TV Tuner Card Recommendation

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ryanjg11

Gawd
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
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I am downgrading from a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner since I recently reduced my Comcast television service... Long story, let's just say I'm quite unhappy with their customer support and billing practices and don't want to continue forking them $120 a month. So, I downgraded to "basic cable" meaning local channels, 2-13 and this includes some HD channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX). Only cost me about $3 a month on top of broadband internet service. Right now, I have the coax from the wall coming straight into the back of my Pioneer Kuro plasma, which is "digital ready" and has its own media guide, albeit quite pathetic compared to WMC. So, I would like to run that coax from the wall into the back of my HTPC and regain the ability to record occasional programs and use the better WMC interface.

So, I'm looking at cards like the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner w/ Video Recorder PCI-E x 1 but I have some questions:

* The FAQ on the Hauppauge web site says this card will not pull in HD channels... is this true?

* Comcast will soon be requiring set-top adapter boxes for basic TV service. Will this card still work when that transition occurs? (I would imaging the output from the adapter would be coax, and the adapter is simply unencrypting the channels, so I'm thinking this won't be a problem but want to get your opinion.)

* If I want to switch from WMC to a different frontend like MythTV in the future, will this card support that?

* Would it all just make more sense to request a CableCard from Comcast and continue using my InfiniTV 4?

Thanks!
 
phatnadz said:
I am downgrading from a Ceton InfiniTV 4 tuner since I recently reduced my Comcast television service... Long story, let's just say I'm quite unhappy with their customer support and billing practices and don't want to continue forking them $120 a month. So, I downgraded to "basic cable" meaning local channels, 2-13 and this includes some HD channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX). Only cost me about $3 a month on top of broadband internet service. Right now, I have the coax from the wall coming straight into the back of my Pioneer Kuro plasma, which is "digital ready" and has its own media guide, albeit quite pathetic compared to WMC. So, I would like to run that coax from the wall into the back of my HTPC and regain the ability to record occasional programs and use the better WMC interface.

So, I'm looking at cards like the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner w/ Video Recorder PCI-E x 1 but I have some questions:

* The FAQ on the Hauppauge web site says this card will not pull in HD channels... is this true?

* Comcast will soon be requiring set-top adapter boxes for basic TV service. Will this card still work when that transition occurs? (I would imaging the output from the adapter would be coax, and the adapter is simply unencrypting the channels, so I'm thinking this won't be a problem but want to get your opinion.)

* If I want to switch from WMC to a different frontend like MythTV in the future, will this card support that?

* Would it all just make more sense to request a CableCard from Comcast and continue using my InfiniTV 4?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

That HVR-1250 can basically only pick up HD channels via an over-the-air antenna. It cannot pull in HD output from cable boxes since that card lacks the correct digital video inputs; as such, the only way for that card to even pick up a signal from a cable set-top box is via the composite video-in or RF (both of which are restricted to analog 480i SD output on a cable box). And most cable boxes can only output HD from component or HDMI - but most consumer TV tuner cards do not have any HDMI or component video inputs at all.
 
phatnadz said:
* Would it all just make more sense to request a CableCard from Comcast and continue using my InfiniTV 4?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Have you checked to see what channels you can get without the card? They might not even bother to require it for the locals.
 
I just purchased the HDHomeRun Prime and have been using for about five weeks now. Works great and has been on sale for about $125 at NewEgg last week. I posted a couple questions to this forum on a good HTPC set up and got some good feedback. Do a search for my profile name to find it. Here is what my set up looks like:


HTPC_HDHomeRun_Prime_Setup.jpg
 
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