Recommend USB tv tuner card for comcast cable and linux

[Mothergoose729]

I am planning to build a HTCP very soon and I want to use mini itx. The PCIE will be filled with either graphics or a sound card, so I have to use USB. I have comcast cable.

I don't really know enough about how this works so I hope you guys can educate me. What I really want to be able to do is to have my cable box for "on demand" and channel surfing in the like, but I want to run my cable box through my HTPC so I can record shows and watch television without having to switch my inputs.

Also, I am pretty well set on using a linux distro as my operating system, so linux compatibility is high on my list. Anybody have any suggestions on hardware? Please and thank you!

 

[Kartajan]

most cable channels are DRM/ CCI:CO protected. This means that the wide range of solutions available for "OTA" content won't work.

What can work is with a cablecard based network tuner, and a cablecard from your provider, you can get CCI:CF encrypted channels to run under MythTV on Linux.

(and some solutions, such as android and WMC can play DRM CCI:CO off the same network device- see here: https://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun/prime/ )

CCI:CF = "Copy Freely", usually only local broadcast channels
CCI:CO = "Copy Once", usually everything except PPV
CCI:CN = "Copy Never", usually Pay-Per-View

Every "market" can be different, and what is CCI:CF for me may not be the same for you, or even your neighbor across the street...

 

[poofyhairguy]

I am planning to build a HTCP very soon and I want to use mini itx. The PCIE will be filled with either graphics or a sound card, so I have to use USB. I have comcast cable.

I don't really know enough about how this works so I hope you guys can educate me. What I really want to be able to do is to have my cable box for "on demand" and channel surfing in the like, but I want to run my cable box through my HTPC so I can record shows and watch television without having to switch my inputs.

Also, I am pretty well set on using a linux distro as my operating system, so linux compatibility is high on my list. Anybody have any suggestions on hardware? Please and thank you!

A few thoughts (in order of caveat):

1. USB Tuners are often crap. I much prefer network tuners like a HDHomerun.

2. With that said, you probably don't need a graphics card (or ESPECIALLY a sound card) on a HTPC unless you game or you are SUPER picky about video quality. I think building the right HTPC correctly is step one.

3. With that said, as mentioned cable boxes often come with DRM that can make it so that no Linux solution works. The only solution with full cablecard DRM support is Windows Media Center. Linux is best when all you want is to pick up OTA channels off the airwaves.

4. With that said, Windows Media Center is dying so I personally wouldn't really invest anything into cablecard tuners or a HTPC to do it, at least until some other solution for handling the DRM hits the market. If you just want to archive stuff that the cable company DVR records something like a Hauppauge HD PVR can do that in a way that works with most cable boxes.

5. With that said, no offense but jumping through all these hoops just to avoid switching inputs is not a great idea. If the whole problem is someone in your life (wife, kids) has problem handling the inputs the solution is NOT to run everything through a single source. The solution is a well programed Logitech Harmony remote that makes switching inputs an effortless excise thanks to macro buttons. The Harmony Smart Control is on sale now at Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/logitech-harmony-smart-control-black/8574049.p

When one of those is perfectly programmed even my dogs can easily switch between video sources without even knowing what they are doing. Harmonies are THE key to making complicated AV setups easy to use. You will never make a single source easy enough to use, it is better to hide the complication with a Harmony.

 

[Kartajan]

I agree, but will amplify to say those hoops can get expensive fast depending on the details.

I am working a solution to consolidate multiple sources into Google Live Channels (OTA + an IPTV Box), but not just for input switch avoidance. The most direct answer involved a HDMI to ATSC modulator for $1500. (not happening)

 

[poofyhairguy]

I agree, but will amplify to say those hoops can get expensive fast depending on the details.

And you will never get it to be 100% optimal. For example a dedicated x86 Kodi box can do things no ARM box can do in Kodi (or any other media app this side of jRiver), and the Roku (or maybe AppleTV) Netflix app is probably the best Netflix experience you can have. There is no box with a best case Netflix experience and a best case Kodi experience. Add in LiveTV, add in games, add in something like Amazon Prime that doesn't work on some streaming platforms and you have a situation that no one box can handle.

A jack of all trades does no one thing well, like most areas of life. I think the trick is to either accept limitations (which is fine, I think the Plex channel on a Roku is good enough for 95% of people) or have a complicated multi-box setup and hide it all behind a well programmed Harmony.