HTPC question

Recently I have been wishing I had a HTPC so I can do so much more then I currently can, but I have a few questions. I use cable, so I am forced to the the v+ box, so how do i connect the output of the v+ box to a PC? I have seen motherboards with HDMI output, but I have no idea how to get the video into the PC.

I have looked at the hauppauge website to see if they have any sort of cards that can do what I want but the only HD thing they seem to have is the hauppauge HD-PVR, which only records TV and transfers it to a PC via USB, which is not what I want as I also what to play media files stored elsewhere on my network on the TV.

So idealy what I want is a way to have the set top box go into a PC that can then go on to a TV, or be recorded on the PC, or the PC itself could be used on the TV instead of the set top box signal so i can browse the web or use a media center thing to show videos i have stored on my network.

Is what i want not possible? because I just cant figure out how to get either component or HDMI into the PC.

You can get them but expect to be putting down a lot of cash.
This is the cheapest i know of: http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

markop2003 said:

You can get them but expect to be putting down a lot of cash.
This is the cheapest i know of: http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

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So there only way to use a HTPC without spending a large ammount on a card like the one you mentioned is to use it for standard def only?

Stnadard def ones are easy to vget hold of, i think a standard TV tuner will do that, look up on Dazzle's offerings

I want to do the same with Sky+ HD.

I've read those Blackmagic cards can do it provided the programme isn't encrypted - so it's put me off trying one as I think a lot of the Sky stuff will be.

You can omit the v+ box alltogether if you fit a Digital Anywhere floppyDTV DVB-C card to your HTPC (with a compatible CAM).

You can then remove your veiwing card from the V+ box and insert it into the CAM in the floppyDTV card and veiw/record all your subscribed Virgin cable channels directly on your HTPC. Only downside is you lose all on-demand and PPV channels.

It is a bit pricey (the floppyDTV is around 140 quid) and a bit of faffing around getting the correct CAM for use with the floppyDTV and Virgin veiwing card, then setting up the channels, but it's worth it IMO. I have done it and don't miss the slow, clunky and unreliable V+ box atall.

DreXeL said:

You can omit the v+ box alltogether if you fit a Digital Anywhere floppyDTV DVB-C card to your HTPC (with a compatible CAM).

You can then remove your veiwing card from the V+ box and insert it into the CAM in the floppyDTV card and veiw/record all your subscribed Virgin cable channels directly on your HTPC. Only downside is you lose all on-demand and PPV channels.

It is a bit pricey (the floppyDTV is around 140 quid) and a bit of faffing around getting the correct CAM for use with the floppyDTV and Virgin veiwing card, then setting up the channels, but it's worth it IMO. I have done it and don't miss the slow, clunky and unreliable V+ box atall.

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Sounds great, but after doing a bit of searching on google it seems that not only does it break VMs T&C, but it also requires a somewhat rare CAM then has to be locked to a specific card ID and such and all this is quite complicated. I think for now i will have to stick with the v+ box and find a usefull way to connect the component out to the HTPC, since getting a HDMI in on a HTPC is a bit expensive, not to mention using HDMI disables all other outputs on the V+ box.

It does technically break the T&C, but as long you stick to using the original (unmodified) Virgin veiwing card then you aren't stealing services or anything, you are only veiwing the services you legitimately pay for (albeit on non approved equipment).

As for the CAM, you can use ones that are cheap and not particularly rare (I use a Zeta Blue, which was 20 quid and easy to find), it does need to be flashed with a special firmware to work with the Virgin veiwing card, but if you look around you can get them pre-flashed.

I agree it is a bit complicated and some messing about is invloved, but once setup it works fantastically and is worth it for a neat 'one box' HTPC solution IMO.

Do all channels work correctly, even HD channels/On demand content? One concern I have is that without the set top box some functionality could be lost due to the HTPC simply not knowing how to process something.

HD stuff works fine, but on demand and PPV doesn't.

Sky are in the middle of a card swap, has anyone got the new cards working with a cam ?