Best PCI TV Tuner card?

[SecureID]

I'm really after a PCI TV Tuner card. Image quality is whats most important to me. I'm in Australia, so it must PAL capable. I use win98, so it doesn't need to have win2k support and i'm not bothered about a remote.
I'd prefer it could run ay 1280x1024, my desktop resolution. I really want as big a picture as possible, with the best image quality.
Also want recording capabilities. But basic raw avi/mpeg is fine. I have plenty of HDD space and will convert it to divx or something similiar.

Ok guys, start pumpin' out the replies....please.

 

[Raspewtin]

I have TV Wonder PCI Card, awesome image quality, avg software, i think it's one of the best out there but there are better ones I believe

 

[SecureID]

Oh good i finally found a TV Wonder owner.
I'm undecided on what to get. An ATi, Hauppage, or Pinnacle. Please don't hold back on the input.
First and most important question. It works under PAL right, not just NTSC?

You say there are better? Such as?
I've heard the software is average, but it does the job right? What are your complaints?
Awesome image quality, Excellent! Very important. Whats it like full screen? I run at 1280x1024...
Whats the highest recording settings also? I'm not worried about file size.
I appreciate all your help.

 

[nnnyyy]

I think the TVwonder (non-VE) is the best Tuner card out there IMHO. It is reasonably priced and should fit your needs.

 

[SecureID]

Please reply Raspewtin.

 

[The Wildcard]

I also own an ATI TV WONDER CARD. It's a pretty good card, with alot of features and it's visual quality is great. It even has a zoom function, lol. Pretty fun to use while watching television.

I found, however, that it's a bit tricky to get it working with alot of systems. If you browse the fourms, you'll see that some times, people have problem with it. For example, when they load the television program or something, it won't work, giving them an error.

HOWEVER, a simple reinstallation of the drivers usually solves it though.

By the way, if you are interested, I am willing to sell my ATI TV WONDER card. I don't use it anymore since my room doesn't have cable. I live in the United States. I dunno if the television standards are the same though.

 

[SecureID]

No our television standards are different. You use NTSC, we use PAL.
Can you please check your documentation to see if it supports PAL also. I've been unable to find out anything.

 

[SuperGroove]

I recently sold my ATi TV WONDER PCI. It was a nice card to have when I didn't have a TV available...but it will never replace my TV.

Cons-
It has poor image quality.
It has poor sound quality.
It has poor recording capability.
Poor Image snapping quality
Slow Image snapping

Pros-
Cool toy.
Decent Video In capabilities.
Works like TIVO
The Channel Preview is Nifty

 

[Duvie]

I got an ati tv wonder card and I have been pleasantly surprised...just about what I expected from the countless reviews I read ahead of time...

"Cons-
It has poor image quality.
It has poor sound quality.
It has poor recording capability.
Poor Image snapping quality
Slow Image snapping"

I got some good coaxial cable and ran it to it own plug no splitter and image quality looked much better...

What do you expect on the sound quality? It is only as good as you sound card and speakers...mine sounds fine.

If you have a decent proc I have been able to capture avi files at highest settings with no dropped frames or audio synch problems...this is some of the same stuff that is integrated in the all in wonder cards. I have captured vids off of mtv and vh1 and they have looked great...

haven't tried image snapping...

My main con is ATI's suck-ass drivers and lack of available drivers at website...

In conclusion you get what you pay for...it is only like a 55 dollar card?

 

[SecureID]

<< I recently sold my ATi TV WONDER PCI. It was a nice card to have when I didn't have a TV available...but it will never replace my TV.

Cons-
It has poor image quality.
It has poor sound quality.
It has poor recording capability.
Poor Image snapping quality
Slow Image snapping

Pros-
Cool toy.
Decent Video In capabilities.
Works like TIVO
The Channel Preview is Nifty >>



Dude it's Stereo. The quality depends on your sound card and your speakers. Don't blame the Tuner.
You say it has poor image quality? How so? Everyone else says it's one of the best and image quality is superb.
Poor recording capability? Be more specific. You come accross as someone who just wants to bag it.

Other people please give your input, providing it's helpfull.

 

[potz]

I have WinTV. Software is OK, the quality on the lower channels (2-7) is pretty bad. Wouldn't recommend it.

 

[LarryJoe]

I had the Hauppauge WinTV and dumped it after 1.5 years for the ATI TV Wonder and could not be more satisfied. The Hauppauge crashed constantly and the company updated it's software/drivers almost daily to a fault. Hauppauge tech support was null.

ATI on the other hand never updates their software and drivers and yes, the install can be tricky, but managable. The bottom line is that it stable, great picture quality in both a Window and Full Screen, excellent capturing options and input choices and fairly cool software.

As far as NTSC and PAL, the ATI supports both. As far as resolution, the card will only go as high as it needs to for NTSC or PAL. I do not know much about PAL, but NTSC is broadcast at around 800x600. The tuner can not increase the definition any higher (HDTV is a different story). It still does full screen very nicely using overlay (similar to DVD), but again, the picture is still at NTSC's native resolution. For reference, I run my desk top at 1280x1024 and watch it in full screen all the time.

As someone said above - for $55 this card rocks. As far as a remote, hop over to x10 and pick yourself up a PC MouseRemote (around $30 shipped) and control the Tuner and anything else you want on your rig.

LJ

 

[jaybittle]

While it may be hard to find, I own two STB PCI TV Tuners.. they were taken over by 3dFX about 2 years ago, but they made some of the best (and I mean best) TV Tuners around.. I have a WINTV and it doesn't even come close to the STB version..

One cavaet, the software doesn't seem to run well on my AMD chip.. I didn't really debug it very well, just took it out of my main machine and put in my backup.. Swear to god, you can't tell you are watching it on a monitor.

I believe overstock.com has the (the 3DFX's VoodooTV 200 PCI for $66 + shipping.. it is worth it..

cheers,
--jb

edit -- crapola, I didn't read the requirements.. you need a PAL.. not 100% sure that the 3dFX is PAL compliant .. sorry dude..

 

[LarryJoe]

jaybittle - with all due respect, why would anyone buy anything from a company that for all intent and purposes is out of business. 3DFX is history and nvidia is going to do nothing almost nothing to support it's legacy products. $66 for an out of business company's product vs. $55 for a somewhat thriving company's product?

Also, I would also add that I had to call ATI a few times with capturing questions and they answered the phone on the first ring and knew their stuff.

 

[SuperGroove]

<< I got an ati tv wonder card and I have been pleasantly surprised...just about what I expected from the countless reviews I read ahead of time...

&quot;Cons-
It has poor image quality.
It has poor sound quality.
It has poor recording capability.
Poor Image snapping quality
Slow Image snapping&quot;

I got some good coaxial cable and ran it to it own plug no splitter and image quality looked much better...

What do you expect on the sound quality? It is only as good as you sound card and speakers...mine sounds fine.

If you have a decent proc I have been able to capture avi files at highest settings with no dropped frames or audio synch problems...this is some of the same stuff that is integrated in the all in wonder cards. I have captured vids off of mtv and vh1 and they have looked great...

haven't tried image snapping...

My main con is ATI's suck-ass drivers and lack of available drivers at website...

In conclusion you get what you pay for...it is only like a 55 dollar card? >>





Well if you check out my system specs...you'll see that my computer is decent enough to handle image capturing and I have a good enough soundcard to notice if the card has poor sound quality. Ya'll wanted my opinion and I gave it to you.

 

[jaybittle]

LarryJoe..

You bring up quite a bit of valid points.. I have never tested the ATI, so I can't comment on it's image quality. I do have two Hauppague WIN TV cards, and the quality is sub-standard at best.. And the two STB cards I have, the image quality is superb..

But you are right.. you are buying a product that has, at best, minimal offical company support. For me, that's not a big problem. Others may not feel so comfortable..

cheers,
--jb

 

[dahoff]

What about the AverMedia product line (TV98, TV/FM 98, etc.)?
Compare the ATI TV Wonder to the AverMedia TV98 or TV/FM 98.

I'll be running Windows 2000 and want a TV tuner with the best quality and feature set.

 

[Ryan]

Forget what everyone else is saying. Hauppauge sells great TV Tuner cards, and they are compatable with PAL standards. You can get a Tuner card w/ a remote too. I would go with a Hauppauge WinTV Here are some answers to your questions reguarding a hauppauge Tuner:

You say there are better?
- Yep, they're great

I've heard the software is average, but it does the job right?
- Software was great, and I never had any problems under Win2K. What are your complaints? none

Awesome image quality, Excellent! Very important. Whats it like full screen? I run at 1280x1024...
- Image quality was very good. I don't know if it can scale up to that high of a resolution, but you could probably find out through their website.

Whats the highest recording settings also? I'm not worried about file size.
- It can record in AVi and MPEG. You can get Excellent quality and any size that the tv screen shows up in.

Hope that helps!

Hauppauge

 

[jaredm77]

I had an ATI TV-Wonder Card and liked it quite a bit, did a good job capturing video and letting me watch TV on the PC. Good software too.

 

[s0ccergoof]

Question about this ati tv wonder, does it work with a 3d card like a geforce3? does it have any problems doing this?

 

[Sephy]

Yeah, they're just addon cards. I use the WinTV PCI, and it's the same way. There is a cable input on the back, and a cable that goes from the card to your input on the sound card.

 

[NFS4]

I have a Hauppage WinTV Model 401 with TV/FM Radio. Works great, has excellent Win2k support, and the drivers are solid.

 

[duke]

I have a Pinnacle PCTV (yes, it does PAL as well as NTSC) and when it works it's great. The picture quality is very good. The features are basic, but does every thing you'd expect from a normal TV. The problem I've been having is it would ocassionally lock up my Win2k machine hard requiring a power reset.

 

[Raspewtin]

Sorry about not replying , i didn't check the thread. Software is okay, no built in TV guide (which any TV software should have nowadays IMO). I like the image quality, it's stunning (at least for me). there is a new version called the TV Wonder PCI VE edition which is supposedly better.