Possible to watch HD channels on my TV from Comcast DVR?

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Johnked6

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I've searched the forums but am still confused. I have a Comcast DCT3416 I DVR HD box that I have connected to my Samsung LN55b650 LCD TV. I also have my computer hooked up to the Samsung as my monitor so I can game on the big screen.

My question is, what features would my tv tuner need for me to simply plug in the Comcast DVR to my computer and watch HD channels on my computer? This way I can watch cable + browse the web at the same time on my Samsung lcd.

Oh, my video card is a Nvidia GTX 470 if that makes any difference, I have my Samsung connected to my 470 via HDMI.
 
not quite sure what you are trying to do
maybe slingbox does what you want, capture/convert a tv signal and stream it to computer

really though most (decent) monitors support PIP with two signals
 
My tv only does PiP with two different sources and I have both my computer and dvr box connected to my tv via hdmi.

My goal is to be able to watch hd cable on my computer from my DVR box. Most tv tuners I see are meant for over the air cable but I dont read much about just plugging in the tuner to a DVR.
 
I believe you'll have to get into either cablecards or the Hauppauge hd pvr if you want the digital HD channels due to encryption.
 
randy5554 said:
I believe you'll have to get into either cablecards or the Hauppauge hd pvr if you want the digital HD channels due to encryption.
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Wouldn't the output from the DVR already be decrypted? Wondering if I can take the output from the DVR and plug it into a tuner to see the channels.
 
You don't need anything that any body is suggesting here except a tv tuner in your pc and an ir blaster. At the moment I have my tv tuner in my pc hooked up to my comcast cable box. It isn't a dvr though. If you want basic channel changing then windows media center can do that, it is slow at changing channels (it types in the channel number, don't try channel surfing because it changes at about 1 channel every 4 or 5 sec) and you need an ir blaster that sends a signal to the box to change the channel. The channels are already decrypted once they leave the dvr, the only problem I can see is if your tv card can take HD analog signals, I have a hauppauge 1800 which will do it. But you will not get ondemand or any special function to work on your pc with the dvr, just basic channel changing (unless you use the comcast remote to do something special). http://digitalmediaphile.com/index.php/2009/04/17/setup-a-comcast-dta-with-mce/

There's a link that shows how to set it up with a basic cable box, should be the same with a dvr. You will have to get an ir blaster, I bought a second remote that came with one. This remote comes with an ir blaster.
 
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Nice, are you able to get all your HD channels? My dvr goes up to 700 channels, wondering if I would see all of them with a tv tuner.
 
Johnked6 said:
Nice, are you able to get all your HD channels? My dvr goes up to 700 channels, wondering if I would see all of them with a tv tuner.
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Media center goes up to 997 channels on mine, but I have the basic cable (my hd channels are the over the air channels) so if I click those channels that aren't in my cable package media center will change it but I just get a black screen or a message that I need to buy that channel. Technically the tv tuner only sees channel 3 (or whatever channel your dvr is set on) and when you change to say channel 58, media center will send the remote code 058 (or 0058 depending on how many digits your dvr uses). You will see those digits come up on screen.
 
munkle said:
Media center goes up to 997 channels on mine, but I have the basic cable (my hd channels are the over the air channels) so if I click those channels that aren't in my cable package media center will change it but I just get a black screen or a message that I need to buy that channel. Technically the tv tuner only sees channel 3 (or whatever channel your dvr is set on) and when you change to say channel 58, media center will send the remote code 058 (or 0058 depending on how many digits your dvr uses). You will see those digits come up on screen.
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Just be clear here, you are not getting HD signal to the computer, only SD.
 
JohnDC said:
Just be clear here, you are not getting HD signal to the computer, only SD.
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Yes and no, I get over the air channels in HD, from comcast no because I do not have the hd package.

Johnked6 said:
Would there be any way of getting an HD signal to my computer?
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If your tv tuner accepts hd analog channels then you would be able to get them from a hd cable box with the hd package.
 
Johnked6 said:
Would there be any way of getting an HD signal to my computer?
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It's already been answered, to get all your HD channels you need to get a cable card tuner or an HD-PVR.

Nothing else is going to work because of encryption. I don't know why munkle is trying to mislead you, what he is telling you is mostly BS. To get your full HD line up you need a tuner that will accept an HD input. Only a digital connection like HDMI/DVI or component will do. If you use anything less then you're going to be downconverted video in most cases, some cases you might not even get anything at all. It all depends on who your cable co is and if they will allow HD channels (but not HD quality) to be sent over a lesser output.

Munkle is confusing his limited HD experience with OTA HD signals with actual HD experience with something like Comcast's HD channel package; pro tip: they're not the same thing. He's getting the HD channels that are freely broadcasted through the air using an antenna just like the old rabbit ear days of TV. That's pretty simple stuff and is a standard so anyone can build an ATSC (OTA HD) tuner card and have it work. What the OP is trying to do is work with his Comcast, DRM encrusted, HD package so he can watch some TV on his PC while he works.

So, yet again, you need either a cable card tuner or an HD-PVR to get your HD channels into your PC. Nothing else is going to work.
 
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CrimandEvil said:
It's already been answered, to get all your HD channels you need to get a cable card tuner or an HD-PVR.

Nothing else is going to work because of encryption. I don't know why munkle is trying to mislead you, what he is telling you is mostly BS. To get your full HD line up you need a tuner that will accept an HD input. Only a digital connection like HDMI/DVI or component will do. If you use anything less then you're going to be downconverted video in most cases, some cases you might not even get anything at all. It all depends on who your cable co is and if they will allow HD channels (but not HD quality) to be sent over a lesser output.

Munkle is confusing his limited HD experience with OTA HD signals with actual HD experience with something like Comcast's HD channel package; pro tip: they're not the same thing. He's getting the HD channels that are freely broadcasted through the air using an antenna just like the old rabbit ear days of TV. That's pretty simple stuff and is a standard so anyone can build an ATSC (OTA HD) tuner card and have it work. What the OP is trying to do is work with his Comcast, DRM encrusted, HD package so he can watch some TV on his PC while he works.

So, yet again, you need either a cable card tuner or an HD-PVR to get your HD channels into your PC. Nothing else is going to work.
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LOL have you even tried it? How is it bs? The comcast hd cable box outputs an HD analog cable signal (depending on the box you have not all will do it, they have various boxes, dvr and what not), 720p or 1080i (I haven't seen one do 1080p though), you can then use that signal if you have a tv tuner that accepts an analog hd signal. There is no misleading here, and I am not confusing anything. You don't need a cable card tuner if your cable box already decrypts the info the pc does nothing, is that hard to understand? The only thing he needs to find out is if the box he has will output an hd analog signal (on coax) and if the tv tuner will accept it.

I never said HD ota is the same thing but it is what I am viewing, and that I have the non hd comcast package. Pro tip: Learn to read I never once said my standard comcast package was hd. (and if you say comcast is actual hd then I would say that is a half hd at best, it is heavily compressed and macroblocks can be seen while viewing). Another fact that you didn't read is I never said I was using "rabbit" ears, the OTA channels I get come through comcasts line, yes it is different (doesn't need a cable box) but it proves further that you didn't take the time read what I posted and comprehend it.

Edit: After some further investigating, the comcast boxes that do hd over coax aren't all that common, but I do stand by my statement as I have used one before but it was an older hd box. So like I said before check that your box can output an hd signal over coax and if your tv tuner will accept it. If it (your hd pvr) doesn't do hd over coax cable you can get a ceton tuner or the ati one like was mentioned before.
 
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munkle, there are no tuner cards that accept ANALOG HD. Period. The only way to get it into your computer as HD are via component or HDMI/DVI. The HD-PVR will accept component, but it is not a tuner, just an interface. Your Comcast box still has to tune the signal. Avermedia makes and HDMI capture card, but from what I have read, it has plenty of issues by itself. So even if this mythical Comcast DVR that outputs HD over coax exists, there is no way to get it into the computer as HD.
Now you can certainly get the local channels in HD via cable or OTA. But the cable has to come straight from the wall, not from your Comcast DVR. And you will not get ESPN, etc, just your local channels as QAM via cable, or ATSC via OTA.
And I believe this same OP got basically the same answer from AVS forums.
 
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