Hauppauge WINTV-HVR-1800 Question

C

C McCarter

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 13, 2007
Messages
183
Hi,

I am wondering if I will be able to hook up digital and analog cables to this tuner. I know that you can use OTA HiDef but not sure if you can watch HiDef over cable. Any help would be great. Thanks

Colin
 
HD via cable usually requires a converter box from your provider, so I would say not likely in response to your question. Some providers will have some QAM channels which you might be able to tap into. It really depends on your provider.

You might want to check out the Hauppauge HD PVR which uses component inputs from your STB.
 
If i were hooking up the cable from a converter box would it then work? I am looking for an in case solution. Is there any other choices?

Colin
 
If you hook up the cable from the box, you won't get HD out of it. You need something that brings in component cable and that is pretty much limited to the HD PVR atm. If your local provider has any QAM channels the 1800 can tune them, but not in VMC afaik.
 
I have an HVR-1800. The card can receive clear QAM digital cable channels. In my area that is limited to the major networks and the public channels.

I get Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS in HD.

Basically you'll be able to tune unencrypted digital cable only, which usually limits you to the above.
 
ok good to know. It will however all me to watch SD channels provided that I have the ordered from my cable provider right?
 
If you run through your cable box you'll get all your SD channels, if you don't you'll just get basic cable.
 
well quick question. I was thinking about purchasing the HDhomerun as it seems to be the best option for that amount of money and was wondering,I can pick up unencrypted QAM channels (digital). right....but the question here is, do I need cable service to do so? I am not planning on getting cable service anytime soon, but in the future yes. In the meantime, I was wondering if it would be possible to pick up one particular channel (CW) as that would be the only thing I would watch right now and really don't want to spend money for cable if that is the only thing I am going to watch.....

i guess what I am asking is, is there a website that shows what unencrypted QAM channels I can get in my area (Cox is the provider) and can I pick up and view these digital channels w/o cable service?
 
Isn't CW a broadcast channel? Should be able to get the OTA HD signal if the station is broadcasting it.
 
darkpaw said:
Isn't CW a broadcast channel? Should be able to get the OTA HD signal if the station is broadcasting it.
Click to expand...

Care to go into further detail? I am not too familiar with the terms. Sorry.

EDIT: OTA..over the air...so are u suggesting an antennae?
 
Yup, the broadcast channels like abc, cbs, nbc, fox, and I think CW can be picked up in HD in most of the major metro areas now. All of the HD tuner cards can pickup an OTA HD broadcast with a proper antenna.
 
darkpaw said:
Yup, the broadcast channels like abc, cbs, nbc, fox, and I think CW can be picked up in HD in most of the major metro areas now. All of the HD tuner cards can pickup an OTA HD broadcast with a proper antenna.
Click to expand...

proper huh? any recommendations?
 
I can't make any recommendations there. I use the cheapo little antenna that came with my HD Pro stick and can pickup a few channels, but I also live right outside DC. You might consider looking at one of the stickies up top or the avsfourms, they'll likely have some buyers guides on antennas.
 
fwiw, I've seen posts on AVS forums where people say that they're just paying for cable internet but they still get the clear QAM rebroadcasts of the networks in their area.

I don't know if there's any way to find this out online though, and I expect it varies a great deal by area and provider.
 
C McCarter said:
Does anyone know how the 1800 compares to the 1600 besides the pci vs pcie interfaces.
Click to expand...

IIRC it's the same but with a different bus interface... Wait. I believe the 1800 is a hybrid tuner so it can tune both NSTC and ATSC/QAM at the same time; the 1600 only does one format or the other. Either way most Hauppauge cards tend to be simliar with very few differences (1200 is pretty much strictly an ATSC and QAM tuner, 1600 and 1800 do both NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuning.
 
hybrid tuners are the ones that are one or the other but not both at the same time. The 1800 is definitely a dual tuner card, able to tune analog and digital at the same time. It is limited to one analog/one digital, though. You can't tune two digital or two analog.

As far as I am aware the 1600 is the same way, however there's a difference in the two available types of 1600s. One of them (the 1600 "MC" model) includes an FM tuner and has RCA phono inputs for stereo audio. The regular 1600 has a line input, no FM tuner and a port for an IR blaster to be connected directly to the card.
 
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