HTPC advice and help

D

domiereavron

Enthusiast
You can skip these first two paragraphs just shows what I have done and gives some clarification. I apologize for this long post.

After some water damage from the roof that was caused to my house causing me to have to replace the drywall in two rooms I thought I would re-wire living room and bedroom and build my dream bedroom and living room.

The bedroom has a huge closet where I would like to put the majority of my gear. I have fished 3 different phone lines(bedroom, second bedroom, living room) and four ethernet connections (bedroom, second bedroom, living room, second one for living room for the tv/receiver). I hate wireless... I have wired 5.1 surround sound for the living room and bedroom. running the speaker wire behind the walls. Threw in two pot lights on either side of the tv in both the bedroom and living room. Both rooms are now sound proofed and have triple pane windows installed. Basically all the fanatical carpentary has been done. Even removed the wall that separates the living room from the kitchen giving it an open concept. I thought what man wouldn't want to be able to eat supper at the dinner table and watch tv?

I am putting my computer in the closet and running usb repeaters behind the walls to the other side of the room. I have 3 in total. I am also running the monitor dvi cord and just a 3.5 jack for sound and phone. Kinda seems silly since the room is also wired for 5.1.

I was wondering can I have

1. An htpc that can allow me to watch to watch TV and use my computer at the same time.

2. Be able to record tv in high defination for satelitte or cable? It would also be used a media center for the PS3 in the living room. Wierdly enough the tvs for each room are located in the same spot just on other side of the walls.

I am not good with the whole HTPC thing but I was golden for installing the windows, soundproofing, running wires and leveling the floors and ceilings. I just suck with the hardware and connections part. Learning though.
 
engtaz

engtaz

Full Audioholic
1. yes, with a TV card
2. yes, with a HDTV card.
HDTV cards work very well but Vista drivers can be a problem. If you running Vista, verify the card supports it, most don't.

engtaz
 
1

10010011

Senior Audioholic
1. Yes with a TV card that had HARDWARE mpeg compression and a reasonably powered system.

2. Yes, no, maybe... There are HD tuner cards but these only tune in OTA HD (ATSC) and unencrypted HD/digital cable channels (QAM). There is one cable tuner card available that has a built in cablecard slot but this is only available from HP (I think) and only if bought installed in a complete system. There are no PC based HD satellite tuner cards that I know of. The only way to record HD from a satellite tuner is with one of the newer HD capture cards that have component video input.
 
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domiereavron

Enthusiast
could the satelitte box be used and have the computer change the satelitte box through infrared? I have heard about it, just havent seen a lot it. I am from Canada and I have only seen anything remountly like this in direct tv. Dang forgot about my signal repeaters for the infrared to my closet. Any suggestions for that? I tried monoprice as everyone has nice things to say about them and they ship to Canada.

Any operating system recommended?
 
jcPanny

jcPanny

Audioholic Ninja
Htpc?

You might consider using a regular DVR for recording programs and a PS3 or Apple TV for storing music and other media. This solution would cost less and be much easier to use and maintain then then the HTPC.
 
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