How to hook cable tv to my new desktop

[Superbuick96]

I recently bought a new Dell desktop, and am not really sure on how to hook up the cable tv to it. My old HP had the coaxail input on the back, this new Dell has only a Hdmi input on the back. I guess what I am asking is do they make and coaxial to hdmi adapter that would allow me to plug in my Time Warner Cable line to it?
Thanks for your input

 

[eljefino]

You would need a cable box with HDMI out. However it's likely a copy protection scheme may prevent you from recording or possibly viewing that signal.

The analog tier would still work with an analog card, you could probably rob it from your old HP and it would work. But it wouldn't be the best quality.

 

[Superbuick96]

The computer came with windows media center which allows you to watch pause a d record tv

 

[yesthatsteve]

TV tuner. I use the Diamond Wonder 750 USB. About $40 at Best Buy or Amazon.

It does work with unencrypted digital signals, so it would have to hook up to the coax output of your cable box.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yup. You need a USB TV tuner card.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: Superbuick96
My old HP had the coaxail input on the back

It sounds like your old computer had a TV tuner card in it. Could you pull it and install it in your new computer?

I have a dual-tuner AVerMedia A188C PCIe Pure ATSC card in mine. I don't have cable or satellite servie, but rather get my television "over the air". I use Windows Media Center as my DVR. I can record two shows while playing back a third. I can also watch a show "live" with the ability to pause it. I can do all of this on my computer or "extended" to my large TV in the other room via our Xbox 360.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

There are TV card out there that either plug in VIA usb or some sort of PCI/PCI-E.

The HDMI port on the back of your computer is likely an HDMI out - for outputting to a TV.

I've had both the USB and PCI-E ones, I'd recommend the ones that attach directly to the motherboard (PCI-E) as they have some processing ability and the signal decoding/etc is done on the card and not on your computer's processor.

 

[Nyquist]

If you are computer savvy, you can use one of these so long as your warranty allows you to crack the case open:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis...t-_-tvtunercard

An easier option is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis...&OEMMark=N

For most cable, you need QAM compatibility.

 

[DuckRyder]

If it came with an HDMI in and windows media center, would not it probably already have a TV card?

"Dell desktop" leaves it pretty wide open

 

[Quattro Pete]

Well, I guess the OP needs to be more specific: is it an HDMI input or output only?

 

[DBMaster]

Also, do you have digital or analog cable service? HDMI is a digital only interface. If you have analog cable at the wall jack you will need a box of some kind to convert the analog signal to digital. Pulling the TV tuner card from the old PC or getting a new one sounds like the best way to go.

Plus, I am almost willing to bet that the HDMI connector on your new computer is an OUTPUT rather than input. My 2012 Dell Latitude laptop has an HDMI output to be able to connect it to a TV for watching videos.

 

[Nyquist]

That HDMI port is out only. You need the hardware to properly decode your cable connection. Most major carriers are moving to all digital QAM, but some still use NTSC.