Connecting cable box through pc?

[mookieo2]

I'm working on designing something for a customer and if I can find a way to connect a HD cable box to a PC and watch it in one window and use another program in a different window it will work really well. I do not need or want to record the cable broadcast and do not want to use an RF or composite input. It needs to be HDMI, DVI-D or component. I just need to pass the signal through the computer to a window.  I figure if its possible someone here should know.

[cokey]

What kind ofcomp and wat year is it?   If it has an hdmi in you should be able to. If not FireWire works also.
the first thing that you have to make sure is if your PC has a TV tuner. You can do this by checking box with PC specifications.

[cokey]

Or you can also use a slingbox

[mookieo2]

What I'm doing is taking a 26 TV in a kitchen and putting a touchscreen overlay on it and running software from the control system to control the house pretty much. It needs to do double duty as a TV. I wanted to run the cable box through the PC to minimize the Delft of changing inputs on the TV. Its not a long delay but I know it will get annoying. If I can get the TV displayed through a window I can also set the control system to change sizes and pop up TV control page and also allow lighting, security, temp, access too. Otherwise everytime they want to change or view something they need to wait for the TV to change inputs. It may sound like nothing but I need it to be a smooth transition.

I was planning on using one of those small Acer computers with win 7. I could get a video processor that would do the pip to whatever I wanted whenever i want but there 2 g's.

[mitt]

Basically you want a HDMI input on your PC.  Then you can use Windows Media Center (I think) to watch your content.

No first hand experience, but this seems like it should work:


The AVerTV HD DVR - is a High Definition / Analog video capture card. It's equipped with HDMI and
through the included dongle cable, Component, S-Video and Composite Video input interface.
Allowing users to connect to their Cable/Satellite Set-Top-Box, Gaming Console and HD Video
recorders to capture High Definition and Analog video content on their to PC

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815100049

*edit - might have to use their media player - AVer MediaCenter

mitt

[Monster Dave]

^

+1


Ultimately, why does your customer what "cable" coming through a computer?? Is there something that he/she wants to watch that can't be found online?

There was a time when TV tuner cards were popular, but that's sort of gone the way of the dinos since everything's gone the way of streaming.

[erkishhorde]

^

+1


Ultimately, why does your customer what "cable" coming through a computer?? Is there something that he/she wants to watch that can't be found online?

There was a time when TV tuner cards were popular, but that's sort of gone the way of the dinos since everything's gone the way of streaming.

I think he's looking at case of turning a tv into a computer instead of replacing a tv with a computer. I would venture to say that it's someone that wants to stay low tech and watch TV like they used to but being able to control your house from a computer isn't very low tech.

[Raux]

Maybe it's me, but if your tv has PiP capability, why even bother running the cable through the PC?

[mookieo2]

Most TV's do not come with true PIP and I do not want split screen. We are installing an LCD in a Kitchen and we were originally going to install a 10" touchscreen in the middle of then island. This is no small home, the kitchen is probably 30 x 30, custom mahogany cabinets, viking, sub zero, built in Miele espresso machine, etc. The 10" table top touchscreen on the Island is not going to work with a new design they have so I need to put one somewhere else. I could just slap an in wall into the side of one of the cabinets but I thought and figured out most of this solution. I want to make the 26"TV that will be built into a custom cabinet on a swing arm to act as a control system touchscreen, since the company who's control system we are switching to has panel software to run on any PC. I think it would be really cool and easy for them ( as long as I get it to work the way I want) to go up to the nice size screen an be able to monitor/ control all functions of the house, and swap back to watching the TV or have a small touch panel interface showing at all times along the bottom of the TV with a re sized image from the cable box. The touchscreen would ideally control the cable box too. At this level house, with the level of control systems installed it needs to look and function extremely well. If I can pull it off It will be really nice but I just need to design the swapping from TV to touch panel an elegant solution.

I may pick up that HDMI dvr card and try it out.