Use Windows 7 PC between cable box and TV

[Yarko]

I have an old PC with Windows 7 Home that I would like to set up between my cable box and my TV to use as a DVR and for the use of internet on the TV. Currently, the cable box is connected to the TV with a (SD only) RF coaxial cable set to channel 4. The PC video card has HDMI out which works with the TV, so that connection is ready to go. I guess what I need to connect the cable box RF out to the PC would be some kind of TV tuner card or adapter that would be set to channel 4. Here is what I need info on:

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  - What kind of RF channel 4 adapter would work for my situation? My motherboard is a Gigabyte ga-ep45-ud3l rev 1.0, which has a Gigabyte GV-N240D3-1GI video card plugged into its single PCI Express x16 (2.0) slot. I have a couple of PCI Express x1 slots and PCI slots available. I also have some USB slots open. Would a USB 2.0 tuner work for me? I'd rather have an internal card, if possible. Would an internal card need another PCI express slot?
  
  - Another concern I have is remote control. Currently I use a universal remote for controlling the cable box and TV. Ideally, I'd like a remote with a keyboard that can control the cable box for power on/off and channel selection, the PC for suspending and mouse and keyboard use, and the TV for power on/off and volume. It would be great if the remote could suspend the PC when turning off the TV and cable and then resume the PC when turning everything on. Is there any single device that can handle this? I really hate juggling controllers.
  
  - I believe the Windows 7 Home operating system comes with some kind of media center software. Would this be enough to watch and record TV, or would I need other software? Would software come with the tuner card or adapter?

Finally, the best scenario would be to be able to get rid of the cable box completely and have some PC hardware that could tune the Comcast cable signal directly inside the PC. Is such a thing possible? I read that Comcast encrypts its signal so third party tuners can't read it. Is this true?

Thanks for any help anyone can provide to me.

 

[hang-the-9]

Pretty much all service providers scramble their signal, you would need a tuner with a cable card that is compatible with your service. You can check with Comcast what will work.

An internal tuner would work but they are not really made to be used the way you want it to be used, you can't just simply pass the tuner signal to the HDMI output, you need to run the tuner software to watch the screen, maximize that program and then sent the TV as your monitor to show the program where the TV signal is being played in.

What you may want to do is use a splitter for the video cable, one to the TV other to the tuner card, then record the video that way while watching it normally on the TV. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116028&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Video+Devices+%26+TV+Tuners-_-N82E16815116028&gclid=Cj0KCQjwq7XMBRCDARIsAKVI5Qa986t1Ap-SblExEZqXEkNgQpotMzHS1aimvn5eRfCBFUACSqT1oncaAhoEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds There are plenty of products you can look at, including stand-along recorders http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/prods.html