Dish network and a tv tuner card?

[knottshawk]

If I want to use my media center pc as a pvr with dish network...how do I go about this? I assume I still need a dish network receiver?

 

[madmurph]

Yes, you still have to use the Dish Network receiver; you have to run the output coax to your TV tuner, which in essence becomes a capture card, because you can't use it to switch satellite channels, only capture the feed like your TV would.

 

[knottshawk]

What a drag... so that really limits the practicality of the tv tuner. Suddenly the ability to record from media center seems alot less useful if I have to manually change the channel first.

Local cable is different though...right?

 

[madmurph]

Local cable is different though...right?

Yes! In that case not only can you change channels, but most of the media center programs will log on to your local cable network and download program guides, making it really easy to set up recording.

 

[qwertycopter]

What about a digital TV tuner? Doesn't that do the same thing as a digital cable/satellite receiver?

 

[madmurph]

Same problem. You can pick up over-the-air (OTA) digital programs through an antenna, but if you want the same service as provided by the cable company, you have to run it through their channel changer box, first. Then you get an analog signal out, to your tuner card. The cards used inside PVR's like TIVO are licensed and not available to plebians like us. There is talk of releasing them to the public, but you would still, more than likely, have to "rent" them from the cable company.

 

[dvr_hack]

madmurph?

You can connect dish networks box to any tuner card with the appropriate inputs such as svideo or composite. And use IR blaster software and hardware to control the sat. receiver with the computer's remote. Works fine for me.

 

[DJRWolf]

madmurph?

You can connect dish networks box to any tuner card with the appropriate inputs such as svideo or composite. And use IR blaster software and hardware to control the sat. receiver with the computer's remote. Works fine for me.

Yep, I have been reading up on TV cards and the IR Blaster is used by the card to send the same commands as your remote to the cable/sat box. So your computer can change channel and cycle the power without you even needed to be home.

 

[jchambers2586]

They have cable card tuners for cable cards now on a cable TV system. Here are some but they are not cheap by all means.


Here is a canton cable card tuner

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815706001

Silicon dust tuner

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815345006

no cable box needed.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey