[sapper6fd]

Hey all.

I've beeen thinking about this for a while now and am contemplating putting a TV Tuner card into my dedicated HTPC. I know XBMC doesnt record TV, but there are software packages that come with some tuner cards that are able to do this.

My question is, with my cable company you require one of their cable boxes for the digital signal. Without it, a tuner card can take care of the standard definition signal, but the HD channels require the cable box. Does anyone know of a tuner card that can handle the HD digital signal? I'd like to replace my cable companie's PVR with my HTPC / NAS system

[negge]

As usual with threads like this, you have to provide more information. What provider and what system do they use to provide HD channels? And for the record (no pun intended), XBMC can record TV just fine, I don't know why you'd think otherwise.

[sapper6fd]

I was under the impression XBMC didn't record. I read that in another thread somewhere - may have been old, I don't know.

I am with Shaw Cable in Canada. The HD PVR box is a Motorola DCX3510-M. That's about all I know for their systems.

[nickr]

XBMC itself doesn't record. It uses other software, like mythtv or whatever to record.

Do Canadian broadcasters use cablecard or some other encryption? If you can get Shaw to send you a cablecard then there are a couple of options. I know in the US the broadcasters are obliged to hand out cablecards. Not sure about .ca.

However even a cablecard tuner won't solve all your problems. Broadcasters can flag broadcasts so they can't be recorded, even with the card installed. It is called lockin

The other option is to use their set top box and record the component analogue out with an hdpvr, but you need an hdpvr AND a set top box for each simultaneous recording.