TV Tuner Cards

[aaronhyam]

Hello guys,

I have been looking now several weeks for a TV Tuner card for my computer.. I am looking for a tv tuner card that will allow me to plug my Sky TV Box into the computer..

I have a sky subscription with my box and all i want to be able to do is connect my sky tv box into my laptop so that i watch my subscription on the laptop...

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any tv tuner card.. I have seen a few usb sticks but they all offer freeview and would not allow me to just plug my sky box in....

 

[Oddba11]

I only recommend Hauppauge hardware.

Having said that, any tuner with video inputs will work. There aren't any that can tune SAT channels. So you would simply connect the video output of the Sky box to the input of the tuner card. For playback, you would choose the "line input" of the tuner card. All channel changes would still be done on the Sky box. Just ensure you get a tuner with inputs that match the Sky box outputs.

 

[aaronhyam]

So basically there is none that will read the box for channels and allow me to change the channel on the laptop...

I am looking to run it through my network (router) so that when i am away from home i can access my network and watch the channels aswell as media on my laptop

 

[crjdriver]

I agree; I have been using a hauppauge card for going on 10yrs now with no problems at all. It is used every day to record my wife's soap opera.

 

[zx10guy]

You might want to look at something like a Slingbox. While it's meant to allow you to view programming you've purchased for your home anywhere you have Internet access, there's no reason why you can't use it in your house. I do this with my Slingbox when I want to view programming on my laptop. The nice thing is you're not tied to having some adapter to plug the subscriber box in to nor are you tied to where you can go due to the wires. And you also get to view your programming on the go as there's a mobile app for your smart phone.

 

[aaronhyam]

The slingbox is a good device ive had them for a long time myself.. But the problem with slingbox you have to watch the same channel as the main box when you are away...

 

[zx10guy]

I don't understand the problem. If you want all the programming you paid for which requires a box to hooked up to what ever tuner card you pick up, you're still stuck with watching the same programming as the main box.

 

[aaronhyam]

I used to have a TV Tuner card usb - the company no longer sell them and i cant find anyone selling them... Before i stupidly broke it by accident the card allowed me to plug in the sky box into it using the phone cables or hdmi... I then used NextPVR as my backend on my home computer to read the card - NextPVR then listed all the channels on my Sky Box that was apart of my paid subscription

I then used XBMC or Plex to access the frontend of my NEXTPVR and there i could watch all my sky subscription without having to watch the same on my box... This means my kids used the SkyGo app on there phones and laptops and my wife has her main box in the living room connected to the TV.. I then put xbmc on my laptop that i travel with and could access my network and watch my paid sky subscription using Live TV settings that would read NextPVR on my home computer... Maybe this helps you and makes you understand....

Just i cannot find a TV Tuner anywhere currently on sale that can do the same !

 

[Oddba11]

Most providers (here in the US), both cable and SAT have internet based services which give you access to content provided by the service based on your subscription (ie: channels to which you are paying) or content on your DVR. There are also other services, some noted above, which allow you access to shared material on your LAN.

Having said that, I have not seen a tuner card (here in the US) which is capable of tuning SAT channels. It works as I noted above. But it's very likely Sky provides a box with remote access (internet, phone app, etc.) for changing channels and other features.