Cetin InfiniTV 4

[JackNaylorPE]

My wife walked in w/ a new cable box last nite to put in one of the bedrooms ..... apparently this box gonna cost me $8 a month ($84 / year) and it's for just one of the 4 bedrooms with TV's in them. I figure for $336 a year, there's gotta be a better way. Personally, tho I build at least a dozen boxes a year, I have never paid attention to the multimedia aspects of computing having no interest in same. I have been quite content to work, fiddle or play on my PC with the History Channel on the TV, listening to it in the background..... or to be playing music but not PC based.

But with a wife and 3 kids who do the TV, thing, I'm anxious to get away from the $336 a year hit on the wallet ..... and that's Cablevision's "introductory" 1st year price ..... I'm sure it goes up later.....scared to ask how much as I don't wanna blow a gasket.

It would appear that the Cetin InfiniTV 4 is the answer to my $$ problems. From what I can get off the site, it can handle 4 PC's with it installed on the host PC and ethernet broadcasting to the other 3. What's missing is ......

1. Site says that the networking capability is coming with a future firmware upgrade, newegg reviews appear to imply it's here already.

2. Some newegg reviewers and site reviews talk about "needing" HDMI; this doesn't make sense for network streaming. All the PC's in each bedroom have DVI connections to monitors and utilize 5.21 speaker systems via on board MoBo sound.

3. Gave found no info on how the "receiving PC's" control the TV watching like, changing channels.

4. It would seem that the "card" I get from my cable provider will provide access to all channels including pay channels but no PPV stuff which I kinda like.

5. I don't change the channel on my TV (just need 47 - History) so I don't even need a remote....but the wife and kids will whine and the AON (absence of nag) will be worth the additional cost. Any suggestions on same ?

6. Windows 7, and WMP (which I have never opened) are understood as a given......Any "known issues" with this thing such as "don't work with SLI setups" or any potential surprises I might not have thought of.

 

[Wolfshadw]

1) Yes, it's available now. I've not tried it yet, but from what I hear at The Green Button it works fine.

2) This is probably more of a DRM/HDCP issue and probably is going to depend on how your local cable company tags each channel (copy-freely/copy-once). I haven't tried it recently, but I was able to get live TV to display from my HTPC's DVI port via a DVI-->VGA adapter and cable to my VGA only projector. Again, this may be due to the lack of restrictions from my local cable company (I can copy/edit HD Recorded shows meaning "copy-freely").

3) With the updated firmware, you can assign tuners to individual PCs. Again, I've not tried this, but I think if you have a remote control connected to the PC (I use a USB IR remote/receiver) you can use that to change channels.

4) Correct. Going with a Ceton InfiniTV4 card means giving up OnDemand and PPV content.

5) I just use a standard Microsoft MCE Remote Control. I know some people like using their Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Controls.

6) Have no idea why it happened, but when I first installed the card, I get a "PlayReady" error about 3/4 of the way through the setup. A full re-install of Windows 7 (system needed it anyway) resolved this issue, but you might want to look it up before purchasing the card.

Head over the the forums at The Green Button and have a look. Plenty more information there and probably a few more detailed answers.

-Wolf sends

 

[leon2006]

The cable company will still charge you $8.00 per month w/ Cetin Infinity 4.

Its the same as if you purchase your own cable box and use it

Its the same as operating your TV w/ cable-card directly plug to the TV. Cable company charge $8 monthly.