Watching Fios on a PC
Fis1
Enthusiast - Level 3

I just subscribed to the Fios HD Prime service and got a set top box just for my office.  It's all installed and now I want to hook up the cable to my PC (I don't have a TV in my office).  I  picked up a WinTV tuner card for the PC but apparently it won't get all of the channels -- only the local ones? 

How do I watch my Fios signal by connecting the set top box to a PC?!?  I'm not putting a TV in this room.

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Re: Watching Fios on a PC
Hubrisnxs
Legend

if you hook up the coax to the cable box's rf out or tv out then you shouldn't have to do much special other than tune it to channel 3 to get your picture.  

if you hook it up direct to the wall with a coax, you MIGHT have a problem unless your card supports simulcrypt.  you would have to refer to the vendor's website or manual for that.   There aren't many if any cable cards that support simulcrypt, so you will either have to upgrade to a ceton infinitv card (which are mouth watering, but pricey) and then get a Verizon Cable card for 3.99 or just buckle down and get a 3.99 digital tuner or 5.99 Standard definiton cable box. or HD box those are 9.99.

Here is more on Verizon's Simulcrypt and cable cards

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Re: Watching Fios on a PC
Fis1
Enthusiast - Level 3

I do have a Standard Def Cable box for 5.99.  The Verizon phone rep told me that's what I needed. 

But I have the WinTV-HVR 2250 card for my PC.  Will this only get the basic free channels?

Is the ceton infinitv card the only one that gets all the channels?

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Re: Watching Fios on a PC
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Can I get HD with the WinTV-HVR-2250 through my Cable or Satellite box?

According to that doc from the manufacturer, you can't plug it into a satellite or cable tv box, so I don't think it will work the way you want it to through the cable box. 

what you want to try to do is plug the wall coax directly into the card, and then do a digital scan through the software and see how many channels you get.  Normally if you plug straight in like this, you get the local SD and local HD and then some public access channels.  To get a list of the channels that you would normally be able to get click here. (put your zip and then at the top of the next page, use the drop down to select fios) 

Because of the simulcrypt that Verizon does, you may or may not get all those channels, so do a channel scan and see how many you get and if it's enough for your needs. 

The ceton card would be a card you could get that wouldn't need a cable box, because it will use a special cable card that verizon rents for 3.99 and then the card has FULL functionality, High definition and all the channels that are available in your package that you subscribe to, plus it has 4 tuners which means you can watch and record three different things, or record 4 different things and be able to change in between those 4 channels.  

the card you have now is limited to one tuner, so you watch and can record whatever channels you get on your scan.

If I were you, I'd go ahead and plug it and see if it gives me enough channels for me to be happy in that room, and then those channels couple with netflix streaming, and hulu (or hulu plus) or Vudu would make it a decent thing for me.    You have to scan and see though. 

Here is the support site for that card


@Fis wrote:

I do have a Standard Def Cable box for 5.99.  The Verizon phone rep told me that's what I needed. 

But I have the WinTV-HVR 2250 card for my PC.  Will this only get the basic free channels?

Is the ceton infinitv card the only one that gets all the channels?


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Re: Watching Fios on a PC
Hubrisnxs
Legend

I just saw something neat in the manual.  If you use that AV Breakout cable that is in the package, you should be able to use that and connect it to the cable box. 

then it may work like how you want it.


Install the A/V breakout cable (optional)
The A/V breakout cable can be used to bring audio/video from a
satellite TV or cable set top box.
Plug the A/V breakout cable into
the A/V input connector 


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Re: Watching Fios on a PC
MaxPluton
Newbie

Can I run an HDMI cable from my VIOS box to the motherboard HDMI port on my PC to receive cable TV on my monitor?

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