Tv tuner/Video capture cards

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=47195

mnx12

15-10-2006 19:37:07

Basically the cheaper the better, as long as its not a piece of garbage. I dont really know much about tv tuner cards, so if anyone wants to kind of educate me on them, you can earn some karma.

dudeextrem2000

15-10-2006 20:40:12

most cheap ones plug into your PCI (normal) slot, and should self install, (if you have XP) then you connect the appropriate cables to it and it should come w/ some sort of Tuner software in order to use the card. I have the http//www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1048731&CatId=1427 and I'm actually quite pleased (especially with the FM function) you can spend more, such as http//www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1951868&CatId=1427 if you want hi def, but I've never compared the too to be able to tell the difference to you.

Allen626

15-10-2006 20:46:40

Well you have to figure out if you want this to record or not. If you just want to watch TV most tv tuner cards will work although WinTV is the most compatible. If you want to watch AND record tv get something with a mpeg2 decoder chip so it does hardware encoding. Again wintv is awsome and the pvr-150 model is cheap and good.

mnx12

15-10-2006 20:58:35

Well I want to use it like a dvr, record scheduled tv shows and stuff like that (i have directv, so would it be able to have the tv guide thing on it?). Also, I want to be able to plug in like a vcr or something so i can convert old vhs tapes into dvds. I was looking around, and this one looks really nice http//www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1050249&sku=O38-1052

What do you think?

hehehhehe

15-10-2006 21:13:37

At buy.com you can get the hauppage wintv pvr 150 for $78 using google checkout. I would recommend that.

Fugger

16-10-2006 13:51:56

I have the Hauppage WinTV PVR 150 and it works pretty well. I use it with orb (orb.com) to stream TV over teh interweb to watch at work. If you happen to have some kind of Treo-ish device, with unlimited data, you can also stream out live TV to one of those as well. I've not tested with any HDTV tuner cards, but if you are looking for analog cable or over the air analog, I'd really recommend Hauppage as well.

doylnea

16-10-2006 13:57:18

[quote091a0dacb2="Fugger"]I have the Hauppage WinTV PVR 150 and it works pretty well. I use it with orb (orb.com) to stream TV over teh interweb to watch at work. If you happen to have some kind of Treo-ish device, with unlimited data, you can also stream out live TV to one of those as well. I've not tested with any HDTV tuner cards, but if you are looking for analog cable or over the air analog, I'd really recommend Hauppage as well.[/quote091a0dacb2]

Aye, I have a PVR 500 for my HTPC and really like it. I bought the 500, as opposed to two 150's to save a PCI slot for something else fun.

Fugger

16-10-2006 14:02:36

I've always wanted to build a HTPC (using Myth) but I've never wanted to spend the money to buy quiet enough equipment. I'll continue to dream.

dudeextrem2000

16-10-2006 15:37:49

[quote52836a87db="mnx12"]Well I want to use it like a dvr, record scheduled tv shows and stuff like that (i have directv, so would it be able to have the tv guide thing on it?). Also, I want to be able to plug in like a vcr or something so i can convert old vhs tapes into dvds. I was looking around, and this one looks really nice http//www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1050249&sku=O38-1052

What do you think?[/quote52836a87db]

to answer your question, I've never seen or heard of one that lets you use the menu, because that requires software built into your reciever, and that one you picked looks sweet!! Is that a 5.25" bay slot reciever thingy? that'd be so much better that reaching around to the back of the computer....

mnx12

16-10-2006 16:01:41

[quote42c018c4e0="dudeextrem2000"][quote42c018c4e0="mnx12"]Well I want to use it like a dvr, record scheduled tv shows and stuff like that (i have directv, so would it be able to have the tv guide thing on it?). Also, I want to be able to plug in like a vcr or something so i can convert old vhs tapes into dvds. I was looking around, and this one looks really nice http//www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1050249&sku=O38-1052

What do you think?[/quote42c018c4e0]

to answer your question, I've never seen or heard of one that lets you use the menu, because that requires software built into your reciever, and that one you picked looks sweet!! Is that a 5.25" bay slot reciever thingy? that'd be so much better that reaching around to the back of the computer....[/quote42c018c4e0]Well Windows Media Center has that..... I can connect my directv box to the tv tuner card, but will that work okay?

dudeextrem2000

16-10-2006 16:43:46

it will display whatever the tv box is displaying ie. you can connect it to your computer as you would a TV, and use the D-tv box like normal, but you cannot use your capture card as a D-tv box