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Originally Posted by dcp12345678
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1) Do I need to buy a TV tuner? I think the HomeRun Silicion Dust one was the one GroundUrMast used.
2) Does the computer need to be on all the time to be able to use Windows Media Center on the TV? I have a laptop which is only on when I use it (I hibernate it at other times), and this is the only computer we have.
3) How do I get the sound from the computer to the TV?
4) How do you switch between "tv mode" and "computer mode" when using the laptop, or is this even necessary? In other words, I have a docking station for my laptop. It has a VGA plug and DVI_D plug. I use the DVI_D plug for the onitor, but how will I get the TV picture from media center to the TV? Will I have to use the VGA plug for that? In other words, how will I be able to use this as a regular computer and also as a media center computer for my TV?
Thanks.
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A1: I use the SiliconDust HDHR. It is no longer available, it is superseded by the well reviewed HDHR3. Hauppauge is a competing tuner vendor which is used by many.
A2: The computer needs to be on and connected to the TV to use a network or computer attached tuner.
A3: Our laptop has an HDMI interface which supports audio and video via the same cable. If your laptop lacks HDMI it may not have the 'horsepower' to process and display 1080p video. My TVs also have VGA and analog audio ports.
A4: The laptop will not need to switch modes, Media Center runs as an application on Windows. It will not be practical to multitask TV viewing and other applications though. If you laptop's video card supports multiple displays, you may be able to connect the TV via the VGA port. If not, you may need to change video adapter settings as you switch from computer monitor to TV monitor.
The ideal solution is to use a dedicated Home Theater PC for frequent TV viewing. We use our laptop for TV viewing occasionally, it is not the primary 'TV' in the house. My desktop PC is my primary PVR/DVR, a task that uses far less 'horsepower' than actual rendering and display of video. I can multitask while recording OTA 1080p and lower bit rate programs.