Anybody done this? My friend says you can install TV tuner(s) in your PC, hook up your OTA antenna, and then Windows Media Center acts like DVR software, downloading program guides and scheduling recordings. Anybody tried it?
OTA makeshift DVR using Windows Media Center
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I did this exact thing a little over a month ago. There is a pretty in depth conversation about it here.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-pull-the-plug-on-cable?p=3362467#post3362467
I'm still happy with it and the computer is smart enough to wake from sleep on its own a few minutes before my scheduled recordings start. Because of that I am able to save some energy over leaving a PC or DVR running 24 hours a day.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-pull-the-plug-on-cable?p=3362467#post3362467
I'm still happy with it and the computer is smart enough to wake from sleep on its own a few minutes before my scheduled recordings start. Because of that I am able to save some energy over leaving a PC or DVR running 24 hours a day.
It's an exact recording of whatever your antenna can bring in. In my case it's a little better than Dish picture quality but it's pretty comparable. Keep in mind that you need more hard drive space for OTA HD recordings than you would with dish because they are still using the older MPEG2 compression while Dish has moved up to MPEG4.
I use a hauppauge wintv hvr 950q (I think) as an atsc tuner with WMC. You definitely want a second hard drive for the recordings. I think my dvr folder is around 250-300gb so far. There are both single- and dual-tuner cards available.
I've had a setup like this for about six years now, I'm using two Hauppauge HVR1600's. It works really good, the only things that I don't like is having to leave the PC on all of the time and the formats it records in. Win 7 records in WTV and Vista to DVRMS, neither formats play on much else without transcoding. Win7 Media Center is much better than Vista for OTA and the XP 2005 Media Center is useless for OTA. I have 8, but haven't tried it yet.
You can also use X Box 360's as extenders to other TV's too and not have to watch it just on the PC, I have one set up at my parent's house next door and they watch the OTA channels and recordings from my antenna on it via wireless network. It's works really nice for that, they're in their late seventies and have no problem using it.
You can also use X Box 360's as extenders to other TV's too and not have to watch it just on the PC, I have one set up at my parent's house next door and they watch the OTA channels and recordings from my antenna on it via wireless network. It's works really nice for that, they're in their late seventies and have no problem using it.
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I actually have my PC connected to my tv using an hdmi cable. Modern flat screen tvs are basically big monitors.
Here's everything you will ever need to know to set this up: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1250607/windows-7-media-center-setup-guide-knowledge-base-support
There's plenty of others out there on the web also.
http://www.nextpvr.com/
http://www.mythtv.org/
Check out this new one I just found: http://www.team-mediaportal.com/
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My setup is in the other thread. I use Nextpvr since WMC is not included in Windows 8. Once I got my xml file setup for the guide listings, it has worked flawlessly.
Can you use a HD Homerun Prime device along with an OTA NTSC internal PCI tuner in the same computer and have guide information for both in Windows Media Center?
I would think so, but don't know for sure, I've never used a HD Homerun Prime. I have used two Hauppauge HVR-1600 tuners, one for cable and one for OTA and there definitely was guide information for both, but not separate. If I remember correctly, [right now I only have OTA setup in WMC 7] it listed the cable stations and then the OTA within the same guide listings.
The Media Center was one of the things which made me get rid of cable all together, when Metrocast went digital they scrambled even the basic channels and the POS Pace DTA they supplied as a solution wouldn't work with the Media Center IR Blaster and I wasn't paying $15 a month for a box from them that would, just for basic channels.
Which is something you probably should check on yourself before you buy an HD Homerun Prime, make sure your cable company isn't scrambling all the channels and whether it will work if they are, or if you're using a cable box, that it'll work with the Media Center IR Blaster. Or, if you're going to use a cable-card with the HD Homerun Prime, that your cable company will let you use it.
Afterthought: In your post you asked about a NTSC tuner, but if you want to receive OTA stations, you won't be able to use a NTSC tuner, it'll have to be ATSC. If you're going to input a VCR or something through it and not receive OTA stations, then NTSC would be all right. I'd assume you want OTA stations, because you'd asked about the guide listings.
The Media Center was one of the things which made me get rid of cable all together, when Metrocast went digital they scrambled even the basic channels and the POS Pace DTA they supplied as a solution wouldn't work with the Media Center IR Blaster and I wasn't paying $15 a month for a box from them that would, just for basic channels.
Which is something you probably should check on yourself before you buy an HD Homerun Prime, make sure your cable company isn't scrambling all the channels and whether it will work if they are, or if you're using a cable box, that it'll work with the Media Center IR Blaster. Or, if you're going to use a cable-card with the HD Homerun Prime, that your cable company will let you use it.
Afterthought: In your post you asked about a NTSC tuner, but if you want to receive OTA stations, you won't be able to use a NTSC tuner, it'll have to be ATSC. If you're going to input a VCR or something through it and not receive OTA stations, then NTSC would be all right. I'd assume you want OTA stations, because you'd asked about the guide listings.
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What I ended up doing was buying both the HD Homerun and HD Homerun Prime devices. This gives me 2 OTA tuners and 3 cablecard tuners. As a self professed cord cutter who recently left Dish, I really didn't want to add cable into the mix, but Comcast ran a promotion for 50 GB downstream internet + Digital Starter for $59.99 per month for 12 months. I couldn't turn that down. It's only $20 more than what I was already paying them for internet. Now that I have the HD Homerun's and WMC HTPC set up along with my own cable modem, I have no HD fees, no receiver fees, no DVR fees, just $59.99. I can also watch live TV on all PC's and phones in the house with no additional outlet fees. Not a bad deal.
Yeah, that's not a bad deal at all. I pay $46 a month for internet through our cable company, Metrocast, if they would give me TV too for only $20 more, I'd do it.
All those little fees for the boxes, modem, etc, they do add up! Our modem is something that I still have to replace, we're still paying Metrocast $7.95 a month for ours. Originally, we had a bundled TV/Phone and Internet package and we were stuck with having to use their modem for their VOIP phone, but don't need to now.
I gotta get off my butt and buy a modem soon so I can get rid of theirs. I've probably already paid them enough on the modem fees to buy a new one or maybe even two by procrastinating on replacing it!
Yeah, that's not a bad deal at all. I pay $46 a month for internet through our cable company, Metrocast, if they would give me TV too for only $20 more, I'd do it.
All those little fees for the boxes, modem, etc, they do add up! Our modem is something that I still have to replace, we're still paying Metrocast $7.95 a month for ours. Originally, we had a bundled TV/Phone and Internet package and we were stuck with having to use their modem for their VOIP phone, but don't need to now.
I gotta get off my butt and buy a modem soon so I can get rid of theirs. I've probably already paid them enough on the modem fees to buy a new one or maybe even two by procrastinating on replacing it!
Yeah, the fees are really what pads the bill for cable and satellite companies. I think that's why they don't really promote cablecard (if at all). I had never heard of it until I became a member of this forum. I have learned a ton from this place. It has always saved me a buttload of money.
I've learned a ton here too. Before I became a member here, I was totally ignorant of satellite TV but not now, thanks to this site!
They make the package price look low by moving all the costs to fees... Like DVR fees, box fees, etc.
