Win7 MC HD-DVR help needed

R

rigor

n00b
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
34
Hello [H],

I'm in need of some help & direction pointing more or less. Here is my situation.

I have the following:
  • Windows Home Server
  • Gigabit Network
  • Cat5 cable run to my living room
  • 1080p HDTV
  • 5.1 Surround Sound
  • Motorola HD Cable Box (Cox Cable in SoCal)
  • Win7 Ultimate PC w/ C2Duo & 8800GT that can be used for testing in the living room, before building out a dedicated HTPC.

My ultimate goal is to have a Win7 MC w/ access to my WHS files, along with live HDTV viewing AND recording. My main uncertainty about the build is the needed HD-DVR card for viewing AND recording. Also, I'm open to having the recorded HD-DVR files reside on the local Win7 MC box in the living room, if it makes everything easier than them being stored on the WHS in my office. The WHS is fairly new to me, hence my uncertainty about it playing along with Win7 MC, etc.

If it helps, I've recently spoken to Cox Cable, and they do have CableCard availability that gets nearly all HD channels that are available on their network. I am uncertain about info such as QAM / ClearQAM as of this time.

P.S.
Sorry, don't mean to get off the main subject, but my current media is fairly organized, with the exception that I could use some MP3 filename unification help. Recommended software ?

Thanks so much!

~rigor
 
The best option is to have an HD QAM tuner such as the Hauppauge 2250 that is a dual tuner and will be able to record the unencrypted channels (ABC/FOX/CBS/NBC) and an ATI Digital Cable tuner that you plug a cable card into to receive the encrypted channels. This is what I have (I have 2 ATI DCT's) and it works great.

CannonPC sells both internal and external ATI DCT's http://www.cannonpc.com/
 
The Windows Home Server Powrpack 3, adds integration of Windows Home server into Windows 7 quite nicely. Its still in beta, but should be out by the end of the year.

The Windows Home server team stops just short of recommending all Windows 7 users install it, as it addresses some other isues WHS has with Windows 7 in their blog, but the beta is open to anyone who applies. I've been running it for about 6 months.

These scenarios can be addressed by downloading and installing the Power Pack 3 Beta for the most optimal experience for Windows 7 users on a Windows Home Server network:
Click to expand...

What follows the quote are several bugs with Win7 and WHS power pack 2 that are fixed by installing the beta of power pack 3.

Blog link -

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi.../windows-home-server-power-pack-3-update.aspx

Beta link -

https://connect.microsoft.com/programdetails.aspx?ProgramDetailsID=1475&wa=wsignin1.0

With the beta installed and the media center integration installed on a Windows 7 comp, you can pick which shows you want moved off to your Windows Home Server after recording, your WHS music and pictures shares are integrated into Windows Media Center, and the shows in the recorded tv directory on your WHS appear in your recorded TV list in Windows Media Center.

I just have basic cable, and two separate media PCs in different rooms with one QAM tuner each. My wife prefers watching funny shows just before going to sleep, so if there is a conflicting recording of a more intense drama or something, I'll record that on the bedroom media PC, and have it move it off to the Windows Home server (I also have a much smaller drive in that PC).
 
Thanks for the linkage to the WHS PP3 beta. After some more research, it looks like a lot of people really like the HDHomerun solution, so I'm looking more into that as well.
 
ATI Digital Cable Tuners are the way to go. I have 2 for my Win 7MC setup and it is fantastic.
 
Sorry for being a bit off topic.

With the ATI DCT, does the PC control the channels entirely? Making it easier to set up recordings and such?
 
I have a current setup with a Windows 7 Media Center with an HDTV tuner and a Windows Home Server with Power pack 3 installed. We also have 2 notebooks with 7 and a desktop. It's really convenient to be able to watch the shows from any PC. I have an ATI HD 650 PCI Express card but I would recommend a HD Homerun as I had the chance to borrow one for a while and it worked great.
 
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