Setup TV Tuner with set top box: HP TouchSmart Dev Zone

nobtiba

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March 11, 2009 8:22 PM

No one try this before ? Please help me !

GeekTieGuy

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March 11, 2009 8:38 PM

You need to make sure you connect the IR blaster cable plug to the TouchSmart and the other end (the IR LED with sticky tape) onto the cable box where the IR remote sensor is located. Media Center needs this extra connection to send the cable box IR remote commands while it's setting up the TV subsystem. If you have the cable box in a different room, the IR blaster cable may not be long enough to reach all the way. Is that what's happening?

By the way, no, I haven't ever tried setting up a cable box with Media Center. I'm only giving you guidance based on how I understand Media Center works with cable boxes. So please forgive me if you've already done what I suggest.

nobtiba

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March 12, 2009 12:59 AM

Yes, you are correct ! The two units (TochSmart and cable box) are in different rooms and the IR blaster cable is not long enough, for sure!
But i think that cable and plug-in only to set up the remote control so that it is capable to control the cable box and have nothing to do with the TV signal scanning (?? am i correct?). And i hope only by connecting the TV cable properly i can scan and use the program of cable box currently using?

Any body try this before and have any experience?

nobtiba

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member since: 03/11/2009
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March 12, 2009 2:43 AM updated: March 12, 2009 2:44 AM

After searching for the solution for a while, i think i could understand my situation a little bit more:
So S-Video and coaxial cable connectors serve the TV tuner. Like most PC tuners these days, it can connect to a cable box but is limited to free over-the-air (antenna instead of cable) channels.
Which mean i have a very little hope to watch such a program like ESPN with live soccer matches, etc which is not free. It is quite "stupid" i think, because since the cable box provide the TV output then i connect this output to the input of TouchSmart by the coaxial calbe, i should be able to watch the same program with the TV on the living room ???
(i can not use the S-video input here because the output of cable box use for TV on living room already, and hard to find long enough cable for it. I can only have long coaxial cable)

Please tell me if i understand wrong and if i still can watch other channels that my cable box provides ?

Thanks alot !!

Target

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March 12, 2009 10:08 AM

YOu can get your channels you just need to fudge the setup a little. go through the setup for a set top box, make sure you have the ir blaster plugged in. When going through the setup for channel changing just tell Media Center that everything changes just fine. You should be able to watch whatever channel to set top box is currently set to. You'll have to change the channels with the set top box remote but at least you'll be to watch what you want.

nobtiba

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