Vista Media Center w/ CableCard

[SketchEtch]

I'm kind of surprised that there isn't much talk here about Media Center. Does anyone have an HD Media Center setup? I'm considering ordering an HP m9000t in the next day or so and I'd love to know how the process goes with getting a CableCard working with it, and your results.

If I have a CableCard in my TV, can I just move it to my DCT tuner on my Media Center PC, or do I have to call and get a tech out to reprogram something?

I'd love people's advice and experience.

[bdraw]

I've played with Media Center before and enjoyed it. I couldn't wait and bought a TiVo about a year ago and thus don't have the need for it now.

I would be interesting in hearing your impressions.

As for the CableCARD. BHN and Verizon don't support them very well, as you probably already know. You will have to at least call them to move the CC from the TV. It should just be a matter of you giving them the numbers from the CableCARD once it's inserted into the PC, but good luck finding a CSR that knows how to do it.

[dprice]

I have an HTPC machine running Vista. The tuner card (WinTV HVR-1600) decodes QAM signals but Media Center doesn't know what to do with them. I tried SageTV but didn't seem to have any luck getting it to run properly on my machine. The WinTV software does seem to work with the HD signals but it isn't as slick as Media Center. Eventually I'll rearrange some stuff at the house and actually set up the HTPC for regular use...right now it has been assembled, tested, and then basically ignored.

Of course the WinTV card has nothing to do with the Cable Card so at best I'm working with basic cable or renting another cable box. There is another thread on here about building a Cable Card capable HTPC but the basic conclusion was that the only option was to buy a complete Media Center PC since the Cable Card gadgets weren't for sale to mere mortals that want to build their own boxes.

I didn't see the Cable Card option for the HP m9000t. Did I miss something?

Let us know how it works.

Don

[bdraw]

Another option for QAM on the MCE is the HDHomeRun which enables QAM for MCE even though it's not supported by MCE.

CableCARD is a $300 option on that computer, plus you have to have a different video card. I believe it comes to about $1500.

[pilotbob]

I have an HTPC machine running Vista. The tuner card (WinTV HVR-1600) decodes QAM signals but Media Center doesn't know what to do with them. I tried SageTV but didn't seem to have any luck getting it to run properly on my machine. The WinTV software does seem to work with the HD signals but it isn't as slick as Media Center. Eventually I'll rearrange some stuff at the house and actually set up the HTPC for regular use...right now it has been assembled, tested, and then basically ignored.

Of course the WinTV card has nothing to do with the Cable Card so at best I'm working with basic cable or renting another cable box. There is another thread on here about building a Cable Card capable HTPC but the basic conclusion was that the only option was to buy a complete Media Center PC since the Cable Card gadgets weren't for sale to mere mortals that want to build their own boxes.

I didn't see the Cable Card option for the HP m9000t. Did I miss something?

Let us know how it works.

Don

Did you try the ReplayTV PC software? I belive it supports that tuner card.

Bob

[dprice]

Nope, haven't tried the ReplayTV software. I didn't realize there such a thing...my dead ReplayTV is Linux based. A check of the site says it doesn't support the HVR-1600 card. Maybe later...

The HDHomeRun and BeyondTV bundle is starting to look more like what I should have started with. Oh well.

Don