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please help me set up set top box with TV tuner

frozentundra123456

frozentundra123456

Lifer
Hi all. Since Comcast is swithching to xfinity(all digital cable), I have to use a set top box with my cable TV signal. I cannot get the box to work with the Tuner Card in my computer.
I have an acer desktop with a Yuan TV tuner card, Vista 32 bit, E4500 and 9800 GT. Nothing is overclocked.
When I go to set up the TV signal for media center, the computer detects the set top box, then I say cable input to the box, and when I hit next, Media Center says that it cannot detect the IR input cables, and that these are necessary to use the remote control. I cannot finish set up after this error message.
There is a small remote reciever that fits into the back of the set top box, but when I plug this in, I get the same error message. I also have the IR receiver that came with the computer plugged into the computer, but this still does not solve the problem. The media center IR receiver will not plug into the set top box, because the media center receiver has a USB plug, and of course does not go into the set top box.
Can anyone suggest a way around this problem, or is the new setup not compatable with my TV tuner?? Did comcast intentionally make the new system incompatable with TV tuner cards?? I would not put it past them.
 
You'll probably need an IRBlaster. It's a cable with a minijack (2.5 mm I think?) connection that'll plug into your tuner card. On the other end is 1 or more IR emitters that you stick next to the IR port on the set top box. Media Center will then use this to control your set top box. In theory 😛 The closest I've used to this setup is a Slingbox, but those were designed to use set top boxes from the get-go.

Now, as to if your TV tuner card has IR blaster capability, that I dunno. And as to that reciever that yo uplug into the set top box, that's *probably* an RF antenna, though it very well could be something else. Heck, it could even ben an IRBlaster cable -- if it has a little minijack on the end (like on headphones, but smaller) and an LED on the other, that's an IRBlaster.
 
thanks a lot for the reply. I cannot see any place to plug anything but the cable line into my tuner card, so I am probably out of luck. too bad media center will not let me use the tuner card without the remote.

I thought when I got the comp that having a tv tuner card in it would be great. However, overall it has been a disappointment. With analog cable or antenna, the signal was not very good, and I can get only one of four of the digital over the air stations with an indoor antenna. Now unless I can get the card to work with the new cable set up, it is basically worthless.
 
Thanks again for all the comments. Based on the comment by kamikazykyle, I sort of solved the problem. Comcast did include an IR cable with the box that is normally plugged into the set to box. What I had to do was plug this cable into the IR remote that came with the computer. It is quite an inelegant solution though, because you have one IR receiver plugged into the comp and another IR cable plugged into that receiver.

In addition, the system does not allow me full control with Media Center. I went through the entire set up procedure and everything apparently went fine. However, I cannot change channels with the Media Center Remote. I can do everything else with the Media Center Remote such as mute, see guide, etc, and when I input a new channel, the number appears on the screen, but the channel never changes. So I have to use two remotes and 2 IR receivers. Crap. This also means that the only way to record a program is to set the channel with the remote from Comcast and program a recording on the same channel with Media Center. So somewhat useful, but not a very satisfactory set up.
 
frozentunda123456 take a look at the remote I linked to it will change the set top box channel so you only need one remote.
 
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