Does anyone with an AIW card and Comcast cable have any problems watching tv?

[Salvador]

Just curious. I seem to remember reading something about someone having a problem with the AIW card with certain cable services. Just wanted to know if there is anyone with Comcast cable tv and an AIW and if you have any troubles.

TIA,

Sal

 

[rbV5]

I have Comcast Digital Cable. Hooking the cable directly into the AIW's tuner connector bypassing the Digital Decoder STB, you get the analog channels (1 thru 125, which all of the analog on our system are). These channels work with the Gemstar+ EPG for scheduling recording and viewing.

In order to watch or capture the digital channels, you have to use the decoder STB and use the s-video or composite connectors (or perhaps even the AIW coax tuner connector and the tuner on channel 3, I've never tried this myself) These channels do not work with the Gemstar+ EPG, but their program listings are shown. I'm not sure if the ATI scheduler works with the analog inputs, as I've never used it to schedule recordings (this is a seperate utility from the EPG) but I know there were issues scheduling using the s-video (or perhaps both, I'm not sure)

The issue I had was concerning the signal strength. I had to add a signal booster to get a good quality picture for channels 2 thru 6 for my AIW 9700pro on the same line my other AIW cards, VCR and TV got perfectly good signals on without the booster..it did the trick though.

 

[Salvador]

In order to watch or capture the digital channels, you have to use the decoder STB and use the s-video or composite connectors (or perhaps even the AIW coax tuner connector and the tuner on channel 3, I've never tried this myself) These channels do not work with the Gemstar+ EPG, but their program listings are shown. I'm not sure if the ATI scheduler works with the analog inputs, as I've never used it to schedule recordings (this is a seperate utility from the EPG) but I know there were issues scheduling using the s-video (or perhaps both, I'm not sure)

Are you saying that with the digital cable box hooked up to the card, some of the features on the AIW card don't work?

I just read another thing in these forums that I wasn't too happy about. Someone reported that he had a problem with squiggly lines when hooking up the AIW with the adapter to a Mitsubishi/NEC CRT monitor. He even had a friend that experienced this and thinks it's some kind of problem with the adapter and Mitsu NEC monitors. Have you ever heard of this? Since I have a NEC CRT, I didn't want to hear this.

I'm still so torn between the 9800PRO AIW and 9800PRO. I think if I knew more about the AIW card, I wouldn't be so leery of it. Also, if it was just adding features instead of taking some away, I don't know if I'd care about the extra $60 if I ended up using it or not. I just don't want to have any problems with a CRT and I don't want to find myself wanting to use a dual monitors later and then not be able to because I bought a AIW card.

The big thing is that I'm not set up to try the AIW at the moment (no cable to the room where I'd set up the system with the AIW card). This would have to be something that's a few months away before I could even try it. I'd hate to buy the AIW and then find out that I can't even use it later, it doesn't work for me or that I don't like it.

Now.. I know that the AIW card is better than a tv capture card because it shares it's GPU with the tuner, but how bad is something like a Leadtek card anyway by comparision? Couldn't I just try a tv tuner card first and then if I like what it does, maybe pick up a AIW card later? At least I could then just sell off the $50 tuner card and still have a nice video card.

Sal

 

[rbV5]

Are you saying that with the digital cable box hooked up to the card, some of the features on the AIW card don't work?

The EPG works with the AIW's tuner, not the Comcast box's tuner.

He even had a friend that experienced this and thinks it's some kind of problem with the adapter and Mitsu NEC monitors. Have you ever heard of this? Since I have a NEC CRT, I didn't want to hear this.

I'm using my Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2020u 22" CRT monitor, never noticed it with any of my AIW cards or adaptors.

Couldn't I just try a tv tuner card first and then if I like what it does, maybe pick up a AIW card later? At least I could then just sell off the $50 tuner card and still have a nice video card

Absolutely, in fact that sounds like a good plan. The tuner card will hold its value pretty well, and if it works for want you want...you're done, if not, someone will want that TV card I would think.