PVR / Shaw Cable Canada / PC TV tuner card

[DamaneTSS]

I've been trying to sort through the ton of info on the web about TV tuner cards and I'm hoping some people here can point the way to a good choice.

I have:
MCE2005 and XP pro
Shaw Cable with a HDTV pvr with the regular 7 HD channels


I've already made a nice PC with MCE2005 but can't make up my mind on the right tv tuner card. I want to use this box to record analog and HDTV and then burn shows to watch on my home theatre system and or directly use this PC with my home theatre equipment.

What tv tuner card to I need to accomplish this. I don't want or need a dual tuner so from the monster amount of info I've tried to read through the Sapphire Theatre Pro 500 seems to be the best I think...

Help? haha

 

[rbV5]

The Sapphire is a great card for analog in MCE 2005, but won't work at all for HD, in fact I don't think there is an option that supports the cable HD yet.

 

[DamaneTSS]

Oh about the Sapphire 550... I don't think it does HDTV and that is my dilema really. Find the right card AND be able to watch/record and mess with my HD channels too.

The computer will be right next to the HD PVR. But I don't know if it will work if I use the cable OUT from the pvr to my PC will work. Meaning the pvr will have to decoded for me.

/shrug

 

[eelw]

I don't think there are any that work with digital cable. The only HDTV Tuners are for satellite (OTA or DVB-S). If your STB PVR has a firewire connection, you can export video to your PC that way.

 

[DamaneTSS]

I have the newer Motorola DC6412 (with the HDMI), dual tuner HD pvr box.

 

[DamaneTSS]

Thanks for quick responses, these forums are always great.

Well hopefully I can, but if I can't is that Sapphire Theatre 550 pro a good choice? I don't mind spending the money to get something great.

 

[rbV5]

Perhaps you can just use your cable box and the IR blasters for the analog, I know MCE 2005 supports STB?

 

[DamaneTSS]

I don't know exactly how to accomplish that being so new to this area of technology.

What I'd like to do is take a crack at recording quite a bit of TV and the pvr just won't hold enough.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: DamaneTSS
I don't know exactly how to accomplish that being so new to this area of technology.

What I'd like to do is take a crack at recording quite a bit of TV and the pvr just won't hold enough.

Well, I don't have a cable HD PVR, so I'm not much help there. If you have MCE 2005 already, I'd look at thegreenbutton, someones using the same equipment as you no doubt.