CONFUSION! What TV-Card do i need?

[WootWoot]

Greetings, Internet People!

I am currently building a HTPC that will be hooked up to a HDTV. I want to use the HTPC as a DVR...
What kind of tv-tuner card should i buy? What card is compatible with a HD-cablebox? Or can i skip the cable box and hook it up to the Coax cable?
I want to record regular SD channels as well as the HD channels my receiver gets. I dont want "over-the-air" HDTV...

Any suggestions?

 

[WootWoot]

anybody?

 

[Wolfshadw]

Look for a tuner card that has an ATSC and QAM tuner. This will get you what ever channels the cable company sends in the clear (unscrambled). What channels you get will depend on your cable company. Local channels and some others will be sent in the clear. Other channels, like MTV, ESPN, The Learning Channel (based on my experience) may require the cable company's box. It all depends on your cable company.

Personally, I have the AverMedia AVerTV PCI-E Combo and I happy with it (though I haven't done any recording with it). Others will recommend the Hauppage WinTV HVR 1800.

-Wolf sends