programs recognize the cable information.
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Offline Chalenge

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2009, 03:08:41 AM »
No. I use the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR USB2 with IR Blaster to the cable box but when I got this HD was not yet available. Now that it is available and the PVR cards/boxes are HD capable the only thing I watch in HD is golf and not on my computer so I use this to record SyFy and Military channel and thats about it.

This unit interferes with AHIIs key mapping somewhat.
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Offline sluggish

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2009, 03:43:33 PM »
Quote from: Serenity on September 14, 2009, 12:58:06 AM
Yeah, I watch cable TV on it, it's just none of the computer programs recognize the cable information.

Downloading the latest drivers from the manufacturer makes it behave nicely with WMC.
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Offline Serenity

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2009, 05:47:03 PM »
Quote from: sluggish on September 14, 2009, 03:43:33 PM
Downloading the latest drivers from the manufacturer makes it behave nicely with WMC.

I thought I had those, but I will try again to be certain.
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Offline Tac

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Re: cable HD TV tuners inside PCs?
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2009, 08:55:50 AM »
Quote from: sluggish on September 12, 2009, 04:09:41 PM
This is all you need...


http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3402577

Plus if have remote access you can watch cable from your laptop anywhere...

I wonder if you could plug that into an Iphone :P
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