Suggestions...

Well shoot....

We've all found out that WMC in Windows 8 will be exactly as it is in the final release of Windows 8. This disappointed me because Windows Media Center had some serious potential as being something greater than it is.

Which leads me to my post, I need suggestions and recommendations on what to do with television input on my PC. I was going to wait and see if WMC was going to be overhauled in a cleaner, metro styled way so I could use a TV tuner card. Well, so much for that. I currently have a digital converter box that I could a couple years ago. I was wondering something, could I possibly have the functionality WMC would had provided with TV support, as in having televsion input on my PC so I could full screen it, window it, pause it; but have the converter box connected to an input on my PC?

What connector(s) does it have? Meaning is it a standard Coax cable, or is it DB15, or USB?
It is usually Coax, and going by that, you can just go to your local computer store and get a Coax to USB
cable, and connect it directly to your PC. I have DSH Network, and connect that box up with Coax to USB
and Windows 8cp detects it as the brand box and type. I even get the ROM chipset version from the box,
and you can update it's firmware using your PC and Internet connection. I would first suggest that you do
a internet search of that box's schematics so when you view it in Windows 8cp, you will understand it. Also
you can tap into your TV's service thru your PC as well. BUT with DSH, they're smart. The have it password
protected so no free HBO, Showtime, etc.

When I bought my Plus TV TV tuner, its driver CD has a packaged installer for the remote control and "Hypermedia Center" specifically for watching TV, listening to radio and so on. Its like a replacement for WMC or as a media-center thing if you are using Windows XP so that you could watch TV. Its specifically built for the TV Tuner Brand and model that I have but I find it buggy on Vista at that time so I used WMC then on for watching TV up until now on Windows 7. I'm assuming that manufacturers of near future TV Tuners will include a program that could make you watch TV as an alternative to WMC if its not natively available on Windows 8 and hopefully those will include features to support your digital converter box.

Mike Lonewolf said:

What connector(s) does it have? Meaning is it a standard Coax cable, or is it DB15, or USB?
It is usually Coax, and going by that, you can just go to your local computer store and get a Coax to USB
cable, and connect it directly to your PC. I have DSH Network, and connect that box up with Coax to USB
and Windows 8cp detects it as the brand box and type. I even get the ROM chipset version from the box,
and you can update it's firmware using your PC and Internet connection. I would first suggest that you do
a internet search of that box's schematics so when you view it in Windows 8cp, you will understand it. Also
you can tap into your TV's service thru your PC as well. BUT with DSH, they're smart. The have it password
protected so no free HBO, Showtime, etc.

Click to expand...

It has a coaxial input and RCA component output.

OK, then simple enough, just get a Coax to USB cable, and connect it to your PC, and box your Windows 8 will tell you it found new hardware, and would you like to search for a driver, go on and let it. Once the driver is installed, you can update the box's BIOS, and Firmware. Also, you will get a screen in the screen and see your cable/satellite company list of shows you can watch online. Then just choose what to watch with the remote and IF you have Nero, you can record those shows to your hard drive then later move them to DVD.
Enjoy.