How to watch all my cable tv channels on computer

[olemanwinter]

My desire is simple. I want to take the television sitting in my office and combine it with my computer.

I run three monitors on PC and I want to able to watch cable television on one of them.

I bought a TV tuner but it was a joke. It didn't get 10% of the channels that my television does. I think I understand why after doing some research, but that is still ridiculous.

I don't want to run a line straight from the cable set-top box to the monitor because then I can't use it as a 3rd desktop monitor.

Is there a way I can do this? I don't care anything about recording. Just watching.

Thanks.

 

[olemanwinter]

One scenario I am contemplating is keeping the set-top box in my office and using the PC tuner card ONLY with AV connections (Like viewing from a camcorder or playstation). This SHOULD bypass the "tuner capabilities" of the tuner card and just show whatever signal it receives. I would never use the tuner remote and just use the set-top remote like before.

Any other ideas or solutions?

 

[olemanwinter]

I don't know why no one answered this, but I figured it.

For someone ACTUALLY PAYING a cable bill already, not looking for free crap channels, the answer is simple:

PVR.

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

Can stream nonHD and HD channels (ANY stream) on monitor.

 

[Wolfshadw]

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

Possible, but not recommended. A better connection would be:

Cable Jack > CableCard Tuner > PC

A cablecard tuner (with a cablecard leased from your cable company) will replace the set top box you currently have. You'll get all of the channels you currently subscribe to. The only real difference between an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and a set top box is that you cannot order OnDemand/Pay-Per-View with the HTPC.

The reason you want to go with a cablecard solution is because the analog (coaxial) output of the set top box, which you would use to connect to a standard TV Tuner card, is not HD. If you are viewing an HD channel, the signal is downgraded. A cablecard tuner is capable of displaying/recording in HD.

-Wolf sends

 

[olemanwinter]

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

Possible, but not recommended. A better connection would be:

Cable Jack > CableCard Tuner > PC

A cablecard tuner (with a cablecard leased from your cable company) will replace the set top box you currently have. You'll get all of the channels you currently subscribe to. The only real difference between an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and a set top box is that you cannot order OnDemand/Pay-Per-View with the HTPC.

The reason you want to go with a cablecard solution is because the analog (coaxial) output of the set top box, which you would use to connect to a standard TV Tuner card, is not HD. If you are viewing an HD channel, the signal is downgraded. A cablecard tuner is capable of displaying/recording in HD.

-Wolf sends

I don't think I've used the coax output on a cable box in a decade. Mine has coax, s-video, component AV, hdmi, etc. etc. etc.

So, in short, I am viewing and recording HD content from my set top box currently.

Also, Not too many providers are even offering cable cards much anymore as I understand it.

I couldn't wait FOREVER for an answer to this thread. I found the solution myself. It has already been implemented and works perfectly.

 

[TheKrister2]

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

Possible, but not recommended. A better connection would be:

Cable Jack > CableCard Tuner > PC

A cablecard tuner (with a cablecard leased from your cable company) will replace the set top box you currently have. You'll get all of the channels you currently subscribe to. The only real difference between an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and a set top box is that you cannot order OnDemand/Pay-Per-View with the HTPC.

The reason you want to go with a cablecard solution is because the analog (coaxial) output of the set top box, which you would use to connect to a standard TV Tuner card, is not HD. If you are viewing an HD channel, the signal is downgraded. A cablecard tuner is capable of displaying/recording in HD.

-Wolf sends

I don't think I've used the coax output on a cable box in a decade. Mine has coax, s-video, component AV, hdmi, etc. etc. etc.

So, in short, I am viewing and recording HD content from my set top box currently.

Also, Not too many providers are even offering cable cards much anymore as I understand it.

I couldn't wait FOREVER for an answer to this thread. I found the solution myself. It has already been implemented and works perfectly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Do you think you could tell me what you did and how to set it up?-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[kevinmtom]

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

What kind of input into the PC do you have from pvr? I'd like to do exactly what you're doing, just watch whatever's coming out fo the cable box on one of my computer displays. I figured I'd need some kind of video input card and a software that opens a window to watch TV.

Thanks!

 

[dnwall54]

Chatted with Time Warner and they do carry a cable tuner card ($2.50 per month) they call "Tru2Way" where you would not have access to On Demand/Pay Per View (just as you said). Thanks for the solid answer...glad that when I went to the computer store that I did not buy the $99 solution.

-dnwall54 reply

cable jack > set top box > pvr > PC.

Possible, but not recommended. A better connection would be:

Cable Jack > CableCard Tuner > PC

A cablecard tuner (with a cablecard leased from your cable company) will replace the set top box you currently have. You'll get all of the channels you currently subscribe to. The only real difference between an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and a set top box is that you cannot order OnDemand/Pay-Per-View with the HTPC.

The reason you want to go with a cablecard solution is because the analog (coaxial) output of the set top box, which you would use to connect to a standard TV Tuner card, is not HD. If you are viewing an HD channel, the signal is downgraded. A cablecard tuner is capable of displaying/recording in HD.

-Wolf sends