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+--- Thread: TV-card to recommend for cable? (/showthread.php?tid=138540)
TV-card to recommend for cable? - Dirki - 2012-08-18
Which TV-card could you recommend for a notebook (Win 7), important is that it is possible to record and program TV broadcasts?
RE: TV-card to recommend for cable? - teaguecl - 2012-08-20
Digital or analog cable? CableCard? Do you use a set top box from your cable company? How many shows do you want to watch/record simultaneously? Are you stuck on Win7 or would Media Center be OK? Unfortunately, cable tuner cards is an area fraught with complications.
RE: TV-card to recommend for cable? - Dirki - 2012-08-20
Thank you, teaguecl.
I assume it is analog cable, in Germany.
No set top box.
<<<How many shows do you want to watch/record simultaneously?
Difficulty to say, I guess at least two, 3 or 4 would be good.
<<< Are you stuck on Win7 or would Media Center be OK?
I don't know exactly, as I learned XBMC does not have any record option, I didn't know before, may be another Media Center than that one of Windows would be better...may be nextPVR or something like that.
RE: TV-card to recommend for cable? - teaguecl - 2012-08-20
Analog cable is a good thing in terms of what options you have, since it's not encrypted. That means you can use any OS you want (including Linux), and you have available to you a lot of options for software. My recommendation is to pick your software first, and then find a tuner recommended by whomever makes that software. Microsoft media center is very popular, but there are many other options (BeyondTV, MediaPortal, etc.). I have a friend who uses MythTV (Linux based) and absolutely loves it - I think there might be a Windows version of that these days as well. As far as hardware goes, I've always liked Hauppauge cards.
RE: TV-card to recommend for cable? - RealDealNeil - 2012-08-20
You can also consider the HDHomeRun. It's a networked tuner you connect directly to your router rather than your laptop/PC. It's supported by nearly all software and works incredibly well. However, wired connections will work best for watching and recording HD (SD should be fine over wireless).
RE: TV-card to recommend for cable? - Dirki - 2012-11-07
Sorry for hesitating (no notification e-mail).
Thanks teaguecl,
The most powerful Media Center is MediaPortal as far as I have seen now. But it is very difficult, complex to set up for me, to get it working, especially to get the recorder working with the TV-Card. XBMC is very easily to handle, but there is no record option etc., but it is more stable than MediaPortal if I see it right.
Yes, a lot of options for software generally, but there are not so many programs with a powerful record option as it seems.
I now have a Dirks Hauppauge TV-Card WinTV-HVR-930C.
There doesn' t seem to be a MythTV version for Windows.
Thanks RealDealNeil.
Yes, good idea, at the moment I still try / use the different Media Centers.
Many thanks again.