Need recommendation for digital cable tuner

[Immped]

Today I made a mistake; I bought a digital tuner which I thought carried digital cable. As I was setting the tuner up the instructions clearly stated that I could not get cable signals through my cable connection, only over the air. I live in the country so this is absolutely worthless to me.

I'm sure when I was looking to purchase my tuner that I read digital "over the air" but it did not hit home that this meant digital channels only were available with the included antenae.

I went through the motions of installing the Hauppauge 950. A screen in Windows Media Center listed the cable signals available, including our provider's digital service. I selected this service and was dissapointed that it rejected it because it was digital. Surprizingly enough the analog service showed up as well. I thought analog signals were not even used anymore. When the channel listing updated I viewed the resulting channels. I was very disappointed in the analog quality. The reception was very fuzzy, one channel just had a rolling image like TV in the old days.

I am 95 percent sure that I will need to return this tuner.

My question here is; could you recommend a digital tuner that pulls in the digital cable signal from the cable itself? I also would like to use the Windows Media Center software instead of other propreitary software.

I've done a lengthy search and really haven't positively identified a card that does what I need.

 

[Immped]

Simplified Question

I need a digital cable tuner that pulls in the signal directly from the cable and not from an attached antenae. Could someone give me a recommendation?

Alternately; Could someone help me figure out what naming designations I would need to search for to find a true digital cable tuner (through the cable) for my PC? I find this very hard to search.

 

[Immped]

I've discovered through another thread that there really are only 2 seperate options and they both have drawbacks.
1) Recording and copying it all from Hauppauge PVR: The problems appear to be buggyness and it doesn't have a direct connect with Windows 7 Media Center.
2) Recording and copying what clears the digital rights with ATI TV Wonder, and hoping the Cable Card that I'll need to see if I can get works with my PC, and then pay a monthly fee for the service.

All I want to copy for watching later would be on the basic digital channels. I wish there was a simpler and more straight forward solution.

 

[koch1ar]

I've discovered through another thread that there really are only 2 seperate options and they both have drawbacks.
1) Recording and copying it all from Hauppauge PVR: The problems appear to be buggyness and it doesn't have a direct connect with Windows 7 Media Center.
2) Recording and copying what clears the digital rights with ATI TV Wonder, and hoping the Cable Card that I'll need to see if I can get works with my PC, and then pay a monthly fee for the service.

All I want to copy for watching later would be on the basic digital channels. I wish there was a simpler and more straight forward solution.

I know that you want digital, but I have a WinTV analog tuner and it seems pretty clear. I've only been watching it for about 5minutes (so i haven't played around with it much) and it looks amazing compared to my tube tv.

 

[Immped]

I know that you want digital, but I have a WinTV analog tuner and it seems pretty clear. I've only been watching it for about 5minutes (so i haven't played around with it much) and it looks amazing compared to my tube tv.[/QUOTE]

That is good that the analog option works good for you. With the Samsung HDTV that I have I am noticing that inferior signals show up much worse than the Sony CRT style TV that I used to own. I'm not sure if that is why my analog through the tuner looks so raunchy or if there is another reason.

The other question that pops in my mind is how long the analog signal will be a viable option. I thought everything transistioned to digital, I was frankly surprised that analog was even available.

I am going to wait things out until I know a little more about whether the ATI TV Wonder option will work for me. Microsoft will be releasing a compatibility test soon, and I'd also like to find out whether I will be able to record off stations such as SyFy.

 

[koch1ar]

or you could look into a hybrid with analog and digital. i just found out on mine that MC needs to be open and set to the channel i want to record. If you had two tuners onthe same card, you could record one show and watch another.

I did just discover a problem with mine tho. I tried to install a wireless card and MC wont recognize my tuner but it's still in device manager lol.

Good luck with w/e you end up doing

 

[Immped]

I'm not sure but I'm thinking the set top box would have a different tuner than the tuner that I would purchase so that would allow watching on one channel (over the TV input) and recording on another.

My need to record 2 shows at once would be limited.

I have read encouraging and marginally encouraging news about the channel listing's allowed with copy freely which is used in conjunction with Windows Media Center and cable card devices such as ATI TV Wonder digital cable. From one internet provider it sounds as if almost everything can be copied through copy freely. Another cable provider is only allowing copy once for most of their channel lineup. If I could copy freely under just the basic lineup then I'd be all set. I'm not clear whether copy once would allow me to copy from my PC and play on the TV.

 

[AngelProcesser]

for Vista and W7, I suggest one of Hauppauge's MCE TV Tuners:

Hauppauge Computer Works : WinTV for Media Center

which includes the Vista/W7 remote and IR Receiver

I also suggest you carefully review the system requirements.

 

[Immped]

for Vista and W7, I suggest one of Hauppauge's MCE TV Tuners:

Hauppauge Computer Works : WinTV for Media Center

which includes the Vista/W7 remote and IR Receiver

I also suggest you carefully review the system requirements.

Am I correct that at least the 2250 does bring in digital cable through the set box? If so can you watch and record the majority of the digital cable channels?

I do read that the clear QAM channels are not supported through Media Center.

What are the top selling points for you on these MCE type TV tuners?

 

[AngelProcesser]

Look to the source

I have a Comcast HD STB, have the FULL package - all channels, and can play and record them all...you need to have the right hardware...believe it or not, you will find specific info on this here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-media-center/default.aspx

 

[Immped]

I have a Comcast HD STB, have the FULL package - all channels, and can play and record them all...you need to have the right hardware...believe it or not, you will find specific info on this here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-media-center/default.aspx

You can watch and record "digital cable" over the cable through the set top box!?!(Your digital signal isn't from the antenae?)

I could not find the section regarding hardware requirements of the system. I believe that except for the tuner I'm pretty much ready for the Media Center/Cable combination.

I do not know however whether I am good to go for an OCUR type tuner through ATI TV Wonder digital cable.

 

[AngelProcesser]

Immped, let me re-quote myself...I am using a Comcast HD STB.

The page at my link, which is easy to find when one reads (took me 10 seconds) is:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/wi...-tv/articles/broadcast-tv-signal-support.aspx

Now just in case we still cannot read, here is the text of that page:

Windows Media Center supports a number of analog and digital TV signals.
Examples of analog TV signals include NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. Analog TV signals are received through a cable TV feed or over the air, using an antenna. As many countries switch to digital TV, analog satellite transmissions are being phased out of use.
Examples of digital TV signals that are now adopted worldwide include ATSC, ISDB-T, DVB-T, and DVB-S. Typically, these types of TV signals are received through a digital cable feed, over the air using an antenna, or by way of satellite.
Different types of digital TV signals include:

• ATSC. Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is the group that helped to develop the new digital TV standard for the United States, although Canada, Mexico, and Korea have also adopted this standard. It is intended to produce widescreen 16:9 images up to 1920 × 1080 pixels in size—more than six times the display resolution of the earlier standard. Currently, Windows Media Center supports ATSC in the United States and Korea only.
• QAM.Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is the digital cable standard in the United States. Windows Media Center supports QAM signals with a Digital Cable Tuner in the United States.
• ISDB.Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) is the digital TV and digital audio broadcasting format that Japan has created to allow radio and TV stations there to convert to digital format. ISDB-T (The "T" signifies a terrestrial rather than a cable or satellite signal) is not yet supported in Windows Media Center.
• DVB-T. Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial (DVB-T) is the DVB European consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial TV. DVB-T is the most widely adopted digital format and is supported in all locales in Windows Media Center. (A DVB-T tuner card is required for use.) For more information about DVB-T, go to the DVB website.
• If you live in Europe and have an antenna that supports DVB-T channels, the scan by Windows Media Center might have identified channels that you do not receive. If that occurs, you can remove the channels that you don't receive. To do so, on the start screen, scroll to Tasks, click settings, click TV, click Guide, and then click Edit Channels.
• DVB-S.Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite (DVB-S) is the digital TV broadcasting method that is transmitted by satellite in Europe and other parts of the world. Whether the digital signal is free-to-air or fee-based, Windows Media Center requires a set-top box to support this broadcasting standard. The DVB-S satellite transmission protocol was created by the Digital Video Broadcasting Project, an industry organization that develops technologies for digital TV.
• Satellite TV is a TV system in which the signal is transmitted to an orbiting satellite that receives the signal, amplifies it, and then transmits it back to earth. Satellite TV signals are a digital format, although most of the standard televisions in the United States have analog format. To enable playback on an analog TV signal, the satellite TV receiver converts the digital signal into an analog format that a standard television can recognize and play back.

There are two digital signal types for satellite TV:

• Free-to-air. DVB-S is the primary signal type for free-to-air satellite TV. This type of program content is available around the world and is popular in Europe.
• Fee-based. The majority of direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV signals are encrypted, and therefore can only be viewed through a paid subscription. Subscribers receive set-top boxes from their TV providers; the set-top boxes decrypt the signals for encrypted programs. Windows Media Center supports DTH satellite content through the TV provider's set-top box.

The TV signals and programming that you can watch and record using Windows Media Center depend on the following:

• The type of TV tuner or tuners installed on your PC or laptop running Windows Media Center.
• The type of signal that you have connected to your TV tuner.
• The type of TV signal or signals that you can receive in your location, assuming there are no physical restrictions in the surrounding area.
• The country or region in which you live and the broadcasting standard that is used.
• The type of TV programming that you subscribe to from your cable or satellite provider.
• Your TV cable or satellite provider.
• The system resources available on your Windows Media Center computer. This includes system resources such as processor speed, memory, and video card capabilities, as well as available card slots and USB ports.

Learn more: How to set up a TV signal

 

[Immped]

I have a Comcast HD STB, have the FULL package - all channels, and can play and record them all...you need to have the right hardware...believe it or not, you will find specific info on this here:

Windows Media Center | The best in TV on your PC

I'm sorry I didn't intend to offend you. I'm just trying to arrive at a conclusion about whether the 2250 card would be helpful in my application. I've read a lot of good reviews about this card but nothing specifically says whether it will pass a digital cable signal which I was doubting but it doesn't read clear.

When I read the quote I linked I thought you meant "computer hardware" requirements. I wasn't sure what I should look for.

 

[AngelProcesser]

No Offense

I tend to be very blunt. I find it usually makes people pay attention.

That being said, I also add the following:

The basic information presented online by MS and many others is intended solely as informational aides for those who have a full grasp of the technologies being represented. If you do not, I suggest you not use online fourms or sites to get "recommendations" as often you will unintentionally become misguided.

The Hauppauge website is quite clear about the signals that each device can receive and record and why. They have a support email address and phone number. If simply discerning this basic data is a challenge, I return to the previous paragraph now as there must be an end to the amount of data one can provide to consumers.

Additionally, for many years, MS has at great expense tested and included data online about what hardware will run on the current versions of windows. It is important to note this as they are not the manufacturers, but in my opinion, they do a damn good job of keeping people up to date on what hardware they need to perform a particular task.

The pundits simple do not read or understand it, and should hire those who do.