A good capture card?

[TheBlackOut]

Hello.

I am wanting to watch TV on my computer and computer monitor. I was told that I needed a Capture Card, not a TV tuner, because the cable wire runs into the Verizon top box then another wire runs out that goes to the TV. This is correct, right? In that I was told that if the cable just ran straight from the wall to the TV then that is when I would a TV tuner. This is correct as well?

If all that is correct, does anyone know a good Capture Card for around 60 dollars? I can go a little over if one card totally rocks that's maybe like 10 dollars over.

Also, I want to have the cable going to the TV as well in case I have company over and they want to watch TV on the actual TV set than my monitor. What am I going to need? Someone told me a "passive splitter" for this. Does anyone have a link to one? I might order all of this online instead of running out to get it. NewEgg would be preferred, but Amazon and the like are welcomed. And obviously I need an extra cable, what kind are they called though? Coaxial or something, right?

 

[newnameman]

Do you need to record TV? If not you might not need a capture card. What model is your monitor?

 

[TheBlackOut]

X2gen MG19MY.

But if what I am reading from what you're implying is that I could somehow plug directly into the monitor? That would be lovely and save money, but how would I get speakers to work? I have some nice studio monitors, wouldn't want them to go to waste

 

[GregGreen]

If you just want to watch tv on your monitor, you might be able to just go HDMI->DVI. This would require your cable box to have an hdmi port, your monitor to have a free dvi port, and for you to have some speakers in the area so you could hear the sound.

 

[TheBlackOut]

I only have a VGA port on my monitor, though I do have spare converters. But I do not have another one, it is being used by the computer.

And HDMI, isn't that for HD TVs? I do not have one and my TV is plugged in using one of those round cables.

 

[Modelworks]

If you are just wanting to watch tv on your pc, like through a window on your desktop, then I recommend this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16815100120
Its 10.00 + shipping.

Then you need this cable to go between your cable converter on your current tv and the capture card above.
http://www.monoprice.com/produ...id=2180&seq=1&format=2
14.00 + shipping.

Finally grab this program:
http://sourceforge.net/project...7420&package_id=123423
free

Connect the svideo cable to your cable box and the other end to the capture card.
You can now record or watch whatever is playing on the cable box.
Total cost, about $30

It is what I did with a satellite system and it works great.
Some sample captures of the above setup:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/259/captureez5.jpg
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/2571/capture2uj8.jpg

 

[TheBlackOut]

Hello Modelworks, I appreciate the post and I have a question... what are the RCA audio cables for?

Mm, actually dumb question... more of what I meant was... I would have to plug those in my speakers, right? Or my soundcard?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: TheBlackOut
Hello Modelworks, I appreciate the post and I have a question... what are the RCA audio cables for?

Mm, actually dumb question... more of what I meant was... I would have to plug those in my speakers, right? Or my soundcard?

Yeah, the RCA cables connect for the audio.
Then the capture card has two rca connectors for audio, that connect to a small 1/8" plug that plugs into your sound cards line in.

 

[TheBlackOut]

Thank you! I think this will be what I'll do... but out of curiousity, will anything happen when the switch to digital happen? Will this card work after that?

And for 10 bucks, is it really good quality? I got some HD channels with FiOs TV, would those come out well on this card?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: TheBlackOut
Thank you! I think this will be what I'll do... but out of curiousity, will anything happen when the switch to digital happen? Will this card work after that?

And for 10 bucks, is it really good quality? I got some HD channels with FiOs TV, would those come out well on this card?

The capture card takes a standard svideo input.
So as long as your source has svideo out you should still be able to watch tv on your pc.
Right now I can tune HD channels on the satellite and it downconverts them to 720x480 for svideo.

The reason I went with a svideo capture card and not a card with a tuner is because often the tuner will not work well with cable systems. Most encrypt the channels and the tuner on the capture cards cannot decode them. Satellite requires the receiver decode the channels, so again the tuner on the capture card cannot be used.

The quality to me is good, especially using a program like dscaler that allows you to tweak things like sharpness, color, deinterlacing method.

There are more expensive cards if you want to do true HD resolution on the pc, but then it all gets more complicated .
You would need a card with hdmi or component inputs, the cable box would have to output component/hdmi, your also going to have to buy different cables.

The method I used was the cheapest way I could watch tv on my pc and still have a good looking picture.
Both of the screenshots I posted were taken off of HD channels.

 

[TheBlackOut]

Thanks... I think I'll buy what you've suggested and be happy. But a few more questions, will I be able to record with this card and write the video onto my hard drive?

And I would only need to use one of those RCA cables for the audio, right?

 

[Blain]

Capture video as well as digital tuner for watching...
* Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1800 MCE (PCIe version)
* Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 MCE (PCI version)

 

[TheBlackOut]

Oh, wow, that upped the price a bit much. I think I like the 30 dollar option, I guess I'll live without recording. Thanks for the help you guys!

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: TheBlackOut
Oh, wow, that upped the price a bit much. I think I like the 30 dollar option, I guess I'll live without recording. Thanks for the help you guys!

You can still record with the card I got.
It just uses your cpu to compress the video rather than an on card solution.
In some ways its better because that allows you to choose what codec you want to use.
Or you can capture the video uncompressed straight to the hard drive and compress it later.
I've found a 2ghz cpu more than enough to capture video with software mpeg2 , what a dvd player uses.
They include recording software with the card, but I prefer just using dscaler.

 

[TheBlackOut]

Great then! I ordered the card you recommended along with cables, except 25ft shorter I will reply when I get the card and reply how I like it!

 

[TheBlackOut]

Hello.. I got the card and hooked it up, installed the driver..

But how do I "use" Dscaler?

Edit: I got it working use the tool they gave me... but I have no idea how to get sound. I see 2 rows of...

-- red -- white --
-- red -- white --
-- yellow -- orange --

It has...

TO TV

--

Audio

--

TO VCR

marked to each different level. I figured audio would be it, so I plug in the red and white... but what one do I plug into my soundcoard? Neither of them work.

 

[TheBlackOut]

Anyone?

And even though the tool they give is nice, if anyone knows how to explain Dscaler to me, please do

 

[Modelworks]

If you got dscaler installed its not too difficult to start using it.
I use dscaler for just watching tv , but it can also be used to capture if you want.
When you start up dscaler its going to say the card is unknown.
Under Card , change unknown card to Conexant CX23880 TV/FM EVK
Leave Tuner setting alone as it really doesn't mater with the kworld card.
Click OK

On Mixer and Source Setup select Analog Audio In(2-Conexant
Under Mixer Line, select Master Volume
Click OK

A picture should appear, if not under CX Card select video input , svideo.
Dscaler defaults to automatic film/video detection so I suggest leaving it there.
You may need to play with the Aspect ratio options, depending on your source to make the picture the right dimensions.

You can also make it always on top, hide menus, etc so its just a border with the picture showing, so it can take up very little space on the desktop. Or you can double click the picture and it will switch between fullscreen and windowed.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: TheBlackOut
Hello.. I got the card and hooked it up, installed the driver..



marked to each different level. I figured audio would be it, so I plug in the red and white... but what one do I plug into my soundcoard? Neither of them work.

The red and white are for left and right audio coming from whatever your source is.
The little 1/8" plug the comes out of the cpature card goes to your sound cards line in.
I think its the blue jack on most pc.

 

[TheBlackOut]

Yea I got it to work now, thanks! Great buy.