kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
| TV Tuner Card Help
I'm looking to get a TV tuner card for my machine. Here's my current setup:
Two "monitors", a 19" ViewSonic and another "monitor" which is a Polaroid TV that has the cable TV plugged into the back of it but I use it as a monitor 80% of the time. I find it really tedious and annoying to have to switch it from monitor to TV when I want to watch something. I decided it could be solved with a TV Tuner card.
We have the standard cable TV package here (no cable box), but I know that we DO receive digital cable channels (mostly local channels, plus the Big Ten network).
What do I need to buy/setup so I can get TV on my computer? I was looking on newegg browsing stuff, also looked on eBay at cards...but didn't learn much from them. I would probably also toy with the idea of streaming TV with Windows Media Center to our Xbox 360.
So the basics, I need a TV tuner that will:
1. Let me watch HDTV/Analog TV, preferably with ONE coax cable hanging out of the back of my computer
2. Let me stream TV from my PC to Xbox 360
3. And I'd like it to be less than $100.
Is it possible? Am I missing anything?
Specs:
Windows 7 x64
4 Gigs RAM
GTX 260 |
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rlocone
Honor Our Heros, Our Armed Forces
Premium
join:2002-04-10
Kokomo, IN
| Noticed no one has replied to you... I just bought a WinTV 950Q for $80. I've HAVE encountered difficulties with Win 7. My spec are identical to yours. One thing to note. Don't get what I have. Get an internal card. I didn't realize that the USB ones don't have amplifiers and need a booster to help suck in signal especially if your not using a cable box just like me. In Win 7 it's NOT ABLE TO ACQUIRE A SIGNAL. I slapped that puppy into my laptop w/ XP works fine. I'm working w/ Tech support on the issue but they are slow.
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*** Never Forget 9/11 *** |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| reply to kw
Here is one:
AVerMedia AVerTV Combo G2 (Media Center Upgrade Kit) ATSC/NTSC/QAM Tuner Card w/MCE Remote & L-P Bracket MTVCOMG2M PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail $99.99
Keep in mind that a single input for dual (digital / analog) tuners can be limiting. For example, you wouldn’t be able to use ATSC while using cable if there were only one input. Or you couldn’t run a cable box on the analog tuner and use Clear QAM on the digital tuner.
Therefore a dual tuner with one analog and one digital input is much more flexible and feature rich. Also note that if you live in the USA then your use of analog cable will not likely be indefinite and as a result you may be forced to use a cable box in order to receive more then the local channels. |
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howie
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-08
Little Falls, NJ
| said by Octavean  :Therefore a dual tuner with one analog and one digital input is much more flexible and feature rich. Also note that if you live in the USA then your use of analog cable will not likely be indefinite and as a result you may be forced to use a cable box in order to receive more then the local channels. I don't see why 2 cable inputs would be a problem. A simple 2-way splitter and you're good to go. It can even be mounted to the back of your PC. Very neat, actually.  |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| Yeah that’s a great solution. I was only addressing this statement though:
said by kw :So the basics, I need a TV tuner that will: 1. Let me watch HDTV/Analog TV, preferably with ONE coax cable hanging out of the back of my computer 2. Let me stream TV from my PC to Xbox 360 3. And I'd like it to be less than $100. So your solution should work fine for that.
I have number of different tuners. One of which is a Vbox Cat’s Eye 164e tuner. It has dual tuners that can be configured as analog + analog, analog + digital or digital + digital. Its internally split so only one cable run is necessary. However this results in some limitations on how the card can be used. For example I couldn’t run two cable boxes off of its tuners because they both see the exact same signal at all times.
I just think its best to avoid such cards or at least know the limitations. Outside the USA, say in Canada for example, one might be able to avoid using cable boxes for a longer period of time but subscribers in the USA are likely on borrowed time if they still have analog.
Hybrid non-concurrent cards that can only function as either a analog or a digital tuner at one time but not both can also be a bit of a pain to work with since you can’t do dual recording (watch / record) with it. |
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Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL | reply to kw
you may want to get one of the cable card ones comeing out next year as many cable co's are killing analog and makeing just all of the digital cable channels have encryption. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| Yeah, those will likely be a bit expensive though. Probably in the ~$300 range and up is my guess. Also note that the relaxed firmware wont necessarily spare the users from significant encryption or DRM issues as the flags set by the cable co can be key.
I’ll probably get a 2x or 4x cable card tuner card when they come out (and get rid of one tuner box not both) but I can at least supplement with the Hauppauge HD PVR which will allow for 100% DRM / restriction free recordings at up to 1080i. |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
| reply to howie
said by howie : A simple 2-way splitter and you're good to go. That was going to be my next question. Just split the cord coming into my room into two and plugging those two into the inputs on the PC.
Are there any cheaper ones? |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
1 edit | Sure but the one I linked to was a concurrent card (Combo card) whereas the cheaper ones often tend to be non-concurrent (Hybrid) cards. This means you would only be able to use one tuner of the card (either analog or digital) at any given one time.
AVerMedia AVerTV Bravo Hybrid - PCI-E MTVBHPCIR PCI-Express x1 Interface - Retail $49.99 Price after rebate $39.99
Also note that many of the cheaper cards don’t have hardware encoding which typically tax the CPU more and results in lower quality video on the analog side.
Cheaper cards may also omit an official Media Center remote or any remote for that matter but if your not going to need a remote its not that big of a deal.
***edit***
A Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 is a good way to go too and there are some good USB tuners out there as well. |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
| said by Octavean :A Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 is a good way to go too I've been eyeballing a few of those on eBay. They have some that are pulls from HP machines that are the same card...they only run about 40-50.
And yeah, I couldn't careless about the remote. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
1 edit | reply to kw
kw, you know if your Polaroid TV has Picture in picture you might be able to save yourself the trouble of buying a TV tuner card. Every HDTV I have bought has had this feature.
Just a though mind you. Why spend good money if you don’t really have to. I think a TV tuner card and software like Microsoft Media Center allows you to watch TV in a smarter more time saving way (IE cutting out commercials or skipping past them easily) but if you’ve been getting by without it you don’t know what you’re missing.
BTW, I have the opposite problem. My old (~4 yr old) Viewsonic 32” HDTV just died so I’m looking for a replacement. It just happened last night. |
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
Premium
join:2001-11-22
LOSTinSpace
clubs:  | reply to kw
If a person is using Cable TV or Satellite TV and also terrestrial, what features are needed? Is QAM needed, and what is it? I thought maybe us knowing this might help the OP. |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
1 edit | reply to Octavean
I'm about 90% sure my TV doesn't have PIP. It's not incredibly big, so I wouldn't expect it to anyways.
Edit: Bidding on a Hauppage 1600 on eBay...We'll see how it pans out. Thanks for the help guys. |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
| reply to kw
Won the HVR-1600 on eBay. I'll update this thread in a few days if it works out for me or if I have any other questions.
If anyone is looking for a cheap alternative, woot has a USB tuner today for 19.99
»www.woot.com/ |
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HarryH3
join:2005-02-21
Georgetown, TX | reply to kw
You may also want to check out the free DVR software available over at »www.gbpvr.com once that tuner arrives. The author provides excellent support for Hauppauge devices. |
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howie
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-08
Little Falls, NJ
2 edits | reply to kw
I'm using the HVR-1600 with Windows 7 Ultimate's MediaCenter (which the OP has). Best DVR software by far, IMHO, bar none... |
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Alakar
Facts do not cease to exist when ignored
join:2001-03-23
Milwaukee, WI
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to kw
I have the same card. Check out Hauppauge WinTV v7. Very nice player and a huge upgrade over v6 (which was horrible). While I like Windows Media Center for the great picture it produces, I prefer WinTV as it uses less system resources. I usually have the TV going while I play World of Warcraft and Media Center tends to suck up more system resources and lags my game. So I use WinTV, which doesn't seem to impact the system nearly as much.
»www.hauppauge.com/site/support/s···600.html
Note: If you are using a STB, during setup for Media Center it will want a Media Center remote (specifically the IR Receiver). If you don't have one, it will not let setup proceed. To get around this, select cable with out a STB.
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"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom; it is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." William Pitt the Younger |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12 | Don't have a STB anyways, as noted in the OP. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| said by kw :Don't have a STB anyways, as noted in the OP. Once again, if you’re in the USA you shouldn’t get too used to analog cable and no cable box:
The Second Digital Transition
Outside the USA you may have longer before the transition but it will likely come sooner or later. |
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kw
Premium
join:2004-06-12
| I do live in the States, but I believe we get our cable feed from a nearby University. I think they'd want to upgrade them LAST because then they'd have to put a box in every single dormroom and it would be quite cost-ineffective for them to do so.
Even if they do, I'm content with just having over-the-air. |
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