HD Cable using windows media center 7

Hauppauge HD PVR, but I would wait a few months until the Ceton CableCard tuner comes out and get that. Then we will be able to do away with STB's and get encrypted cable simply by plugging a cable and CableCard into the PC. In the meantime, I would use the STB's S-Video output, which is, in fact, what I'm doing with my Hauppage WinTV-HVR-1600. I also have two HD HomeRuns for Clear QAM. Assuming it works, I'll be able to dump all my equipment for a Ceton 4-tuner card in the near future. That said, if you use On-Demand or PPV, you will still need your STB, as CableCard doesn't yet do the necessary 2-way communication for these things.

Thank you for the information. What I do not understand is why don't they just creat a tuner card or capture card that instead of RCA input's use HDMI. Then you could just use the set top box as before but with 1080p. That really is my goal. I just don't see why it is so hard of a concept. Instead of using a card and making sure your cable company is compatible. If they just had hdmi input then i could work with any HD tv service. You would still need the set top box but it would work. Sorry for the rant It just seems like something that should be out there already.

Why do you want to hang on to the set-top-box? Besides, there are no cable companies transmitting 1080p. As far as I know, there aren't any channels at all in 1080p. At least not in America.
Also, HDMI uses HDCP to prevent exactly what you're talking about (making perfect copies of hd streams, bluray).
Oh, also if you still want to use your cable box to copy HD streams you can use the method that people have been using for years to rip most of the pirated TV available online; capturing mpeg2 streams via firewire.

Well I would have no problem getting rid of the settop box if the tuner can do ondemand or pay-per-view. Cox is claiming to be offering 1080p on all their HD content. Anyway Non of it is for pirating Only for using the dvr on the windows media center. I kinda feel like if I can't have my hd content then why even bother with media center?

Hah, Cox is full of it.

I see, Well i just wish there was an easy solution.

The other thing i kinda failed to mention is that I am wanting to use my hp quad core laptop so it would need to be a usb or express card tuner.

MartiniguyGuy84 said:

The other thing i kinda failed to mention is that I am wanting to use my hp quad core laptop so it would need to be a usb or express card tuner.

Then your only option right now is to buy an ATI OCUR tuner off eBay, after MS releases its program that will certify your laptop as meeting the CableLabs requirements and install the necessary keys for you to use CableCard. (Without sucessfully running that program, the hardware won't work.) From what I've heard, the Ceton PCIe 4-tuner card is coming out in Q1 2010, with a USB solution coming out sometime later. I think desktop PC users would be well-advised to wait, as the ATI tuners are fairly expensive and don't decode multiple programs like the Ceton tuners will.

I want to not need a STB and just use a tuner card to catch HD digital cable through media center. I dont want to use a S video cable, i already have DVI to HDMI video card for my TV, so now i just want digital cable through my tuner card. What do i need for that?