directv PC tuner?

[omega-x]

is that too much to ask for? a tuner that has a smart card slot or whatever and can natively tune directv digital signals.
or at least take the s-vid and sound output of a normal tuner box and control it via a serial link that never touches the PC?

 

[m1abram]

You will probably NEVER see a DirectTV pc tuner card. They are too worried about people hacking and/or making the mpaa and other people happy. Same reason the DirecTivos can not have simple network adapters.

However there are many DirectTV recievers with serial port control for changing channels. Tivo uses them to control the boxes, I am sure there are PC programs that can control them. Just need the right reciever, sorry I do not have a name of one right now. But a simple google will find you one.

 

[mooPdead]

you can use an ir blaster to make your htpc control the reciever

 

[m1abram]

you can use an ir blaster to make your htpc control the reciever

Those tend to be much slower than serial, and not as dependable.