Watching TV on your PC

Participant · 22 May 2007 at 20:02

I'm confused by the whole "watch TV on your PC" thing and I haven't yet found a forum that can answer even these basic questions for me.

I want to be able to watch Virgin cable and freeview on my TV, switching between the two as and when dependent on what people are watching downstairs, as well as recording from one and watching the other. When I get HD I want to be able to watch and record an HD signal on my PC screen also.

- what cards can do freeview, cable, and HD cable?
- what's the best way to hook up the signal, bearing in mind I'll need around 15m of cable?
- what's the best way to allow me to change the Virgin box from upstairs?

I'll love you forever if you can give me these answers as even AV forum and cable forum seem to be terribly slow to reply.

chrismox · 22 May 2007 at 23:41

I can only help with the freeview side of things with any knowledge.

If you want to be able to watch one channel while recording another, you ideally want a dual-tuner card such as the Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500 Dual Freeview TV Tuner.

With certain software, DVBViewer being among the best, you can watch one channel whilst recording another with a single tuner but only if the channels are broadcast on the same MUX (there are 6 different ones for UK freeview so the odds of your 2 channels being on the same one are slim). http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/dtt/dtt.cgi

You say "when I get HD" - if you mean SKY then see below. If you mean Freeview HD (which I believe is currently only on trial from the Crystal Palace transmitter) then my understanding is that any current freeview card will do the job if coupled with the appropriate software/codecs.

As for Sky HD/Virgin etc then you're going to need a card with some sort of input (usually S-Video) that takes the analogue feed from the satellite/cable box and displays that. I've no experience of this as I just use freeview so I may be wrong...

Hope that helps.

Energize · 23 May 2007 at 00:14

You can watch cable and freeview on any digital tv card.

You can only watch hd cable if you have a tv card with a cam slot, capture cards that can accept hd signals otherwise are hugely expensive.

Participant · 23 May 2007 at 07:45

Ok thanks for the replies both.

Energize said:
You can watch cable and freeview on any digital tv card.

Ah ok - I'd heard that some digital cards are freeview only as the signal from cable, despite the fact that it's originally in digital, is analogue when it's sent down an RF cable, as per what chrismox says below.

Chris - I'm only interested in HD cable as I could be waiting years for freeview HD.

What's the best quality way to send
a) an analogue cable signal
b) an HD cable signal?

Any recommendations for cards that can do HD cable, digital freeview, and analogue cable?

misterPK · 23 May 2007 at 10:09

Energize said:
You can watch cable and freeview on any digital tv card.

I dont think that statement is entirely correct. Most digital tv cards will only work with freeview, some more expensive ones may have a cable de-coder, but I dont have any experiece with that.

PK!

Crowze · 23 May 2007 at 10:57

Perhaps this is what you're looking for?

Energize · 23 May 2007 at 18:43

misterPK said:
I dont think that statement is entirely correct. Most digital tv cards will only work with freeview, some more expensive ones may have a cable de-coder, but I dont have any experiece with that.

PK!

I meant by using s-video from the box.

Robbie G said:
Ok thanks for the replies both.

Ah ok - I'd heard that some digital cards are freeview only as the signal from cable, despite the fact that it's originally in digital, is analogue when it's sent down an RF cable, as per what chrismox says below.

Chris - I'm only interested in HD cable as I could be waiting years for freeview HD.

What's the best quality way to send
a) an analogue cable signal
b) an HD cable signal?

Any recommendations for cards that can do HD cable, digital freeview, and analogue cable?

Like I said you need a tv tuner with a cam card slot.

I doubt you'd find a normal card capable of capturing a 1080i signals from a set top box for less than £1000.

Participant · 23 May 2007 at 19:13

Yeah well no offence mate but you also said I could watch cable and freeview on any digital card. What difference does using s-video suddenly make to the card's ability to use a cable signal?

And as for the cam card slot I have no idea what you're talking about. Do OcUK sell any that have this?

*Chris · 23 May 2007 at 21:08

The s-video cable would enable you to transfer the signal from the cable box to the TV card, i dont think you can 'tune in' to cable with a tv card and the cable wire itself.

misterPK · 24 May 2007 at 09:36

Some graphics cards (well, my oldish x800 does) have an s-video in option built into them.

As for the tuning problem, I remember one of my mates used to have an extension for the reciever and an extra remote, but I think that was a special sky package that cost extra. Because it was running off the same box it used to lead to sneaky channel changing from other rooms.

PK!