dumb question . . .

[Aiwin]

So, dumb question here: if I put one of these tuner cards into an open PCI slot, can I run coax into the card and then run coax out to my TV? I'm not clear on the input/output options for standard tuners.

Thanks in advance!

[bcjenkins]

Boy that was a dumb question! I mean everyone knows that you should get a coax splitter and run one to the TV and one to the computer, right!?

Welcome to the boards

B

[stanger89]

If you're talking about an Antenna, Analog Cable, or "Clear" Digital Cable, then yes, with the appropriate tuner you can run the cable to a simple splitter, and then from that to the TV and PC in parallel.

Few tuners have a "loopback" connection to pass through the signal to the TV, so you need to use a splitter to hook them both up.

[MeInMaui]

If your tuner card has more than one f-connector (screw-on coaxial connector), they will most probably be for different inputs (rather than a pass-through connection). For instance some analog tuners (i.e. Hauppauge PVR150) have an analog cable input and an FM radio input. Make sure you connect to the correct input or you will quickly run into problems.

Aloha,
Mike

[alfi33]

Originally Posted by Aiwin

So, dumb question here: if I put one of these tuner cards into an open PCI slot, can I run coax into the card and then run coax out to my TV? I'm not clear on the input/output options for standard tuners.

Thanks in advance!

Are you asking how you get the signal that was captured by the tuner card displayed on to your TV? If so, you do this with your video card. Typically, your video card will have some video outputs like S-video, DVI, or HDMI that you can use to get the signal to your TV.

[Aiwin]

I guess it would help if I explain exactly what I mean to do. I WAS using the S-video out on my PC to play DVDs and Netflix through my PC and watch them on my TV. My TV's S-video input seems to have crapped out though, and since it's not the newer sort with a VGA input or anything I immediately thought of getting a tuner card. My idea is that I'd run my cable into the card via coax, and back out via coax and into the TV. I thought that would enable me to watch TV like normal, and also be able to do the DVD/Netflix thing when I wanted too.

Also I thought it might be nice to make the PC into a DVR while I was at it, but I don't want to confuse things too much. Am I understanding the functionality of a tuner card correctly here? Any problems with my plan? I'd heard SageTV was a good way to go so I looked here first.

(I should add that I don't have a cable box, it's only basic cable)

[mayamaniac]

no, thats not what a tuner does or how it works.

Try composite/RCA (yellow, red, white) cable, most video cards has both S-Video and Composite outputs, usually comes with an adapter to switch between the two. All TVs made in the last 20 years have composite inputs.