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[WolfAudioSystems]

Hi all, I have decided to try my hand at ditching the Comcast box rental fee and go with JRiver, but this is an area where I have the least experience.  What I was hoping that you guys could answer (and I looked around on the site!) are these questions: 

As of today, July 17th, what is the best video capture card that is pci-e x1 or x4 that will record several channels, allow playback on other channels, behave with JRiver, compatible with comcast cable cards and have a good support back-end from the manufacturer?  If there is a high price model, mid price and low price that comes to mind, please let me know what you would pick.

I read something in a post about CETON no longer being a good choice (but i cant remember why it was said in a post) and I had initially wanted them because of the six channel recording capability.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks guys!

jfp

 

[Yaobing]

Let me try understand your goals first.  You do not want to ditch Comcast all together, but just want to cut down on Set-top-box/PVR box rental fee, and you want to use CableCARD device.

If that is correct, then you only have three choices:

Ceton Corporation makes InfiniTV 4, and InfiniTV 6 (with PCIe and USB versions)
SiliconDust makes HDHomeRun Prime USB device
Hauppauge makes two models of USB devices.

These are the only ones that I know of, and are the only ones explicitly supported in JRiver Media Center.

If you only want a PCIe device, then it will be Ceton InfiniTV 4 or InfiniTV 6.  I have the former, and it works well.

[WolfAudioSystems]

That's correct.  I had initially assumed that I would get a cable card from comcast to put into a Ceton device, but then i read something, somewhere, that Ceton was now a company that I should stay away from.  It's been a while, and I cant find that post, and it may have just been one guys opinion.  If you like Ceton and haven't heard anything cataclysmic about them, then I dont see any reason to avoid them.

Another question is this:  Most of the shows that I would want to watch/record are premium channel shows, though I have been told that those are encrypted.  Does having the cable card negate the encryption? Is any of this true?

Sorry for the long time in responding to your reply... a lot of travel.

[Yaobing]

Unfortunately, premium channels will not work in MC currently with CableCARD due to licensing issues.  This probably will not change in the near future.  To watch/record premium channels in MC, you still need a set-top box from your cable provider, and a video capture device, and an IR blaster.

[inputusernamehere]

Hello!  I have a similar plan to WolfAudio and have just purchased a InfiniTV 6 PCIe and got a (FiOS) CableCard for that purpose, so I read this thread with interest.  I am sorry, but I'm just not clear on just what "premium" channels happen to be in this case.  Are you saying channels like, ESPN and SyFy, or just HBO, Showtime, PPV, etc.  If the latter, not a big deal (for me); if it also includes the former... that could be a problem.  Or maybe it will get me to finally cut the cord and same some $$$ each month.  Anyway, will someone please clarify: just what's "premium" in this context.  Thanks!

[RoderickGI]

I am sorry, but I'm just not clear on just what "premium" channels happen to be in this case.

Another question is this:  Most of the shows that I would want to watch/record are premium channel shows, though I have been told that those are encrypted.

In this context, premium channels means encrypted channels, and may in fact include channels that are not providing premium content. Different cable companies encrypt different cable channels, and it often varies in different regions, so it isn't possible to say which channels are encrypted and which are not. You will have to work that out with your cable provider.

If you want to watch Copy Once encrypted channels using JRiver MC, support their Kickstarter campaign to provide that functionality. http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=101468.0

[inputusernamehere]

Thanks for the feedback!

I am planning on supporting the Kickstarter later today, actually.  But I am very worried that they are far from their goal and that this capability will not end up deploying....  In the event that MC will be limited on the "Record Once" front, will I be able to use Media Center to watch and record all that "premium" content?  (I know that MC is no longer supported/bundled with WIN 10, but it is still possible to install it in WIN 10; I know because I've done so--I just haven't received my InfiniTV 6 card yet, so I haven't been able to test either MC or MC's tuner capabilities yet, which is why I ask.)

[Yaobing]

Thanks for the feedback!

I am planning on supporting the Kickstarter later today, actually.  But I am very worried that they are far from their goal and that this capability will not end up deploying....  In the event that MC will be limited on the "Record Once" front, will I be able to use Media Center to watch and record all that "premium" content?  (I know that MC is no longer supported/bundled with WIN 10, but it is still possible to install it in WIN 10; I know because I've done so--I just haven't received my InfiniTV 6 card yet, so I haven't been able to test either MC or MC's tuner capabilities yet, which is why I ask.)

If we do not end up supporting copy-once contents, you are in theory able to use Window Media Center to watch and record those channels.  Like RoderickGI said, there may be conflicts between WMC and JRiver MC in terms of both trying to grab tuners.  WMC does not do a good job of detecting whether a tuner is in use by another application.  It simply tries to load the tuner even if it is already in use.  That messes up JRiver MC's TV tasks.

I am not 100% sure, but you might be able to assign in WMC which tuner(s) you want it to use.  Maybe then you can dedicate one tuner for WMC to record copy-once channels, and setup in MC not to use that particular tuner.

[RoderickGI]

That's the first I've heard the WMC can be installed on Windows 10, not that I have been looking for that information.

Given the Windows 10 uninstalls WMC during the upgrade from an earlier version, I would be worried that an automatic Windows Update would later remove it. Particularly as Windows 10 Updates are pretty much always automatic these days.

Of course if you did install and use WMC on Windows 10, there would be no updates for it, and any change to EPG data such as happened earlier this year would stop EPG working in WMC. It might work, but I would worry about suffering a sudden and significant hit on the WAF if/when WMC stopped working.   

[inputusernamehere]

All good info.  Thanks for your quick replies.  I'll think I'll see if I can make MC work in the short-term and see where MC ends up in the long term.  I'll check back in and drop a note when I get my InfiniTV card and get it installed and running.  Thanks again.

[RoderickGI]

I'll check back in and drop a note when I get my InfiniTV card and get it installed and running. 

Make sure you read this thread; http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=83318.0
Also search around here for similar information. Some people have had trouble with getting the InfiniTV cards working, but it has just been settings, firewall, etc. that has caused problems.

Enjoy MC!