Solved! Hooking up digital HD set-top box to PC and Monitor/s

Wallboy

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Jun 21, 2006
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I'm trying to figure out how to hook up my HD set top box to my computer so I can watch TV on my two monitors and I can think of a few solutions, but would like to know if there are any other options.

The set top box uses either HDMI or component output for HD to connect to a regular TV.

Ideally I would like to run the HDMI to my computer and be able to use some sort of Windows application to watch on either of my monitors. As far as I can tell I would need a HDMI capture card like the Hauppauge Colossus, but this card is primary used for recording and I don't need to record, I just want to watch TV on one of my monitors. I couldn't find any "HDMI Input" only cards that would just take the HDMI video/audio signal and pipe it to some sort of application I can watch on.

The second option I was looking at was a TV Tuner Card, but I'm not sure if these work through set top boxes with the Coax cable? On my TV Providers page for the set top box, it does show it as having a "Coax Video Out", but also states that that Port is not used. So I'm guessing I can't get video output through this coax port anyway?

The third and simplest option I can think of is to run the HDMI from my set top box right into my second monitor, and then run a Red/White RCA -> 3.5mm to my Line In on my Motherboard and then just redirect the sound to my DAC in Windows. I could still use my PC on my primary monitor, but would need to switch Sources on my secondary to go between my PC and Set Top box.

I have to replace my secondary monitor soon as it's a 11 year old 1280x1024 19" LCD thats slowly dying and obviously only has a single VGA input. I'd just need to make sure my new monitor is HDCP compliant correct? I was going to get a monitor with speakers so I'd just have to run the HDMI cable to the monitor, but I'd much rather run the audio through my PC so I can listen to both the TV and PC audio through my headphones on my DAC/Amp.

Any other suggestions and other options would be appreciated,

Thanks

 

Wallboy

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Jun 21, 2006
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Well the STB does have component output as well I should have mentioned.