Questions about PVR

[sunwind]

I want to make a pvr with my pc, but before I buy anything I have some questions.

I have io tv from cablevision and only 1 set top box.

1. Is PVR(personal video recorder) suppose to be similar to tivo and the the dvr's  from from the cable/satellite company or similar to the Slingbox?

2. What is over-the-air and qam channels?

3.Would I be able to record one channel and watch another? even if I use a splitter? example1: watch  The CW and record cartoonetwork
example2: watch disney channel and record TNT.

[prouton]

#1 - Yes, PVR's are just like Tivo boxes in functionality, just more configurable and expandable.  And yes, the major software packages can act like a slingbox, serving up your content to a computer elsewhere on the internet.

#2 - Over the air (OTA) refers to channels that are broadcast by transmission towers for general reception by televisions and tuner cards via antennas.  This is traditional television reception.  QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) is the means that cable companies use to place multiple channels on a single physical transmission medium (coax cable).  Since you're talking about using Cablevision for your source, you need tuner cards capable of QAM tuning (which most are).

#3 - As for being able to watch/record two channels simultaneously, it depends upon the nature of the source channels.  If you can tune the channel with a standard analog television without using the cable box, then you can tune the same channel with tuner card's analog tuner.  If you can tune a channel with a television's digital tuner without a cable box, then you could tune the same channel with tuner card's digital tuner.  Any channels that require the cable box to tune in order to pick up will still require the cable box for the tuner card to pick up.  In this last case, the tuner card isn't actually doing the tuning -- the cable box is.  The tuner card is simply converting the cable box's analog output into a digital file stream.

Since I don't know which of hte channels you listed are provided as basic, unencrypted channels versus encrypted (cable box) channels, I can't give you a more definitive answer.

[sunwind]

#1 - Yes, PVR's are just like Tivo boxes in functionality, just more configurable and expandable.  And yes, the major software packages can act like a slingbox, serving up your content to a computer elsewhere on the internet.



#3 - As for being able to watch/record two channels simultaneously, it depends upon the nature of the source channels.  If you can tune the channel with a standard analog television without using the cable box, then you can tune the same channel with tuner card's analog tuner.  If you can tune a channel with a television's digital tuner without a cable box, then you could tune the same channel with tuner card's digital tuner.  Any channels that require the cable box to tune in order to pick up will still require the cable box for the tuner card to pick up.  In this last case, the tuner card isn't actually doing the tuning -- the cable box is.  The tuner card is simply converting the cable box's analog output into a digital file stream.

 Basically the channels I can receive without a cable box are my local stations the major networks. The other channel such as nick, disney, nicktoons  and others need a cable box.
If I want to record a local channel and watch a cable channel I'll be able to do that but If I wanted to record a cable channel and watch another cable channel I might not be able to do that?

[Miller]

Correct.

[The Dude]

Or at least not without adding another STB. I believe you said you didn't want to do that though.