Best tv card to capture Telewest cable

likwid · 8 Oct 2006 at 11:33

Hi

I'm wondering what's my best option to capture digital cable so i can view it via windows media center. I need still to buy the mce remote so possibly if this is bundled with card would be a good idea.

Thanks in advance!

footman · 8 Oct 2006 at 14:13

isnt digital cable encrypted? AFAIK you can only record free to view but then Im a noob at this stuff!

ScoobyDoo · 8 Oct 2006 at 14:45

I just use a MC150 tv card to capture my NTL digital, only problem is and im not sure if its the same on the telewest box, but i have to covert scart to composite for the PC to record the signal.
The picture quality is very watchable but its not going to give you the same quality as scart.

footman · 8 Oct 2006 at 15:07

sorry, but I'm not clear what an MC150 is.
Whatever it is, how do you connect everything together?

ScoobyDoo · 8 Oct 2006 at 17:47

MCE150 is a tv card made by Hauppauge (google for it, coz all the sites are competitors)

Ive got mine connected like this:-

Output from NTL box via scart
Scart split into composite / audio
Composite signal to composite input on the tv card
Audio left and right into audio left and right on tv card

I then use a program called MediaPortal which is a free program to record live tv amoung other things, its v.v.good http://www.team-mediaportal.com/

I then connect my PC to my tv via DVI as ive got a LCD TV
If you havent got dvi you can go svideo output from the tv card to svideo input on your television.

fornowagain · 8 Oct 2006 at 19:45

likwid said:
Hi

I'm wondering what's my best option to capture digital cable so i can view it via windows media center. I need still to buy the mce remote so possibly if this is bundled with card would be a good idea.

Thanks in advance!

Does this device output RGB? Otherwise its s-video or composite. A scart RGB can look very good with the right capture card.

ScoobyDoo · 9 Oct 2006 at 12:43

Not sure about the telewest box but the NTL box does output rgb scart.b

likwid · 10 Oct 2006 at 17:57

Thanks guys for help. Have ordered hauppage today.

footman · 10 Oct 2006 at 18:42

likwid said:
Thanks guys for help. Have ordered hauppage today.

which one?

likwid · 11 Oct 2006 at 20:07

the one discussed in this thread..

Another question. How the hell do i get the ir blaster to change the set top box channels? My set top box seems to have problems, it's a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4200dvb on telewest digital.

Please don't tell me i have to buy one of these red eye translators for £40?

Freakish_05 · 12 Oct 2006 at 07:18

Just use the telewest remote?

likwid · 12 Oct 2006 at 07:49

Not an ideal solution really. And anyway, this wouldn't allow for pvr functionality ie. windows couldn't record programs without my intervention.

ScoobyDoo · 12 Oct 2006 at 08:34

likwid said:
the one discussed in this thread..

Another question. How the hell do i get the ir blaster to change the set top box channels? My set top box seems to have problems, it's a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4200dvb on telewest digital.

Please don't tell me i have to buy one of these red eye translators for £40?

Have you got a ir transmitter?.
I brought the XP media centre remote control for about £20 off the net, it comes with a two port ir transmitter.
Basically connect the transmitter to the usb port, put the redeye onto the front of your telewest box, and then you can setup either media centre, or mediaportal to control your digibox

I use a NTL box which uses standard ir, i would have thought the telewest box also uses standard ir codes so this should work fine.

likwid · 12 Oct 2006 at 10:05

Thanks fior advice. I do have the transmitter but it doesn't seem to work with my set top box.

ScoobyDoo · 12 Oct 2006 at 12:41

likwid said:
Thanks fior advice. I do have the transmitter but it doesn't seem to work with my set top box.

With media centre or mediaportal ??? have you teached the programs from your telewest remote?

likwid · 12 Oct 2006 at 12:50

I'm using windows media center. Actually, now i've got it to work, the ir blaster can change channels on set top box, but however much i try it somehow misses the first digit of the channel when changing. I've tried slowing down the key interval, duration etc but no luck as of yet.

riddlermarc · 7 Nov 2006 at 15:47

This may be a REALLY silly question, but do you still need a tv card if you want to use the MS Media Center remote? I'm looking to build a pc that will play my backed-up collection of mp3s, divx movies etc (and yes, they ARE all backup copies, not downloaded off torrents!) but I'm not bothered about tv running through it as I'm waiting for the NTL pvr to come out in a couple of months.

Basically, will the MS Media Center remote enable me to control all non-live tv areas of MCE 2005 (I can get it free from my MSDN Universal subscription) even if I don't have a tv card? If I have to buy a tv card I will but I'd rather not if I didn't have to

Thanks..

mcmad · 7 Nov 2006 at 16:09

riddlermarc said:
Basically, will the MS Media Center remote enable me to control all non-live tv areas of MCE 2005 (I can get it free from my MSDN Universal subscription) even if I don't have a tv card? If I have to buy a tv card I will but I'd rather not if I didn't have to

Thanks..

Yes it works fine, I would also suggest you install the my movies plugin