Watch on Computer

08-01-2010, 08:37 AM

I would like to watch tv on my computer. Is this possible with a Bell subscription? What hardware would I need to purchase?

Thanks

08-01-2010, 05:06 PM

It depends where the hardware is located really as there are many options really! comes down to how much you want to spend and does it need to be a wireless solution or is a partially wired solution feasible. PS is the bell box anywhere near a computer?

08-02-2010, 12:04 AM

i was thinking i could just install a pci card in my pc (like a ati all in wonder-i know its for cable) and plug in the RG6 cable. then use some program to view the picture.

08-02-2010, 01:11 AM

yes that would work as you would just be tuning to the coax output. Likely could find a cheap tuner of ebay.
Much cheaper than say a sagetv setup that i was going to mention to start with,

08-02-2010, 09:26 AM

do you know what kind of pci card i would need to purchase?

08-02-2010, 04:31 PM

Any Analogue TV tuner will do as you will just need to tune to what ever channel you box outputs. Speaking of which does your box have a rf output?

I will pm you some cards that will work I found of off dealextreme

**classicsat** · 08-02-2010, 11:11 PM

To be clear, you cannot directly tune Bell TV with a computer card (at least fully legally and withing rules of this forum).

You will use a Bell TV receiver and feed its A/V to the inputs of a tuner/capture card, and use standard MCE/DVR/tuner software. To change channels with the PC will require an IR blaster to control the satellite box.

08-03-2010, 07:09 AM

Just use slingbox. Easy and very good

08-03-2010, 01:40 PM

thanks classicsat that is exactely what i was wanting to do (and yes i know all about the illiegal option).

that's a real bummer.. i'm not going to waste $$$ on the receiver to hook up to my computer. i can't believe there isn't a product for this yet.

08-03-2010, 08:32 PM

In either case, even though it isn't possible, you'd have to spend money on a sat tuner card or a receiver, so it works out the same. There isn't a huge market for this and the support cost would be huge, so not likely to become available any time soon.

The way you posed your original question "watch on computer" is of course possible as described above. I feed composite video and L/R audio into an old analogue TV tuner card from a 5900 Bell PVR and occasionally watch TV via my 24" LCD monitor. I maninly use it though to grab a few screen captures here and there.

A satellite tuner card woiuld require specific hardware to the vendor so 3rd party stuff would be unlikely. It would also have to deal with frequent firmware updates and handle a smart card some how. The other drawback/difficulty would be that your computer would have to be on most of the time to maintain authorization.