TV tuner cards

I'm exploring the possibilities of installing a tuner card in the PC we have hooked to the TV . I don't necessarily want to stream TV thru the computer , but I'd like to record the shows my wife likes that she misses on those nights she works . Just ordered a 1tb hdd for that comp so I can move all the TV and movies there to make it easier for her to use . I haven't done much research yet , thought this would be a good place to ask for recommendations . I think I'd rather go with a pci/pcie card rather than a usb device ... either way , I'll have to have the sat box tuned to the proper channel since we have no OTA reception here .

Reply to
Terry Coombs
Loading thread data ...

IMO, it's a bad move to invest in a "card" that will probably NOT be future-safe -- unless you plan on tying it to that particular machine, indefinitely.

Instead, I'd suggest opening up that interface dependency and going with an ethernet-based tuner. SiliconDust's HDHomeRun products being the devices of choice (IMnsHO).

Essentially, you'll end up with a little box that has an antenna connection and a network connection -- about the size of your flattened fist.

One advantage is that you can hide the box somewhere that has access to your antenna without having to locate the PC in that same location.

The other advantage is that you can "talk to" the box using a SFF PC -- something that wouldn't ever be able to include an "add on card". Here, I use "bible-sized" PC's (don't even include an optical drive) that run fan-less to deliver video to the TV (i.e., these boxes are located next to each TV) while the "tuner" is located somewhere else.

Reply to
Don Y

formatting link

Reply to
bob_villain

It sounds like you are looking for a capture card, not a tuner card. Then you will need to use the "tune to" function on the sat box timer and duplicate that in the PC. I am playing with an Avermedia AverTV HD DVR card as we speak. You can run it with Xp-W/8 (and probably 10). You need a dual core machine ~3gz with a couple gig of RAM (XP) This has component and HDMI inputs that your sat box should export. I have had it a while and it works but I have not had time to screw with it.

Reply to
gfretwell

That is not going to help much if he just has satellite.

Reply to
gfretwell

I've been using Hauppauge TV Tuner cards for years to record OTA TV shows. I'm currently using a dual tuner HVR-2250 like this one:

formatting link

I use the free NextPVR software to record the shows, along with an annual subscription to the Schedules Direct TV listings.

formatting link
formatting link

I don't like a bunch of external boxes, so I have always gone with internal cards.

I used to have two HVR-2250's, but one of them quit working. There seems to be fewer and fewer decent shows to record anymore, so the single dual tuner card works fine for me now.

If you have to use the Satellite tuner, you don't really need a tuner card for your PC. You would just need a card that can encode an incoming video signal. Ironically, TV tuners are usually the cheapest way to capture video. :)

I don't know anything about it, but I see Hauppauge also makes a tuner card for satellite TV:

formatting link

Finally, depending on the shows you want to record, you may be able to find them online. There are a variety of programs that will let you save the shows to your computer, such as "Wondershare AllMyTube". You could also subscribe to Hulu, or wait till the shows are available on Netflix.

Take care,

Anthony Watson

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
HerHusband

I was wondering when they would make something like this. There are

3 or 4 OTA DVDRs on the market but still there's been a big hole.

That 's certainly helpful for me. Going up in the attic to run cable to another room is a lot less appealing at 69 than it was at 37.

Plus I've put in some sort of floor since then that gets in the way all the time.

Reply to
Micky

Thanks everybody ! After looking over the devices that do what I want , I think I'll just keep downloading the stuff she misses from a torrent site . Only downside is having to wait a day or two for someone to post a torrent .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

I dont know anything about this, but why cant a person use a DTV converter box for an antenna input and send the output from that converter to a computer? The channels would be changed with the converter box itself.

Reply to
Paintedcow

A good question. Though it would be very hard to find another one, I even have a converter box that can be set to change channels for specific programs. Everything comes out on channel 3 or 4.

Reply to
Micky

Torrents are one of the best sources to get malware and viruses. I wont even go near them....

Reply to
Paintedcow

I've never had a problem . I guess it depends on what you're d/ling and from where ...

Reply to
Terry Coombs

That might work if we had OTA reception ... have you not seen me post about living in The Holler ? Before it all went digital we got 3 channels ,,, sometimes .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

One reason would be that without some way for the computer to change the channels on the box, it would be largely useless. Do they have capture cards that will do that? Seems like they would have to.

Reply to
trader_4

I quit using torrents years ago because they were painfully slow and the downloads were often corrupted or infected with a virus. Make sure you have good virus and malware scanners installed and running.

Also, be aware your ISP can see your torrent activity if you're not using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If they catch you downloading copyrighted material, they have a right to cancel your internet service.

Binary newsgroups are faster and a bit more anonymous with a secure downloader such as NewsBin. But, you won't find the selection that is available on a torrent connection.

As I mentioned previously, most major networks offer full episodes online now so you can download them directly from the source (with the right software).

I still prefer to record shows myself whenever possible as the quality is higher, I get the show immediately, and it's all automatic so I don't have to do anything.

For the cost of a VPN or a newsgroup service, you could subscribe to legal sources such as Hulu+.

Anthony Watson

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
HerHusband

Per Terry Coombs:

I would get the cable-specific Silicon Dust box - which stands alone, doesn't take up space in your PC, is available over the LAN, and is accessible by any device on the LAN - not just the PC.

I only have OTA, but I think that SiliconDust's cable product is called "PRIME":

formatting link

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

He's got a satellite connection so he'd use the DVB-capable option.

I learned about the SD products from a neighbor -- one of only two folks in the neighborhood to run "satellite" (the other being the exCIA spook on the next street). Most other folks, here, use Dish, CATV or OTA (us).

+1

It also eases one more dependency on the PC's hardware that you don't have to worry about when you move to a new PC (anyone remember ISA? MCA? PCI? PCI-X? etc.)

It also lets you use a "CPU-chip, memory and video interface" to drive your TV's (one for each TV) instead of having to site a "real PC" by each TV (with fan, large power supply, etc.).

Reply to
Don Y

Per Don Y:

Some years back I read about a group of lawyers in (Florida?) that had figured out how to monitor download traffic, identify bit streams that were unique to various copyrighted movies, and identify IP address doing the downloading.

Based on that, they were sending "Five-Thousand-Dollar Letters" to subscribers with the ID'd IP addrs containing the message: "We represent this content provider and will take you to court if you do not settle this claim for $5,000".

Dunno if they are still in business.... but I would guess that is the reason why some Torrent users subscribe to VPN services - which, AFIK, anonyomyze their connections.

Semi-tangentially, there seems to be a proliferation of "Pirate Boxes": itty-bitty Android computers in a box that run an application called "Kodi", accept something called "Add-Ins", and sit under a TV set - connected via HDMI cable. e.g.

formatting link

The "Add-Ins" can be legitimate - as in Ted Talks - or pipelines to sources of pirated material. The "Pirate Boxes", of course, come loaded up with the latter. It looks to me like this has to trigger

*something* by the entertainment publishing industry once use of those boxes grows beyond a certain point.

These boxes seem to be driving the developers of the legitimate application "Kodi" right up the wall.... since they leverage a feature of Kodi to do their deeds:

formatting link

There is a law on the books requiring ISPs to supply information about customers who are accessing unlicensed content and I am already hearing accounts of people getting letters from their ISPs. No demands for money AFIK, just gentle reminders....

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

Per (PeteCresswell):

Seems like it may still be going on:

formatting link

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

Sure. Anyone "subscribed" to that torrent can see all of these things. So, connect to LOTS of torrents, "pause" all of them and just watch the addresses of the peers involved. The *name* of the torrent is available in the protocol.

If you're saying they were *masquerading* as legal representatives of those owners, that's hilarious! Imagine trying to sue them for extortion: "I was STAELING something and this guy tried to extort money from me..."

It essentially routes their traffic through an encrypted tunnel. So, you can't see what is being passed... BUT, you can see that the connection exists!

So, like using PEM, it begs observers to wonder: "What are you hiding?"

Kodi was XBMC.

Like terrorists using iPhones? Bank robbers using guns? Drug dealers using cars? Addicts abusing pain meds? etc. Perhaps we should outlaw all of these advances/technologies and only adopt things that are "intrinsically uncorruptible"?

:>

Yes. Some ISP's are more aggressive than others. Note that almost all have language in their EULA's that gives them legal standing to dump your account and/or provide identifying information to satisfy subpoena's, etc. (often without informing you that this has happened).

How much is that *really* worth to you??

Reply to
Don Y

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.