Is this possible??

[stang8118]

Ok I am kinda converting my desktop PC (top rig in my sig) to a semi-htpc. I am just testing certain things to see exactly what I want out of a dedicated HTPC. After decoding some of my DVD's onto my pc, i noticed with VLC media player I can change around the movies resolution to fill the entire screen (like with widescreen format, getting rid of the black box on the top and bottom of the screen).

What I want to do, is hook my digital cable box to run through my PC. That way I can convert the picture to stretch out to fill the entire screen on my TV. I know it'll hinder the quality a little bit, but that annoys me A LOT LESS than the picture using only 70% of my screen.

Obviously I'll have to leave the computer on all the time, and will have to manually change it from standard channels to HD channels. I just don't know if it is even possible or not.

[Wicked Klown]

So are you wanting to watch HD TV on your computer or just use VLC to get rid of the black bars on SD TV?

[stang8118]

My brother has a 720p LCD TV, and when he watches stuff on normal cable there is a black box around the entire screen. It turns his 32" TV basically into a 28'ish" TV. I am getting a 1080p LCD shortly, and don't want to deal with that on standard channels.

[Wicked Klown]

You would need a tuner card and not really sure if VLC will be able to use it. You could use media center and zoom in or find a nice front end and do the same.

[stang8118]

You would need a tuner card and not really sure if VLC will be able to use it. You could use media center and zoom in or find a nice front end and do the same.

So there isn't a way to directly hook up the cable box to the computer? I am sure VLC isn't able to do it, but wasn't sure if there was some other program out there with that capability. I am probably going to pick up a TV tuner soon. Is the ASUS Mycinema series good?

[Wicked Klown]

So there isn't a way to directly hook up the cable box to the computer? I am sure VLC isn't able to do it, but wasn't sure if there was some other program out there with that capability. I am probably going to pick up a TV tuner soon. Is the ASUS Mycinema series good?




You could get one of these, (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=564856) it hooks up VIA USB. If not the only other way is with a TV tuner card. Not sure on the Asus as the only tuner I ever used was the ATI theater 650 pro.

[jimmsch]

Most STB's hae settings that will allow for stretching of the picture to fill the TV. You do not need to hook your STB to a PC to accomplish this. I doubt that is possible anyway. Call your cable company and ask them for a quick tour through the settings of the STB.

You will have to use that in conjuction with the TV settings to get the best picture. Everybody's idea of what the best picture is will be different. No matter what you tweak in these settings it will crop or stretch something. Same with a computer.

Best solution is not to watch SDTV.