Can I watch direct tv on my computer?

Can I watch one show on my TV and record a different show on my computer which has a capture card?

• I am trying to understand how to set up an HTPC and what all I can do with it. I plan on getting Comcast Digital cable, a Panasonic plasma, and I have a WinTV capture card in my PC which has an s-video input. Here is how I plan to connect (feel free to tell me if I am doing something wrong) set-top ---> TV: regular connection. HDMI? set-top ---->Computer: S-video Computer---->TV: DVI or S-video(out). In a previous question I learnt that I can indeed record shows (including HBO and other premium channels) using this method. (Right?) Now my question is if I can watch one show on my TV and at the same time, record another one on my computer. Using the above setup. If not, how can I do this? All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks! (Sorry for cross-posting. Not sure which category is best).

• Answer:

  Please excuse the long explainations of things. If you are connecting things together like your computer, TV, or set top box, try listing them out and what outputs and inputs they have. If you are connecting a set-top box from Comcast, it should have and HDMI output on it if it's a high definition box. If not, it should at least have a component(DO NOT GET MIXED WITH COMPOSITE)(-POSITE AND PONENT are different!!!) out which is three cables that that make the video and either a red and white for audio or a fiber(fibre) optic cable. If you have a non-high-definition box, you should use RCA jacks which are three cables that provide video and two audios (stereo). Your plasma TV would be wonderful with HDMI. If you are connecting your set-top box to your computer, I would require more information about what other types of connections your capture card has or probably it's model number. Other than that, S-video would be fine. Computer to TV connections would be DVI if your computer's video card has a DVI port on it. If not use your computer's S-video port (if available). Also note that if you want to link audio to your plasma TV, user fiber (fibre) optic if your sound card or integrated sound card has that capability. If not, just fet a mini-jack to RCA adapter from any Radio Shack or audio electronics store. Yes, in the hookup described above, you can record HBO and others on your computer. (you were talking about your computer, Right???) I am going to give you a very awkward answer for your question. If you were looking for the answer yes, I would need more information. Are you using 2 set-top boxes? What model is your Panasonic Plasma TV? Can you purchase (or get) any more items for your setup? Does your set-top box have the capability to derive(give out) multiple signals of different broadcasts simultaneously? If you can answer these questions in DETAIL, then more people can help you. I hope the information above can help you