Teach me about TV and my PC - please

[TheNiceGuy]

I just built the system in my specs. I understand that it is possible to watch TV. Does this work on any web sites? If I want to recieve TV signals, what hardware is best? Also, I have Media Center Edition Windows, but no remote and would like one.
Any ideas?

I'm just a normal user, not looking for anything terribly expensive. As a side note, I am working in Japan and would like to be able to watch shows from the states if possible and not too expensive. Thus the internet question.
Any ideas greatly apreciated! THX

 

[TheNiceGuy]

bump

 

[akwizeguy]

well first off, your going to need a tv card. Examples; ATI TV Wonder; Hauppauge etc. Also you might want to consider the new ATI HDTV Wonder, it recently came out and this will allow you to watch High Definition on your PC. As for the remote, I would look into the Logitech remote, or the ATI Remote Wonder. Hope this helps

 

[TheNiceGuy]

Thank you!
How about my MCE Windows? Will those remotes control it as well?
And those TV cards will just take a signal input, like an antenna or cable TV- thats it? So I basicaly just would have a glorified TV?

 

[TheNiceGuy]

teeeeeach me more....

 

[imported_CromsDog]

If you are working in japan forget the ATI HDTV for now. It only works with over the air broadcasts of HDTV so you'd have a realy great picture of Japanese programming. I'd just pick up a Hauppauge PVR-150 or 250. Or pick up an ATI TV Wonder Pro. They don't cost much and I use one every day with good results. ALL will let you record and time shift live tv as well as record your favorite shows to your harddrive. What you'd realy want is to add a satelite box to your setup after installing the card so you could watch american programming. (unless there is alot in japan, I've never been there). Then you hook the s-video and audio outs of the reciever into your inputs on the card. The quality will generally be as good as a regular analog TV set and is realy dependent on the signal. I have noticed major fluctuations even between channels on the same digital cable box I have hooked to mine. TO get real functionality add a third party PVR software package like Sage TV or Beyond TV. BOth are generally the same, they let you shedule recordings and what not and add the ability to add on an IrBlaster to control your Cable or satelite box. As far as MCE goes I have tried it and think it is probably a step ahead of the others as far as look and felel goes, but strict hardware guidelines and Bull$h1t copy protection schemes eep it off of my main list of must haves. Hope this helps let us know what you decie to go with.

Oh yeah the remote thing. If you do get a TV WOnder make sure you get one with the Remote Wonder II or the newest one that just came out or is comeing out. I have the older mod. It works fine but lacks some of the features of the newer ones and doesn't feel as hefty or real.