PVR and Comcast Digital Cable. How will it work?

[FFactory0x]

Basically my room is right next to my tv room that has Comcast digital cable. We have a cable box. Will i be able to hook upa pvr as well and also watch tv in the other room and be recording a different show on my pvr at the same time. Any help on hookup what ill need etc would help

 

[Matthias99]

You can hook your cable up to a splitter and run it to your PVR -- you will then be able to watch or record the analog channels (up to ~120 or so) via the PVR at the same time that you are using the cable box. If you want to be able to watch/record the digital channels, you will need to hook the cable box's output up to the PVR and use IR remote control software and an IR blaster to control the cable box.

 

[FFactory0x]

Whats easier. Does the analog signal record ok? Look good? Im in the dark with this so any info would be great

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Whats easier. Does the analog signal record ok? Look good? Im in the dark with this so any info would be great

Looks about the same on my PVR150 whether I'm going through the onboard tuner or the cable box, so I wouldn't worry much about PQ. You need a cable box to view digital channels or Comcast On Demand, so if either of those is important, you'll need a second cable box (or you'll have to split the video out of the cable box, but then you can only watch one thing at a time).

The splitter and direct hookup to the cable line is easier to set up, because the PVR software can just change channels on the card instead of having to use an external IR blaster. But even that's not too bad as long as your software supports it.

Edit: If you're talking about a hardware standalone PVR (such as a TiVo or ReplayTV box), they usually come with the IR blaster to hook up to a cable box, and setting it up is pretty easy. I had assumed you were building an HTPC originally for some reason...

 

[FFactory0x]

No my rig just has a lot of space now. 300gb+120gb+40
I wont use more than 100 for most of my stuff