Been searching around for info on how to set up for DVR. I've got a HTPC setup but it's slim form and only has an available PCI slot or USB ports.
I have Time Warner Cable and the HD set top box. Called them and told them I had a TIVO and got the cablecard and a tuning adapter.
I hoped I could just get a digital tuner card for my HTPC and be good to go but I'm not so sure. My set top box has no coax out. It does have a USB port.
Should I just get a TIVO? Then how do I set it up? Remove the cable box and use the TIVO? Do I have to pay a monthly fee for TIVO service? I've never had a DVR before. Really want to be able to record at least one digital channel at a time. Needing advice.
I looked at the ceton cards but I wont' have a PCIe slot available. I could get the external ceton.
OK some more reading reveals the HDhomerun Prime system might work. Trying to figure out if my GPU can work with this. It's got HDCP ready but not sure on hardware decoding. Looks like it'll work but not positive. Can anyone confirm, please?
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5450 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814102882
Hope it's ok to post the link. Still really green here.
GPU will work.
XBMC will not.
Thanks Assasin. Think I'm going to buy the HDHR and then post up if I have trouble setting it up. I was lost until I read about it.
Yea, seen the info about needing WMC. I've got WMC where I need it. Girlfriend will be happy to record her shows.
Cool websites!
Just curious but can you run XBMC as your main setup run WMC in the background as its only function to act as a DVR and put them in the correct folder which are then used by and viewed by XBMC?
(2012-08-30, 03:47)toymachine2009 Wrote: [ -> ]Just curious but can you run XBMC as your main setup run WMC in the background as its only function to act as a DVR and put them in the correct folder which are then used by and viewed by XBMC?
The short answer is "No"
The long answer is "it depends on how the the cable company sets the copy flag."
For over the air channels, yes
For premium channels like HBO and Showtime, No
For the rest, it is up to the cable company. Time Warner sets everything except over the air channels to "Copy Once" which means that the saved show can ONLY be played back on Windows Media Center ON THE PC THAT RECORDED the show. (For WMC extenders, they are actually playing back on the WMC recording machine and sending a proprietary stream to the extender).
For the OP's GAF (Girlfriend acceptance factor), don't bother trying to setup XBMC. Look into WMC plugins like Media Browser that provide a XBMC like UI for your media library (but of course not as cool as XBMC)
Back to the Tivo idea using the cablecard from TWC? How does this work? Remove the cable box and use the TIVO and the Tuning adapter that came with the cablecard? Tivo's are cheap and I like to start cheap and easy.
I have 4 tivos with cable cards in my house and have also just installed a ceton infinitv 4 tuner card in one of my computers.
Tivo is the way to go, no question. the ceton card is pretty cool too as it lets me watch live tv on any xbox 360 or mc extender
All of your questions about TiVo can be answered with a visit to their website. In short, it replaces your cable box and uses the cablecard/tuning adapter. There is a monthly fee unless you purchase a lifetime subscription. Lifetime is not cheap, but it holds most of its value if you ever want to resell it. You can calculate the break even point on a lifetime subscription, but it obviously an upfront cost.
You should read this for a comparison of Windows Media Center and TiVo:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/05/tivo-...ia-center/
Thanks guys. Guess I didn't search through Tivo's website well enough the first try. $15 per month for a year blows my cheap & easy DVR idea apart. Looks like it's HDHR for me. Thanks again!
Trying to add to rep but stumped!
I use the HDHR with WMC for live TV (sporting events). I use Usenet + SABnzbd + Couch Potato + Sick Beard + XBMC for literally EVERYTHING else. Best $11/month I've ever spent Period.
I like media center as my dvr . . . a lot! I am selling my old tivo with lifetime right now. I have three boxes with windows media center and ceton cards, and it is awesome.
My only gripe is having to use the xbmc plugin which makes the switch to xbmc from media center. It works great but I would prefer either to have xbmc work to record tv or to have media center handle my movie database on my server better.
In my house the htpc has finally arrived... and its awesome.
Bought the HDHR Prime off ebay today! So, need to figure out if the GF can play back recorded shows on her WMC attached to the network? We will manage either way but it'd be really nice if she can watch her shows on her TV.
OK so the HDHR prime came today. Gonna try to hook it up this weekend. Be nice to get some feeback with what I'm envisioning.
Got TWC with the HD STB:
Hook the tuning adapter to my cable coax, then from the adapter to the HDHR using coax. (No more STB) Then plug HDHR into my network with cat5.
Fire up WMC to find, add and view channels. Will WMC see the HDHR on the network automatically? Then I need a remote that can control WMC like a TV? Good starter remote for me to try out recommendation please? Thanks guys!