HDTV tuner card help

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

I'm budgeting for an HTPC with a nice HDTV tuner card.
HOWEVER, I'm with AT&T Uverse, which uses IPTV.
Does anybody here know of a good TV tuner card that's IPTV (AT&T Uverse) complaint? Because it appears there aren't any, and that really sucks.

[BohemianGraham]

I don't have an HD tuner, but my standard def card from Haupaugge, a 1250 model, works with my IPTV box from Bell Aliant via S-video and Windows Media Centre.

It won't allow me to hack into channels I don't subscribe to, but I was able to set up PVRing and the Guide via WMC's auto detection. I would assume that the HD versions would do the same thing. I had to get an IR blaster though in order for it to work though. WMC works better than the software the card comes with.

I would check around for IR blasters, and see which cards come with them, and use WMC. I know WMC isn't everyone's cup of tea, but out of all the software I tried, it was the only one that would treat my connection from my IPTV as multiple channels via the IR blaster.

Edit:

Just a quick scan on Newegg, but here: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16815116065 - a bit high, might be lower since you are in the states, but it should work on the same principle as mine does. I use S-video + audio (a y-cable) from my IPTV box (I don't have HD channels since it's too expensive and I don't watch enough of my IPTV to justify it anyway) to my computer, with an IR blaster pack thingy my dad gave me from his HP (a usb box the IR blaster plugs into, this card includes the plug). Then I ran auto-set up in Windows Media Centre after installing the drivers, and now have my IPTV box on my computer.

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

Thanks for your thorough response.
I'll research the product you suggested.

[fairchild]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OVE2B4

Can get it cheaper on Amazon than on newegg. (no shipping and no tax for me vs newegg)

I don't know the specifics of IPTV, but that card allows you to record the image through say a component/hdmi out on your set top box. This is especially handy if you want to use it as a DVR and have a set top box that encrypts some premium channels.

I am considering getting that card so I can use it as a DVR. My TV service is cable and it uses a card to authorize all the premium channels I pay for and most are encrypted.

Also just came accross this post which details how to setup the Colossus with freeware DVR software:

http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/me...support-94850/

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

Okay. So, just to make sure I understand how the Hauppauge Colossus is supposed to work, I take the HDMI running out of my AT&T cable box and run it directly through the HDMI on the Hauppauge Colossus that's installed in my HTPC, then run out of my HTPC's DVI or HDMI to a monitor.
Then load the freeware if I don't like Hauppauge's software and I'll be able to record any HD movie, show or game that's on my cable.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Youre My Boy Blu!

Okay. So, just to make sure I understand how the Hauppauge Colossus is supposed to work, I take the HDMI running out of my AT&T cable box and run it directly through the HDMI on the Hauppauge Colossus that's installed in my HTPC, then run out of my HTPC's DVI or HDMI to a monitor.
Then load the freeware if I don't like Hauppauge's software and I'll be able to record any HD movie, show or game that's on my cable.

Correct. That's how I did mine. Mind you, I only had success with Windows Media Centre, which is already installed on your PC if you run Windows 7. Check to see if they have the driver updates to make WMC compatible though. Hauppauge doesn't seem to want people to use WMC.

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

UPDATE:
Well...
This didn't work.
The Colossus was a colossal pain in the @$$ to try to get to work.
I spent about a week messing with the software to try and get it to communicate with AT&T Uverse, and it just didn't work.
Way too frustrating.
I had to return it.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Youre My Boy Blu!

UPDATE:
Well...
This didn't work.
The Colossus was a colossal pain in the @$$ to try to get to work.
I spent about a week messing with the software to try and get it to communicate with AT&T Uverse, and it just didn't work.
Way too frustrating.
I had to return it.

Try the Vulkan, it acts as a DVR if thats what your looking for + allows you to watch TV from anywhere

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Youre My Boy Blu!

UPDATE:
Well...
This didn't work.
The Colossus was a colossal pain in the @$$ to try to get to work.
I spent about a week messing with the software to try and get it to communicate with AT&T Uverse, and it just didn't work.
Way too frustrating.
I had to return it.

What sort of problems did you have, I have some suggestions, but I'm not sure how helpful they are since I don't know what your issues were.

For the record, I had to fight with my standard def one, which is why I ended up ditching the default software, and tested 3 or 4 others, before I ended up using Windows Media Centre. Did you have an IR blaster? That can be problematic if it didn't come with one of these:



WMC wouldn't work and set up otherwise for me. I'd get so far, and boom, it wouldn't let me go any further. Even after I got the IR blaster, it was tricky trying to find the correct place to position it on my IPTV box. It works perfectly now.

You could have also bought a defective card, as stuff like that happens from time to time.