Watching TV on a PC

[Zantheus]

When I have time this evening I will do a more detailed post with some newegg links for you Duke...there is SAT cards you can buy that will give her what she needs to view her Dish I have to run to work so when I come home I will take the time to try and help ya out

[Duke{CLR}]

When I have time this evening I will do a more detailed post with some newegg links for you Duke...there is SAT cards you can buy that will give her what she needs to view her Dish I have to run to work so when I come home I will take the time to try and help ya out

That would be most appreciated.

[KurlonT]

Duke have you thought about using any place shifting devices like the Slingbox or Sony's Location Free?

Sound and Vision has a review of two of the devices. Pretty simple just plug the Dish outputs into the place shifiting device and then connect it to a router. Install the software on the computer and now you can watch TV on it or on any computer w/ the software.

Slingbox Solo is the cheapest and probably the easiest to setup but lacks some of advanced features of the Location Free and has lower output resolution.

Sony's Location Free is nice if your router lacks wi-fi (or A/G flavors), want a bit higher resolution or you have a PSP (for remote TV viewing).

[Duke{CLR}]

I had not thought of one of those but I'll look into it. Man this is getting complicated...

[WalkinTarget]

Man this is getting complicated...

Welcome to the wonderful world of TV on your PC !! Trust me .. you ain't seen nothin 'yet !! It gets much more convoluted and frustrating the deeper you dig. I read this thread and felt sorrow for you.

There's still time to lock it and move on, ... we won't think anything less of you for bagging it and escaping with your sanity. After the pink PC build, you have a free pass on this one, at least from me !



PS - yea, I am serious. I like KurlonT's suggestion so far, as it removes the need to fiddle with extra stuff on the PC hardware side, and you let Slingbox do the heavy lifting. I miss my HTPC, but something will eventually spur me back into action to make things work again.

Edit: Added a link to the HDHomerun for comparison's sake: http://www.silicondust.com/wiki/products/hdhomerun

[Hammy]

Your #1 problem will be if you currently have a satellite signal instead of cable, as Media Center does not accommodate a TV guide that is programmed for satellite .. it only works with cable TV.

I have semi-retired my HTPC after we switched from Comcast's exorbitant $74 a month bill to Dish $55 a month bill. We have the 200 channel package, but I can no longer route my cable directly into the HTPC tuner and search the guide. Hell, I cant even VIEW TV on it, as the wiring setup is entirely confusing to me.

I have two choices as I see it .. use my HTPC exclusively for HD:OTA (High Def, Over The Air) and watch or record any local Hi Def TV, or just scrap it and formally retire the HTPC.

If you don't plan on using MCE2005, then you may want to check out MythTV, a Linux distro specifically tailored to match MCE in functionality.

How is it a problem- they publish the guide online....

Also- Im going to have to question everyone in here on what was just said.

I have this card, and I watch TV on my computer all the time. All I did was connect the input portion of the line to the back of my cable box and I am done.
Colors and letters are the same as what is on the tips of the cabling.

On the back of every decoder box is a DVI output that works with EVERY monitor with a DVI input. The limits on MOST set top boxes is that you can only have one input- so if you have it set up with DVI and regular, you are NOT going to be able to pull that off. It's one or the other, and you often have to go into the options menu (provided by your provider) to select it (soft menu) in order to for the set top box to know how to send the decoded information.

[WalkinTarget]

How is it a problem- they publish the guide online..

Sooo, you're saying that looking it up online is as easy as using the Media Center guide ??

While it may be published on the web, that doesn't mean I can click on it and hit record, then specify whether I want it to record the series, minus reruns and other options available.
I've done the Zap2It guide for a few years, and I am sooo glad to ditch that and have an integrated guide built into the MC app itself.

He's not dealing with a cable box either .. its satellite. My satellite box (a VP722 unit) doesn't even offer the correct input/output that I can see. Its obviously a simple coax end, but our setup uses the secondary coax output (and 2nd tuner) to output to another TV upstairs, so unless I split that line and tap into it, I can't output to my HTPC from the Dish DVR box.

[Duke{CLR}]

I think I will call my satellite provider and see what they have to say.

[-IRC-MIKE]

A friend and I tried it and couldn't figure it out exactly while I tried to tell him what to do over the phone. The receiver is going to broadcast and do the channel changing, not the TV...or the PC in this case. The Media Center will only be able to pick up a signal on channel 3 or 4 (which is what you'd set your TV to). I can't remember what crazy mess we had but we never did get an image on the PC even though we screwed around and got it to pick up a signal.

I have yet to see a Sattelite Receiver output to a Media Center PC and be able to change the channel on the pc.

I hear it is possible, I have just never had the patience to figure it out. I don't see how Media Center is going to pick up channel 789... I do see still having to change the channel with the satellite receiver.

[mapes]

For god sake what is wrong with just pluging the sat box directly into the monitor? (if the monitor supports it)

[WalkinTarget]

I have yet to see a Sattelite Receiver output to a Media Center PC and be able to change the channel on the pc.

Same ... there is a way, but I have yet to figure it out. The MCE IR blaster for the MCE setup won't work with the DVR box. The installer was explaining it to me very briefly, but my head hurt after only a minute. I think it has to do with them using an IR transmitter on different frequencies ?
Either way, I have less time to try and fix things lately so its dropping down the priority scale in a hurry.

[Duke{CLR}]

Mapes I checked the monitor and it doesnt' have any other inputs. That would have been an easy fix though.

[-IRC-MIKE]

That would be the best thing to take into consideration. Get a TV that has a monitor connection.


EDIT: Oops .. replied too late.

[KurlonT]

Another choice is a TV to PC Converter to change the Dish signal into a resolution/Hz signal the LCD monitor can display in a correct format. Not sure how good these are in actual conversion but it might be worth digging around for reviews or buyers responses.

If the monitor has only one connection (DVI or VGA) then you will need to find a VGA Switch to go from the Dish to the Computer unless the converter has one built in.

[Zantheus]

For god sake what is wrong with just pluging the sat box directly into the monitor? (if the monitor supports it)

That is the easiest way...another way is use http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116011

for output use DVI-VGA unless u have a HD monitor then connect direct to DVI...depending on ur provider they may not have a set up for this ...in that case use a standard TV Card connecting it the same way and u should have no issues