DVR-enabled PC help

[Pardus]

I'm looking to dump my DVR as the cable company is raising the monthly rates and want to set up a do it yourself pc-dvr solution. Already have a pc built for it.. understand i need a tv tuner card and software to make it work.

Can anyone recommend a tv tuner card compatible with windows 7 or mac and is there anything else i need besides the pc, turner card and sofware?

Thanks

 

[BornStar]

Are you still going to be subscribed to cable and who is your provider?

 

[Pardus]

Are you still going to be subscribed to cable and who is your provider?

Yes, Time Warner.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Do you have premium channels that you wish to still be able to record? Are you trying to remove your needs for a set-top-box completely?

If the answer is "yes" to the first, and "no" to the second, take a look at the Hauppauge Colossus.

If the answer is "yes" to both, take a look at either a Centon or HDHomeRun Prime cablecard solution (would require Win 7 Premium).

 

[Pardus]

Do you have premium channels that you wish to still be able to record? Are you trying to remove your needs for a set-top-box completely?

If the answer is "yes" to the first, and "no" to the second, take a look at the Hauppauge Colossus.

If the answer is "yes" to both, take a look at either a Centon or HDHomeRun Prime cablecard solution (would require Win 7 Premium).

Want to record local channels (2,4,7,TBS,Fox,etc), Premium channels(HBO, Showtime, and On-Demand/PPV stuff). Baically i'm giving up the HD-DVR as $10/mo to rent it is too much and need an alternate solution. Will check out both suggestions above.

Will still have a set-top box, just not a HD DVR. Thanks.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

If you still want to record PPV then the Colossus might be the solution you want. The only drawback is that you cannot record one channel while watching another live channel. The Ceton (4 tuners), HDHR Prime 3CC (3 tuners), and the Hauppage WinTV DCR-2650 (2 tuners) all use a single cable card, can record one or more channels (except the WinTV DCR-2650, since it only has 2 tuners) while watching another live channel, but cannot be used for PPV or VOD unless your provider allows you to purchase the event over the phone or online.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

compared to an HD cable box, what is the lag like when changing channels with a cable card and tuner? My time warner hd cable box takes a couple seconds when changing channels.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

compared to an HD cable box, what is the lag like when changing channels with a cable card and tuner? My time warner hd cable box takes a couple seconds when changing channels.

After a cold boot or resume it can take up to 10 seconds or so for a channel to tune in the first time. Once that channel comes in it only takes a couples of seconds to tune subsequent channels. I find it to be about on par with a cable box but my HTPC has a slow CPU (E3400) and no SSD. Faster systems and those with an SSD may tune a bit faster.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Yes, it is typically a couple of seconds delay on the CableCard based solutions (HD HomeRun Prime, Centon, etc.). There is a delay on the other options as well (Hauppauge Colossus, etc) as the set top boxes have a delay themselves, and they can not tune faster than the set top box can do so and send the signal...

Personally I own a Hauppauge HD-PVR, which is very similar to the Colossus, just in external form and without HDMI input. I have been considering changing to the Colossus as well as picking up a Centon or HD HomeRun Prime. My issue with the cablecard solutions is the restrictions on the recorded video (i.e. DRM). I do not have any DRM with my HD-PVR, and I am free to copy, transcode, edit, whatever the hell I want to the recording as I feel like. The Centon recordings on-the-other-hand are encrypted, can not be converted to a different file format/transcoded for a different playback device, can not be transferred to another PC, etc., unless the cable company has the copy freely flag set on the channel/show (and they can and will do it on a show-by-show basis).

Note that the Colossus can only record un-encrypted HDMI feeds. All set top boxes that I know of use the encryption on HDMI, so you can not record via that method and record using the component connections like the HD-PVR users do.

 

[bobdole369]

Don't know why you would be watching Live TV enough to notice lag. The point of a DVR is to record what you watch. I gave up surfing years ago.