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Hooking up Cable TV to my computer?

558 views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  jay's96cobra 
#1 ·
Any ideas how I could hook up my Time Warner Cable TV to my Media Center PC without using a cable box?

Before I started paying for Cable TV, the cable installer ran an extra cable for "video". It was only the A side (or maybe the B Side) and it worked great. Now that I've got Cable TV that cable no longer works.

So now I've got two cables that go into the back of the cable box (A and B I'm assuming). Any idea if I can use a splitter to combine these into one cable and run it into my computer without a cable box?
 
#2 ·
Coax for cable shouldn't have A and B??? If it has channels and works with the cable box and Time Warner still has analog channels they should show up just fine when splitting the feed for the converter. Get more than 4 items though and you'll need another wire to the pole/box.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, any tv card that has coax in should work fine as TW still uses analog for people that do not have a cable box, but you will be limited to the channels available and it depends on your area.
 
#4 ·
AbecX said:
Yeah, any tv card that has coax in should work fine as TW still uses analog for people that do not have a cable box, but you will be limited to the channels available and it depends on your area.
I'll have to check the cables then. Maybe the one he originally had running to my room (computer) is disconnected now. I'll see how running just one of the cables that go into the back of the cable box works out.
 
#6 ·
It also depends on area too, some areas are digital only, they 'removed' analog. I dont know how true it is, but I am in one of those areas, I'm to lazy to test it out though.
 
#7 ·
What happens if it's digital? Will I still be able to connect directly into my computer without a cable box?
 
#8 ·
evil jose said:
What happens if it's digital? Will I still be able to connect directly into my computer without a cable box?
No. To be honest its best to get a cable box so you can get all of the channels you would have in your living room.
 
#9 ·
usmcblown4.6 said:
No. To be honest its best to get a cable box so you can get all of the channels you would have in your living room.
But this is for my computer on my bed room. Honestly, I would be happy with just half the channels just like I had before. If this was a TV in one of my main rooms than yes I would agree, I should get a cable box for it.
 
#10 ·
Do you have a card with a coax input? If not a quick way to test is to just hook it up to a tv via coax without the cable box. If you get a picture than you have analog cable in your area.

Ok I re-read your post. Where is your cable modem?
 
#11 ·
If its digital, you wont get anything on your tv in card, unless there is some software out there that will decode it or whatever.
 
#12 ·
if it's digital cable, you'll have to wait for Vista and some new digital TV Tuner cards that will be released around the same time.

But then it depends on if your cable provider allows the digital TV Tuner card to decode it's particular signal. Oh what a wonderful world, cable is.

Another option would be to look into a Freevo setup. You'll still need a box in your bedroom, but with an IR port on your computer, you'll be able to change the channels on your set top box too. And be able to record your shows. There's quite a few versions floating around now. www.byopvr.com has some good info.

And there is a new PC version of ReplayTV coming out soon.

Then again Jose, you can always get a slingbox like I have and set it up in your living room, etc. and watch tv on your pc that way too.
 
#13 ·
if there is analog in your area, take the coax off your modem...put a 2 way splitter there and run a coax back to your modem and another one to your cable card. The splitter will drop the signal 3.5db but depending it will still be good. If your modem comes back online you should be fine.
 
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