Using a desktop computer as a dvr and HTPC...

[glasswave]

Sorry, but I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to this arena, I am skilled in HD content creation, but haven't had a home TV or cable package for many years.

I would like to leverage my home graphics workstation (see specs below) as an HD entertainment center. I have new home and have bought a TV (65" Vizio d650ib2) and am considering signing up for a cable/internet package (Comcast 105Mbit/220 channels) for the first time in many years (since 2007) and would like to use my computer as a (HTPC?) dvr and to spool content throughout the house.

My computer will be in my office/frnt BR while my audio system (old school component stereo -- NAD, Carver & ADS) and TV (65" Vizio d650ib2) are in the livingroom (25-30 ft apart). My cable should come with one controll box/remote, but I would like to have that run on all my hdtv and stereo and still be able to prerecord shows to skip the commercials and have it come with sw that would allow for the prerecoring of several shows and channels. Would something like this work and would I need a more than one video control box?

I have and ASRock extreme 6 mobo w/onboard and am assuuming I should upgrade my sound. Any suggestions?

Is this possible/feasable? $20 etra per month for a dvr box seems outlandish.

I was thinking of using a card like this. I would like to unattendanted record various shows at various that are not playing through my cable box. Are there cards that can do this?


thx for any advice.

Desktop specs:
(Win7-64, i7-3930 six core, 32GB, 2ea-256GB Samsung 830's, 12GB RAID5 array, GTX660ti 4-head 2GB w/2DVI/1DP/1HDMI, ASRock x79 Extreme6 w/Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec)

 

[americanaudiophile]

The card you link to will not work (nor will any other with HDMI input) because it is not HDCP (HD Copy Protection) compliant. You could use one of these if your cable provider offers cable cards
http/www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-WinTV-DCR-2650-Tuner-Cable/dp/B005FPT38A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1429033278&sr=8-3&keywords=cablecard+pc+tuner
Cable cards are usually cheaper than a cable box but since they are one way you don't get the same control features as the box.
Not sure it's worth the complication if you need to control your PC from multiple rooms. You might be able to use DLNA compatible TVs to play the recorded files over your network but live TV would be more complicated. Sometimes saving $20 is not worth the hassle. Your PC would have to be on 24/7 so that would offset the savings.