Can a PC with a HD TV Tuner receive HD Channels without a HD cable box?
I’m with Shaw cable (in Vancouver, BC) and I am subscribed to the Digital TV package (which includes Basic HD channels). However, I do not currently have an HD Cable box.
I am planning to build a Home Theater PC, and wondering if I can receive those basic HD channels if i used an HD TV Tuner, such as an ALL IN WONDER HD (or anything similar) without having to purchase an HD cable box.
Assume I will be installing a Vista Home Premium (which has the Windows Media Center feature)
Are the basic HD channels scrambled or not?
If not, then a digital ATSC/QAM tuner will work just fine.
You may want to invest on a tuner with a CableCard slot (check ATI), those require a special BIOS and Vista, but they do allow you to get a cable card from your provider and then record/view even scrambled programs.
Finally, you may want to get a dual tuner system so that you can watch one program while recording another.
