Observer
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2 Messages
Using a TV Tuner Card to view my uverse channels on my computer in my Home Office.
I am currently a U200 Uverse subscriber with the DVR in the living room, and a single STB in the bedroom. I am looking to purchase a TV Tuner card similar to the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 so I can watch television on my computer while in my office.
Will I be able to do that with having to get an additional STB?
Does AT&T offer up any TV Tuner Cards that can support this? At what cost?
If the card I mentioned above is not correct, what would be a good card to use?
Thank you very much in advance,
Claud
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aviewer
Expert
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3.2K Messages
12 years ago
Hauppage is probably the best one for a PC. Also, look at elgato.
Another alternative is slingbox or monsoon Vulkano or Belkin TV+. These hook up to the STB & the web & are accessible from any computer via the web.
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pobrien185
Tutor
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1 Message
11 years ago
It can be used with Media Center, in fact the entire orignal front end GUI of uverse was basically a reowrked version of media center. As others have answered though you do have to have a box and most likely an ir blaster to make it work with a PC tv tuner card of any kind. The reason being is that clear qam does not exist on the system, thats a cable television thing and uverse is not cable. They never fell under the FCC ruling that cable companies had to allow customers to purchase a basic minimum package without having to lease or rent a box because again its just not cable. Even for cable now though, that ruling recently changed and the days of being able to just plug the coax into a tv tuner card or tv with qam capable tuner are coming to an end. Most cable providers have very few channels left on unencrypted or clear qam status and those are all set to be phased out within the next couple of years. It sucks, because I have always been a htpc guy and while my main box has a cable card tuner that allows me to use comcast with media center including encrypted chanells that I subscribe to, my extenders and game consoles are only clear qam capable, so they basically get the 5 or 6 major networks and public access. A couple of years ago, Atlanta area comcast had every basic cable channel on clear qam so eery extender and tv in the house got mtv, usa, comedy,cnn, etc etc, and the rental fee on my cable card that went into my ceton tuner was only 3 bucks a month.
We are cutting it out all together as of next week. I have a pretty decent ota signal, so I wil get almost all of the same channels that I get with clear qam now, and we spend way more time watching netflix and amazon then we do the encrypted cable chanells. So my tv cost will go from over $1200 a year to about $150.
Hope this helps!
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oufanindallas
ACE - Master
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480 Messages
12 years ago
You will need an STB to be able to watch on your PC. Once you have that it's just a matter of connecting the inputs to the outputs of the STB to the tuner card.
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claudyeiser
Observer
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2 Messages
12 years ago
Thank you. That isn't what I was hoping to hear, but if that is what it is, then I'll just have to do without.
My cable bill is already larger than I want, I don't want to add to it with another STB.
Too bad though, I would be willing to block any premium channels from being viewed on the PC to be able to do this without having to add anther STB to my bill.
Thanks again,
Claud
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dhascall
ACE - Master
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1.4K Messages
12 years ago
Sorry. It is actually a shame that U-Verse doesn't offer this as an option. Mediaroom (The Microsoft client) does allow using a PC but my guess is that AT&T would charge extra for the privilege (!) and I do not know if U-Verse has even proofed / tested that their setup would allow it.
Welcome! Don't be a stranger on the forums.
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oufanindallas
ACE - Master
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480 Messages
12 years ago
I remember when they were first talking about UVerse that was how it was advertised. Being availble through MS Media center.
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ethanedwards
Mentor
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46 Messages
11 years ago
One limitation using a PC TV tuner card with a u-verse STB is that you are stuck with an SD picture.
Perhaps a better solution is to use an All-in-one PC with an HDMI input (eg., a DELL XPS One). Or replace your PC monitor with one that has an HDMI input and use the PC's sound card.
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dhascall
ACE - Master
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1.4K Messages
11 years ago
Can't component cables pass HD?
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kpaustin
Teacher
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8 Messages
11 years ago
I use a SlingBox 350 to watch on my Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, any of 3 Samsung Galaxy Tablets or my Galaxy S3. HDMI to the TV in that room and component to the slingbox. A lot more flexible than a dedicated tuner card if it's an option, viewing wise. But no DVR capability (that I'm aware of).
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ethanedwards
Mentor
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46 Messages
11 years ago
Regards.
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