How to record TV onto PC

jumpycheese1

I heard this is possible. Could someone please tell me what software/hardware I need to do this? Also which channels can you do this with? I have Freeview.

Ideally, I would like as little wires as possible as my PC, monitor, printer, speakers, TV, video player, digibox, DVD player and 2 game consoles are next to each other and it's getting a little crowded with wires.

Finally, what is the typical cost of this?

jmc160

There are some different methods, but here's how I did it:

Hauppauge PVR-150 video capture card
Virgin Media subscribed V-Box decoding Freeview channels
Large capacity (500GB) secondary hard drive in a computer running Windows Vista Ultimate

V-Box is connected to PC via component AV cables into Hauppauge video capture card, graphics card with TV-Out is conected to TV, also using component AV cables.

Windows Media Centre (included with Vista Ultimate and Vista Home Premium) is configured to receive cable channels via the component cables and 14 day EPG downloaded from the internet.

V-Box is controlled via Media Centre remote control thus:
InfraRed receiver next to TV, plugged into computer via USB. IR blaster (like an extender) attached to the V-Box ovedr the top of the box's IR receiver. IR blaster is connected to the MCE IR receiver. This way the computer can change the channels on the V-Box as and when it needs to.

For Freeview, you may be better off the get a Freeview capable version of the Hauppauge card, you can even get dual receiver cards so you can record one chanel and watch another. It would eliminate the need for the digibox and also for the extra IR blaster (but you'd need the receiver).

Buying any proper Hauppauge MCE kit will provide you with the receiver card, the MCE remote, the MCE InfraRed receiver, and two IR blasters.

Wombat

Alternative to Zattoo:

http://www.tvcatchup.com/

Slightly different channels. Use CamStudio to record, all free, no wires.

Moneymaker

I use an ElGato EyeTV Freeview tuner with my Apple Mac Mini. It works like a PVR and recorded programmes can be exported to iTunes for syncing with my iPod.