MikeDesh22
@166.109.x.x | TV Tuner Cards, Please Help!!
I am interested in getting TV on my PC. I want to know If it is better buy a new video card and a seperate TVTuner or
should I get one of the All-in-Wonder cards that are both a TV Tuner and video card.
thanks |
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Corey_T
Toyota Offroad Forum Owner
join:2001-10-27
Auburn, WA
2 edits | Separate for sure.
I run a Leadtek Winfast 2000 XP, and I just bought a Haupage PVR 350 I plan on installing Saturday.
It is a much better card.
Both use an online service called Titan TV to setup your shows to record right from your web browser.
»www.titantv.com
A little info on cables you might need if you plan on doing TV out from the PC to your TV.
»www.pnw4runners.com/tando/pvr.htm
Corey
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Ic3Blad3
Gezackt Blatt Schnitte Dich
join:2003-01-07
Vineland, NJ | reply to MikeDesh22
The new all in wonders do nicely for video capture, I know they also have that feature, not sure how well that works. |
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mikedesh22
@166.109.x.x | reply to MikeDesh22
Why seperate cards? Just curious. what are the pros/cons of seperate cards versus an All-in-Wonder |
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fegul
Premium
join:2004-08-23
united state
1 edit | Using up an extra PCI slot is the only one that really comes to mind. Also, I like the ATI remote
I'm planning on buying an All-in-wonder X1800XL for my next desktop though if a better one doesnt come out.
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mikedesh22
@166.109.x.x
| reply to MikeDesh22
Another question: If I should buy seperate cards, then I have to upgrade my video card from the current 32mb card. Which video card should I upgrade to that will help support the TV Tuner card and give me a nice quality video WITHOUT paying $200? I am willing to pay up to $80
thanks for your help in advance
My specs: AMD Athlon XP 1.8Ghz (I think)
512 RAM
80gb hard drive
MSI Motherboard
AGP Slot 4x/8x
Window XP Prof |
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Omega
Displaced Ohioan
Premium
join:2002-07-30
Cheyenne, WY
clubs: 
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 ·Verizon Wireless B..
·Comcast
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to MikeDesh22
Don't get an all-in wonder, especially if you game.
I bought a 32MB all in wonder Radeon in 2001. It was a great card, had everything I needed. But, after a while the "video card" part of it became outdated, yet the TV tuner and video input/output were still fine.
I was reluctant to buy another card since the all in wonder cost so much.
I recently decided to ditch the AIW and buy a better video card and separate TV tuner. Things work much better now.
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Corey_T
Toyota Offroad Forum Owner
join:2001-10-27
Auburn, WA
| reply to MikeDesh22
You can pick up a used ATI 9600 Pro like I run for dirt cheap, or even an NVIDIA based 6600 cheap.
Both have TV out, that is how I watch back shows I record with the TV out feature of my main vid card.
A separate TV card will yield better recordings too, especially if you get the HP PVR 350 card I just got.
It has hardware encoder and decoder on it, unlike my Leadtek which uses software and the CPU to do it.
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jerry666
Premium
join:2002-12-12
Sainte-Anne-Des-Lacs, QC
clubs:
·Uniserve
| reply to MikeDesh22
get a usb tv tuner , easy to move around if need be . i have the win 2000 expert in 1 comp and the usbII deluxe . both work very well
»www.leadtek.com/multimedia/winfa···e_1.html |
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BillTager
join:2000-09-20
Charlotte, NC
| reply to MikeDesh22
For best quality and results, get a separate tuner w/ hardware encoding. I prefer Hauppauge tuners myself, and have both the 150 and 250 models in my MCE box.
What PVR software are you planning on using?
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Formerly DSLWho |
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mikedesh22
@166.109.x.x | reply to MikeDesh22
I am not sure. I am new to the TV Tuner research. I haven't gotten to software research yet. I'd appreciate any recommendations though. |
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osumba2001
join:2000-12-11
New Albany, OH | reply to MikeDesh22
Hauppauge 250 rocks. Cheap ($130?) at »www.newegg.com. |
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shezams
My Other Car Is A Zamboni
Premium
join:2001-08-14
Hyattsville, MD
·Comcast
| reply to MikeDesh22
A good place to read up on this »byopvr.com/ I too advocate the hauppauge hardware tuner/encoder cards. They work much better especially if you do plan on recording.
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mikedesh22
@166.109.x.x
| reply to MikeDesh22
I do not do any gaming. What kind of NVidia video card do I need to upgrade to (currently using 32mb NVidia) in order to watch some good quality TV on my PC? Can I get away with a 64mb card? or do I need at least 128mb? I'm trying not to spend more than $75. |
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mikedesh22
@166.109.x.x
| reply to MikeDesh22
What do you guys think of this upgrade for my 4yr old system. Remember, I have a
AMD Athlon XP 1.8Ghz (I think)
512 RAM
80Gb HD
32mb nvidia card
Window XP Prof
Hauppauge PVR 150 with the following video card:
»www.pricegrabber.com/search_getp···deo+card |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| reply to MikeDesh22
I have a number of different TV tuners and I too recommend a hardware-encoding card.
The Hauppauge PVR line is pretty good and you cannot go to far wrong with them. The Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 MCE can be had starting at about ~$60.
In most cases, bundled software leaves much to be desired,…regardless of manufacturer. Therefor you are likely going to want to start looking in that area too. “Mediaportal” and “GB-PVR” are two great FREE PVR apps. “Media Center Edition 2K5” and “BeyondTV 4” are two great pay PVR apps.
I have four TV tuners consisting of two Theater 550 Pro cards and two HDTV Wonder cards. I run these cards in T550P + HDTV Wonder configurations in two different MCE 2K5 home built systems. I also have a Blackbird tuner that came stock in an HP m1070n MCE PC.
I really like the OTA HDTV capabilities of the ATI HDTV Wonder plus its SDTV capabilities which can be enabled in MCE.
I’m considering a FusionHDTV5 Lite card but I haven’t researched it yet. It seems to be both an OTA and QAM tuner.
As for the video card, my HP m1070n MCE PC came with an ATI X300SE PCIe video card. Its not traditionally thought of as a powerful card but for watching TV it’s more then enough. Any DX9 card from nVidia or ATI should do for SDTV but for HDTV you would probably be better off with a 6600xxx class card with purevideo on the nVidia front. As for ATI, a 9500 class card and up would be advisable and the newer X1000 class has some hardware-assisted functionality (X1300 for 480i, X1600 for 720p, and X1800 for 1080i). |
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BillTager
join:2000-09-20
Charlotte, NC
| reply to MikeDesh22
Your tuner card decision should depend on the PVR app you plan on using. MCE for example has fairly strict requirements for both tuner and video cards. Beyond TV and Sage (most common stand alone PVR apps) have slightly less stringent requirements.
My suggestion would be to decide on the PVR app first, then get the hardware best suited to your choice.
Here's why. I'd recommend the PVR150 card over the 250. No difference in PQ, and the 150 costs less. But there are a couple different version of the 150 available. Some e-tailers even bundle it with a different remote and/or DVD decoder depending on the PVR app used. So start with the software first, and go from there.
The best, most organized spot for HTPC info on the web can be found in the htpcnews.com forums.
Best spot to buy HTPC gear is pcalchemy.com
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Formerly DSLWho |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| said by BillTager :
Your tuner card decision should depend on the PVR app you plan on using. MCE for example has fairly strict requirements for both tuner and video cards. Beyond TV and Sage (most common stand alone PVR apps) have slightly less stringent requirements.
My suggestion would be to decide on the PVR app first, then get the hardware best suited to your choice.
Here's why. I'd recommend the PVR150 card over the 250. No difference in PQ, and the 150 costs less. But there are a couple different version of the 150 available. Some e-tailers even bundle it with a different remote and/or DVD decoder depending on the PVR app used. So start with the software first, and go from there.
Quite logical and systematic,...
However, it would be rather difficult for many peopel to decide on a PVR app that would be most suitable for them (the individual with individual tastes and needs) without a firsthand, hands-on evaluation. Naturally, it would be difficult to make such an evaluation without first having the hardware (TV tuner, remote and so on) to evaluate it with.
Therefore, my approach would be to examine the system requirements of a range of desirable PVR applications and design a system accordingly (or chose a tuner card and video card as the case may be). In such a case, choosing the most demanding PVR application’s system recommendations as a model would be an advisable upper limit. This would allow the end user to change PVR apps with less concern as to whether the hardware is robust enough. |
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mikedesh22
@optonline.net | reply to MikeDesh22
I bought the PVR-150 at CompUSA for $59.99 tonight. Now I need a new video card. I think I'm going to get the FX5200 video card with 128mb.
Will 128mb be enough? or should I get 256mb?
You said DirectX9 is a must, correct? |
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Corey_T
Toyota Offroad Forum Owner
join:2001-10-27
Auburn, WA | reply to MikeDesh22
128 is fine, as that is what my ATI 9600 Pro has.
You will be fine.
Corey |
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