Title kind of says it all- I have moved from the UK to the USA- Texas in fact. I have a MCE HTPC and am asking for any tips.
At the moment I have just reawakened it from how it was in the UK. I have it plugged into my TV, and the TV is plugged into cable- basic package from Charter.
1. I don't particularly want to do a full reinstall- but would there be advantages to resetting it to USA configuaration/is there of making my PC have USA settings for MCE without doing a full reinstall.
2. How about TV on the MCE in the USA- I am an absolute novice and have seen mention of products from Celton but don't understand them. My PC has no spare PCI slots and so TV would have to come via USB sources. I used to use Freesat and Freeview HD on my PC back in the UK
3. Anyone from the Dallas/Fort Worth region know of any good PC shops- equivalent of Maplins in the UK. BestBuy didn't really impress with its components- I need "Mickey Mouse" and "Kettle" leads with American plugs on them.
4. I will try and research how to get a British internet address so as to watch BBC iplayer- but any easy tips?
5. Anything else I am missing?
Many thanks in advance for any help!
Moved to USA from UK- any suggestions for MCE...
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cjmccarthy72
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:20 pm
- Location: London, UK
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HTPC Specs:
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barnabas1969
- Posts: 5738
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:23 pm
- Location: Titusville, Florida, USA
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HTPC Specs:
I would think that you should not need to reinstall Windows. You should go into Control Panel -> Region and Language to change your Country to US, and then go through Media Center setup to change your location to your current ZIP (postal) code so that Media Center can download the correct guide listings.
If you have basic cable with no encrypted channels, you don't need a CableCARD tuner (the Ceton to which you referred). If you only receive analog (NTSC) and/or digital (QAM) channels that are not encrypted, then you should be looking for a tuner with those capabilities. If your cable subscription allows you to receive any encrypted digital channels, then you need a CableCARD tuner.
There are external CableCARD tuners available. Those are (in order of my preference):
If you don't need a tuner to receive any encrypted digital channels, then you need to look for NTSC/QAM "hybrid" tuners. There are lots of those available... particularly from Hauppauge.
I'm not sure what you mean by Mickey Mouse and Kettle. I assume you mean the power cords. If that's the case, send me a PM... I have lots of them laying around. I'll ship them to you for only the cost of shipping. How many do you need?
If you have basic cable with no encrypted channels, you don't need a CableCARD tuner (the Ceton to which you referred). If you only receive analog (NTSC) and/or digital (QAM) channels that are not encrypted, then you should be looking for a tuner with those capabilities. If your cable subscription allows you to receive any encrypted digital channels, then you need a CableCARD tuner.
There are external CableCARD tuners available. Those are (in order of my preference):
- SiliconDust HD HomeRun Prime (ethernet)
- Ceton InfiniTV4 (USB)
- Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 (USB)
If you don't need a tuner to receive any encrypted digital channels, then you need to look for NTSC/QAM "hybrid" tuners. There are lots of those available... particularly from Hauppauge.
I'm not sure what you mean by Mickey Mouse and Kettle. I assume you mean the power cords. If that's the case, send me a PM... I have lots of them laying around. I'll ship them to you for only the cost of shipping. How many do you need?
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barnabas1969
- Posts: 5738
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:23 pm
- Location: Titusville, Florida, USA
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HTPC Specs:
Ah... I googled Mickey Mouse and Kettle leads. Now I understand. I have lots of the "Kettle" leads, but none of the "Mickey Mouse" ones. You can buy those at your local Radio Shack, if you don't mind paying a premium price for them. Or... if you don't mind waiting for them to ship (usually 3-5 days), try monoprice.com (here). The Mickey Mouse type are listed about 2/3 down the page in the link I provided.
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cjmccarthy72
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:20 pm
- Location: London, UK
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HTPC Specs:
Many thanks for this barnabas- yes those are power leads. I will try monoprice- thanks for the suggestion. I will also investigate the Prime- we do have the Silicondust gear here- but it doesn't have HD TV unlike the USA. I shall try out the rest of your suggestions over the next few days- but be warned- I will probably come back with more questions!
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barnabas1969
- Posts: 5738
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:23 pm
- Location: Titusville, Florida, USA
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HTPC Specs:
No problem. SiliconDust also makes a 2-tuner HD HomeRun tuner (not "Prime") that has ATSC/QAM tuners (no analog NTSC). It is also a network-connected tuner, and many people like them very much. It won't receive the encrypted digital channels. The decision really depends on whether or not your cable company sends everything digital... or if they still have many analog channels. If you need analog reception, a 2-tuner HD HomeRun won't work for you.
Monoprice has amazing prices and excellent quality cables. I wouldn't buy a cable anywhere else. You'll also enjoy not having to pay 20% VAT when you live in the US.
Here's a short explanation of the acronyms/names:
ATSC - this is over-the-air (OTA) digital TV in North America. You can receive this for free with an antenna. Good sites to visit for selecting the correct antenna are: antennaweb.org and tvfool.com
NTSC - this is analog TV. We used to receive it over the air, and over cable... but all analog OTA transmitters have been turned off. Some cable companies still send some channels only analog, while others are digital.
QAM - this is digital TV over cable. Un-encrypted QAM is referred to as "Clear QAM". Encrypted cable channels are also sent modulated with QAM, but you need a CableCARD to decrypt the signal.
CableCARD - this is a decryption device that you can only get from your cable company. It decrypts only the channels to which you subscribe. The CableCARD inserts into the tuner. The tuner and the CableCARD communicate with each other to decrypt your channels. The tuner is referred to as the "host" device. Typical charges for renting a CableCARD range from $2-5 per month.
Tuning Adapter/Tuning Resolver - this is a device that is required if you use a CableCARD and your cable company uses Switched Digital Video (SDV). Many cable companies supply this device free of charge.
Monoprice has amazing prices and excellent quality cables. I wouldn't buy a cable anywhere else. You'll also enjoy not having to pay 20% VAT when you live in the US.
Here's a short explanation of the acronyms/names:
ATSC - this is over-the-air (OTA) digital TV in North America. You can receive this for free with an antenna. Good sites to visit for selecting the correct antenna are: antennaweb.org and tvfool.com
NTSC - this is analog TV. We used to receive it over the air, and over cable... but all analog OTA transmitters have been turned off. Some cable companies still send some channels only analog, while others are digital.
QAM - this is digital TV over cable. Un-encrypted QAM is referred to as "Clear QAM". Encrypted cable channels are also sent modulated with QAM, but you need a CableCARD to decrypt the signal.
CableCARD - this is a decryption device that you can only get from your cable company. It decrypts only the channels to which you subscribe. The CableCARD inserts into the tuner. The tuner and the CableCARD communicate with each other to decrypt your channels. The tuner is referred to as the "host" device. Typical charges for renting a CableCARD range from $2-5 per month.
Tuning Adapter/Tuning Resolver - this is a device that is required if you use a CableCARD and your cable company uses Switched Digital Video (SDV). Many cable companies supply this device free of charge.