Help using WMC with TV tuner

[RRtexasranger]

So I'm trying to use my university's cable at school (RCN). In the past, what I've done was connect the cable to a set-top box, and connect the set-top box to the TV tuner. However, this is very annoying since I would need to go through my set-top to change channels, and I have no way of recording shows.

Instead, what I'm trying to do is to go directly from the cable jack in the wall to the TV tuner, but I just can't seem to pick up a signal. Anyone know what the issue could be?

[Scallica]

Please provide more information. What tuner are you using? What cable plan are you subscribed to?

The channels may be encrypted and therefore you need a CableCard from RCN and CableCard tuner.

[soccerdad]

Yeah more information please. You likely will need either the STB or a cable card tuner. You should be able to use the STB along with an IR blaster that will change the STB channels for you so you can record. Some of the WMC remotes setups have blasters to help you do this. You should be able to get one pretty cheap on ebay.

[RRtexasranger]

I have a Hauppauge 885 Tuner. However, it is kinda of a weird tuner, it doesn't have an IR port on the back, like most. This is because I took it out of an HP computer and installed it in another one. (The HP computer had some special stuff built in to the case for IR.)

And I'm using the basic RCN digital cable service. I've done some reading, and yeah, apparently RCN has encrypted their channels so that you need their equipment to use their cable, effectively ruling out the "straight from the wall" option.

Not having, an IR reciever, of course, is giving me set up problems in WMC. When I run the set up, it tells me that it can't find an IR reciever, and won't let me go to the next step until I install one.

...But this leads me to another question, if I were to bypass this screen (say I DID have an IR reciever installed), would I be able to record shows and use the WMC TV guide? Or would I still need a "Cablecard" for that?

[mdavej]

... if I were to bypass this screen (say I DID have an IR reciever installed), would I be able to record shows and use the WMC TV guide? Or would I still need a "Cablecard" for that?

AFAICT, that's an analog tuner. If you have digital cable, then it won't work. My cable system shut off all analog months ago. If it's a QAM tuner, then you'll get a few channels if you're lucky. My cable system has no clear QAM at all anymore, so you'd also get nothing in that case. A new cable card tuner is the only way to get all of your subscribed channels.

This thread may at least help you get QAM going: http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows ... 97548.aspx

[soccerdad]

You can record the analog signal off the STB, but it will be low def only. You need an IR blaster to control the STB. You can do it other ways, but you can use a WMC remote with the included blaster like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-HP-USB-Micr ... 8785574%26 and you should be able do what you want. If you want HD, then you will have to either use a cable card or a Hauppauge HDPVR/colosus and use the component outputs from your STB.

For testing, if you can bypass the IR screen, then you can manually set the STB to a channel and have the WMC TV guide record the show. It just won't be able to change the channel for you. But it will be in SD.

[blueiedgod]

Call RCN and ask for a CableCARD, then get a CableCARD enabled tuner, and you will have your "straight off the wall" recording.