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Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

Ackis

Member

[AB] Getting TV on your computer

Hello everyone, I think I started down a dark path of disappointment.

I originally purchased a DIAMOND ATI Theater HD 750 USB TVW750USB USB 2.0 Interface to be able to transfer home VHS movies to something digital.

Worked like a charm, but then I saw it had a cable input and I decided to give watching tv on my computer a try.

Boy, I was wrong. Hours and hours of configuring have left me frustrated.

I then decided to pick up a SiliconDust HDHomeRun DUAL Tuner TV Box thinking that it would solve my problems and allow both my wife and I to watch tv on our computers.

Boy, I was wrong.

So right now, I'm just wondering. What is the best set up to get the most channels on our PCs. I know I won't be able to get the full cable suite that I have purchased due to some sort of encryption issue, however I'd like to get as many as possible.

I have a crappy house location and I've noticed that the antenna really didn't work, so my preference is to just plug in the coax cable from Shaw to get whatever I can get.

Thank you.
fender
join:2007-07-23
Vancouver, BC

fender

Member

To be honest the easiest and best way to get "tv" on your computer is through less than legal means (downloading)

The war on the consumer (DRM) has made it exceedingly difficult to actually pay for it and enjoy in the way you want (anywhere you want) when you want.
Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

Ackis

Member

Doesn't exactly help me when I'm trying to watch a hockey game.
Doonz (banned)
join:2010-11-27
Beaumont, AB

Doonz (banned) to Ackis

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to Ackis
NOt a 100% legal more a greyish one.

gamecenter 180/yr
unblockus 5/mnth

kevinds
Premium Member
join:2003-05-01
Calgary, AB

kevinds to Ackis

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to Ackis
If you just want to watch on your computer, and that is all you are wanting,

Slingbox 350 and a cable terminal (or one in your home that is already setup, but I recomend a cable terminal for the SlingBox), watch from anywhere.
tlhIngan
join:2002-07-08
Richmond, BC

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The thing is, Shaw's system is INCOMPATIBLE. Yes, Shaw uses QAM, and Motorola encryption, but they use it in a way to be basically useless for the cable tuners that you can buy that are not from Shaw. The only way to get anything more than basic analog channels is to purchase a Shaw box. (No, you can't use a cablecard ready receiver as shaw does NOT provide cablecards, even though they use them). Basically everything other than music channels are encrypted using Motorola security.

Once you have the box, you can use any capture solution. A slingbox or vulkano is probably the simplest way, but you can probably set something up using something like a Hauppage HD-PVR or HD-PVR2 (non-gaming edition - has IR blaster) to capture the component video out to your PC and distribute it using other software.

Speaking of which, pass your comments to the CRTC - it would be nice if you weren't limited to Shaw's pathetic and limited offerings for set top boxes. Especially since many other neat ones exist in the US where cable providers are forced to be compatible.
Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

1 edit

Ackis

Member

I have a shaw box (motorola pvr) which my tv is connected to, I know it has a RF out connector, but I don't know if it's enabled.

With my current hardware, what can I do?

I'm able to plug my coax cable into the Diamond USB device and get some TV with its default software, but I haven't been able to get anything on the other device (which is network attached). I think part of my problem is analogue/digital.

Edit: Would I have better luck with Telus?

kevinds
Premium Member
join:2003-05-01
Calgary, AB

kevinds

Premium Member

Both of those will connect to your PVR, either the RF out (yes it is enabled) using channel 4 (channel 4 in Edmonton, channel 3 everywhere else), or the composite (Yellow, Red, White)

However both of your capture devices lack the IR emmiter/blaster (that I can tell) to tell the PVR to change channels, so if you are there, yes, you can use your remote to change the channel, otherwise, you are going to need another piece of equipment.
Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

Ackis

Member

How will the internal tuners on these devices work then?

I'm sorry if these seem like basic questions, I should probably have posted originally "explain it to me like I'm 5".

kevinds
Premium Member
join:2003-05-01
Calgary, AB

kevinds

Premium Member

They are designed for clear channels,

In your case, they would connect to your PVR and see whatever channel the PVR is set to (or turned off), and do everything perfectly.

They are unable to change the PVR's channel, so unless you are able to walk to the PVR and change the channel with a physical remote, you won't be able to change the channel while watching TV using your computer, with the products you have.
Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

Ackis

Member

Thanks Kevin. I'm going to return the HDHomeRun thing as it doesn't do what I wanted it to do (Cable streaming over the network allowing two PCs to watch TV).

The other one is at least useful for transferring VHS to digital for me.
Doonz (banned)
join:2010-11-27
Beaumont, AB

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Slingbox is a great device as well. I have the 550 (i beilive is the latest one)
scubascythan
join:2005-05-14

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said by Ackis:

Doesn't exactly help me when I'm trying to watch a hockey game.

CBC streams hockey night in canada.
tlhIngan
join:2002-07-08
Richmond, BC

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to Ackis
A product like Slingbox has an IR blaster, as would the HD-PVR/HD-PVR2 from hauppage (non-Gaming editions only!) as they were designed to interface with set top boxes.

Unfortunately, most US equipment requires cablecard for digital cable, which is not supported by any Canadian cable provider (at least allowing a subscriber to use their own equipment - every set top box sold today by Shaw is a cablecard equipped one). This avoids the whole nastiness with IR blasters and such (and since Shaw's boxes, if they have serial control, don't support serial control).

I suppose if you were daring, you could try moving the cablecard from a shaw box to a cablecard tuner (I believe the HDHomeRun offers a cablecard version for digital cable), but no ideas nor guarantees if it will work or if it will break the pairing with the Shaw box in such a way that only Shaw can reprogram the unit to work again.
Ackis
join:2001-08-16
Edmonton, AB

Ackis

Member

I picked up the Slingbox 500... a bit pricey for what it's doing for me.

Having some issues with it, but we'll see if they can get sorted out.

If not, FutureShop has a decent return policy at least.

kevinds
Premium Member
join:2003-05-01
Calgary, AB

kevinds to tlhIngan

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to tlhIngan
Taking the CableCARD from the DCX series or Gateway won't work, they are paired and the activation codes use an algorithm using both serial numbers (Card and terminal), put the card back and reactivate the terminal, and it will work again if you do this.

Shaw's boxes that have serial ports, the serial port is active, and it works to change channels, but very few boxes have this port.

1394 works for video, audio, and channel changing without a capture card as well, but is the most challanging to setup.
tlhIngan
join:2002-07-08
Richmond, BC

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I've got a few of the serial boxes, but they never work - have to revert to IR blasters every time.

FYI, they've hacked the slingbox protocol You can capture video from a slingbox...

»www.tivocommunity.com/ti ··· t=504853

THere's a nice HOWTO at that link.

Too bad with the cablecard - would be nice to use some of the nicer equipment they have in the US rather than the crap Shaw has. It's bad enough that it might be worth upgrading Internet and just downloading the TV you want than put up with the mediocrity that is a Shaw cablebox. I suppose the gateway systems might be nicer, but...
eject
join:2013-01-23

eject to Ackis

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wiziwig/firstrowsports, coojah, rtmpdump and winvlc.