Im thinking about builing a media center pc just for fun but the question i have is how does windows media center control my directv receiver? The reason i ask is if you look at all the screenshots and reviews about MCE it shows the tv guide poping up via MCE on your tv (or pc) and it shows you selecting programs from there and it changes your channel.
I can understand how this would work with cable or antenna but how with a directv unit when you need that access card in order for it to work?
I know how to hook it up to the pc if i needed to (via the svideo out and audio jacks) but im just purely interested in how MCE can change my directv channels.
Im thinking that a remote will control both the MCE program list and my directv box at the same time with two signals coming out of the remote to change both of them. It would just appear that the MCE is actually controlling it but its not.
The ONLY reasons i want to do this is because i like the idea of playing my mp3s and movies from my computer (ripped from my own collection of course 😉 ), and would be nice to browse and check my email from my tv while watching tv. Other than that my directv receiver has tivo so i dont really care about the idea of having MCE to record or pause live tv.
Can anyone explain to me how MCE will be able to control my directv receiver as well? Plus do i need any special equipment to do this with? I was thinking about getting an NVTV card from evga but then i realized im not using cable and im not using antenna so whats the point unless i need it to send the signal back to the TV but i wouldnt be using it as a tuner i would be using it sort of like a pass through. I will be using a sound blaster audigy 2 zs for sound..and i will get some sort of video card with VIVO svideo on there as well.
I can understand how this would work with cable or antenna but how with a directv unit when you need that access card in order for it to work?
I know how to hook it up to the pc if i needed to (via the svideo out and audio jacks) but im just purely interested in how MCE can change my directv channels.
Im thinking that a remote will control both the MCE program list and my directv box at the same time with two signals coming out of the remote to change both of them. It would just appear that the MCE is actually controlling it but its not.
The ONLY reasons i want to do this is because i like the idea of playing my mp3s and movies from my computer (ripped from my own collection of course 😉 ), and would be nice to browse and check my email from my tv while watching tv. Other than that my directv receiver has tivo so i dont really care about the idea of having MCE to record or pause live tv.
Can anyone explain to me how MCE will be able to control my directv receiver as well? Plus do i need any special equipment to do this with? I was thinking about getting an NVTV card from evga but then i realized im not using cable and im not using antenna so whats the point unless i need it to send the signal back to the TV but i wouldnt be using it as a tuner i would be using it sort of like a pass through. I will be using a sound blaster audigy 2 zs for sound..and i will get some sort of video card with VIVO svideo on there as well.
