CableTV on PC GUIDE / CHECKLIST

[wasiqjaved]

I've searched in five or six pages, but each thread makes me more confusing. So, I'll say the requirements of general-purpose consumers and would ask everyone to give your thought on it!

Requirement

1. View Cable TV Channels (just like Starview box) on PC via MCE (VISTA)
2. Also have support for Linksys DMA2200 MCE Extender
3. Connecting NTeLL cable directly to compatible 'DVB-C Card' and 'CAM'
4. Broadcast my channels on LAN
   

Now, the following options are best budget PCI cards available

DVB-C PCI Card

1. TechnoTrend TT-budget C-1501
2. FloppyDTV C/CI (integrated CAM Module)

CAM
... Yeah... No Idea!Ok

OK... So NOW I need help over here. Professionals, Experts and Experienced ones are most welcome!

I've also heard of SlingMedia Box. Do shed some light on it as well. Pretty cool gadget though .

Remember! This Thread is only for Cable TV in UK.

[dancake]

If you want to use Your DVB-C tuner in Vista Media centre (for your extender??) it gets a bit more complicated, but for standard viewing it is a doddle with either of those cards, a softcam and a Viewer like DVBDream

With dream, I also think you can stream via VLC media player, but that probably wont work with your extender.

So for VMC you are going to need a hardcam + card and I believe the Floppy is your best bet. You will still need Fake DVB-C to DVB-T drivers though at the moment.

THIS is where someone who has DVB-C working in Vista Media Centre steps in; I have played around with TT-mce tools for my tt1501 just to see if it would scan, (which it did ok) but I never got anything to display - even free channels- so I gave up.

nb does anyone use dvbdream to stream via VLC? if this works it may be worth gettin a cheap lappy to watch tv in bed

[Phunky]

I think your going to have trouble using VMC and Streaming to a 3rd Party Box - i've yet to find anything decent that will work with them :/

GB-PVR mediacentre. TV, Music, Video, Pictures, DVD Will prob be your best bet as they support a few 3rd Party boxes but personally im looking at getting a cheap EEE Box for under £200 and then just sticking another install of MediaPortal on it instead.

[Cafe.Rcaer]

1. Yes.
2. Yes, if using MCE (XP Media Center) or VMC (Vista Media Center)
3. err, Yes. This is how you'd do Number 1, unless you meant to connect the output of a starview to VMC?
4. Not possible with VMC, although you can share recorded TV. Can use DMA's or XBOX360 as an "extender" though, which gives you a remote access style view of Media Center.

VMC doesn't support softcams, so the TT is out, UNLESS you can get it to work with DVBSbridge. Someone was playing with that, but I think it would be tricky, so I would say go for the Floppy/FireDTV

CAM - Blue Zetacrypt flashed to Joker 0.79. Some places will flash the CAM for you, hisat for example. Need a Fun4 (or greater) AU flashed for your area.

You would also need the transponders for your area.

Slingboxes are cool, but limited compared to Media Center, IMHO. Depends what you want to do. Slingbox is just a streamer, I think?

[wasiqjaved]

Originally Posted by Cafe.Rcaer

1. Yes.
2. Yes, if using MCE (XP Media Center) or VMC (Vista Media Center)
3. err, Yes. This is how you'd do Number 1, unless you meant to connect the output of a starview to VMC?
4. Not possible with VMC, although you can share recorded TV. Can use DMA's or XBOX360 as an "extender" though, which gives you a remote access style view of Media Center.

VMC doesn't support softcams, so the TT is out, UNLESS you can get it to work with DVBSbridge. Someone was playing with that, but I think it would be tricky, so I would say go for the Floppy/FireDTV

CAM - Blue Zetacrypt flashed to Joker 0.79. Some places will flash the CAM for you, hisat for example. Need a Fun4 (or greater) AU flashed for your area.

You would also need the transponders for your area.

Slingboxes are cool, but limited compared to Media Center, IMHO. Depends what you want to do. Slingbox is just a streamer, I think?

Transponders for my area? What exactly does this mean?

[Confused Stu]

Transponders are the frequencies your channels are broadcast at for your area. Personally, the only way I could find all the channels was to make a registry file for my FloppyDTV starting at 500 and going up in steps of 8000 - that worked.

Agree with everything CafeRcaer said, but would also advise if you're going to use Vista's TV Pack add-on then get a Technotrend C1501 AS WELL as the floppy's. This way you can trick VMC into giving you a usable EPG. It is possible to use an analogue card instead (CafeRcaer posted an excellent guide for that) but a spare DVB-C card has about an hour's worth of less steps.

I've recently got a Slingbox for streaming my subbed box around the house (and to my mobile). It's not in the same league as a set up VMC at all - no recording, no timeshifting unless you have a V+ box, controls are slow and the picture quality's nowhere near as good across my 802.11n network. Good for what it does, but then so's a pocket MP4 player compared to a desktop.

Good luck - you've got a long road ahead but the result WILL be worth it mate.