IS it worth the cost to get an HDTV tuner for my PC

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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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I have been thinking of getting Windows MCE and getting an HDTV tuner for my PC, so I can watch the occasional show in HDTV. My current TV is a 27" SDTV, so no help there. Not sure how well monitors are made to handle HDTV, mine is a dell 1800FP, with a native res of 1280x1024, which I know doesn't fit well with standard HDTV resolutions, so like I said, i am not sure how it would look?

My third and most likely display device is my Infocus SP 4805 front projector.Which I believe has a resolution of 854x480. So I am guessing it would handle 480p HDTV okay, but nto sure about anything higher then that.

I actually haven't had the chance to really experience HDTV, so I don't know what I am missing out on, or how good it looks. If the best I can do is only 480p, then I am wondering if its worth the few hundred bucks to get the software and hardware I need to do it. If anyone wants to help me out a bit that would be great. Thanks
 
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PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
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480p is not HD...

You would also need an antenna. Total cost your looking at is above $250(at least for a set top box). Is that worth it for the occasionaly show?
 
daniel1113

daniel1113

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
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First things first... 480P is DTV, not HDTV.

Getting an HDTV tuner card is great IF you have HD channels available in your area, whether it be through an antennae or cable. I get about 14 HD channels using my FusionHDTV card, and it is fantastic.

Second, you need to be careful if you plan on using MCE. Even though it supports HD tuners, you must have a regular tuner installed too. Also, MCE does not support QAM, so you will not get any encrypted channels.

I am sure there are folks here that know much more than me, but I thought I would give you a heads up.
 
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mercanucaribe

Banned
Oct 20, 2004
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WHY would you get Windows MCE? The TV tuning software sucks, it doesn't record to any format that you can share, etc etc. Sounds like you just want to blow money for something 'cool'.
 
blurredvision

blurredvision

Lifer
Oct 19, 2000
17,860
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Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Is that worth it for the occasionaly show?
Click to expand...
There is quite a bit of stuff in HD nowadays, and it only continues to grow. So this is a moot point IMO.
 
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PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
13,837
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Originally posted by: blurredvision
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Is that worth it for the occasionaly show?
Click to expand...
There is quite a bit of stuff in HD nowadays, and it only continues to grow. So this is a moot point IMO.
Click to expand...


He said he wouldn't only watch the "occasional show". If its not that important why not invest in something better later?
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
WHY would you get Windows MCE? The TV tuning software sucks, it doesn't record to any format that you can share, etc etc. Sounds like you just want to blow money for something 'cool'.
Click to expand...

I want MCE for a few reasons, recording isn't the main one, thats just a bonus.


So 480p is DTV, not HDTV. I live in a big city, so I am sure I could get at least a few channels, but if I am not gonna notice a big differance in the quality of th epicture, then there isn't much point.


And thanks daniel, I knew about that stuff about MCE. There are ways around it, or I could just use one of the old analog tuners I have running around here, so thats no big deal.

But again, if I will see small if any differance iun quality, then its not worth it.


Mercanucaribe, I wouldn't be recording shows to share with others, so that doesn't really matter to me. And yes I do want to blow money for something cool, isn't that why everybody gets HDTV, I mean its not like its required, people get it because they want it. I figured watching HDTV on a 6'+ screen would be cool. But since I don't have an output device to handle it, then I guess it would definately be a waste of money.
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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So wait, is all digital TV 480p, or is 480p consider DTV? I mean I have digital cable through my cable company right now. I just figured it was called that because it was better then standard cable, meaning more channels and what not. So is it likely 480p, or is it just them calling it digital cable?
 
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batchusa

Senior member
Aug 5, 2004
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As a fellow 4805 owner, believe me, you are missing out on a LOT by not watching HDTV on your proejctor. Its night and day between HDTV and DVD on the 4805.

What I would do is rent a HDTV box from your cable company, see how you like it (you will), and then decide on whether or not to buy a HDTV tuner (either standalone or PC). Renting from the cable company should not cost much and there is no contract.
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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Originally posted by: PurdueRy
www.antennaweb.com
Click to expand...

According to that it looks like I can get about 28 channels. Of which it looks like 6 are marked DTV, does that mean they are 480p only?
 
Pliablemoose

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I'm in nearly the same boat, am considering a HD Tivo from DTV in addition to a HTPC. That card is sold out on Buy.com :(

Just got my 4805 yesterday;) That was a killer deal.

 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,911
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How can it really be that much better then DVD? I though DVD wa slike 525 lines of resolution, if your only watching 480p, and th eprojector can only handle 480p, then wouldn't they look pretty much the same? Or is the scaler working its magic to make it look better.



Also one other things I would like to point out that I forgot earlier. Because of my living rooms arangment, I have my TV/cable box and the wall my projector is prjecting onto on one side of the room, and we sit opposite this with the projector back just behind us. So obviously with that setup I can't watch tv at all on the projector, not that I want to use it as my sole TV, but watching the occasional show or sporting event on it would be great. So really even if I could only watch analog on it, that would still be okay I suppose. The reason I was leaning towards HDTV was because I can get it over the air.

My apartment sucks and the way they have the cable set up is dumb. The cable comes into my building and there is a jack in the upstairs bedroom, a line is split off of that and runs to the sole jack downstairs in the living room. Off the upstairs TV, I have to have it split so i can have on signal going to my TV and one to the Tivo. Then dowstairs, I again I have a TV and a tivo, so again the line gets split, but I also have a cable modem downstairs, so thats another split in the line. And the degredation while tolerable a while ago seems to be getting worse. So another split to run a line to my projector would probablly kill the quality. I have been meaning to call the cable company and see if they can boost the signal, but since I have it split twice for my own tivos, which are not thier equipment, they probablly will tell me its my fault and to deal with it.

So like I said getting HDTV OTA means no more splits in my line, which is good.
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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What did you pay for your 4805? Was it one of the refurbished ones that staple sor whoever had on BF?


The ATI car was the one I was considering. I know its not the best available, but its a decent priced card. I can get it for under 80.00
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,911
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Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
You can get amplifiers for the cable signal.
Click to expand...

I tried that, but since the line is split in the bedroom to run a line down to the living room, by the time I amplify it, I am just amplifying a crappy signal. I mean really it is thier fault, since rather then run 1 line to each of the rooms, they split the single line to both rooms. But if I don't have to split the lines for my tivos, then the signal looks fine, so they will tell me its my fault.
 
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Apex

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
6,511
1
71
www.gotapex.com
Originally posted by: coolred
Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
WHY would you get Windows MCE? The TV tuning software sucks, it doesn't record to any format that you can share, etc etc. Sounds like you just want to blow money for something 'cool'.
Click to expand...

I want MCE for a few reasons, recording isn't the main one, thats just a bonus.


So 480p is DTV, not HDTV.
Click to expand...

No, you were given incorrect information.

480p = EDTV
720p, 1080i, etc = HDTV

DTV can be either one of those, as it merely means its broadcast digitally.
 
Pliablemoose

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
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56
Originally posted by: coolred
What did you pay for your 4805? Was it one of the refurbished ones that staple sor whoever had on BF?


The ATI car was the one I was considering. I know its not the best available, but its a decent priced card. I can get it for under 80.00
Click to expand...

$480 or so after the rebate & the $50 off $500 ccoupon.

Have you browsed the AVS Forum's thread on the 4805? It's nearly 1K pages now:)

The trick to the 4805 seems to either allow the Foroujda chip to do it's magic or use the digital input to get the sharpest picture.
 
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coolred

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,911
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Yeah I have looked over there a few tims, but like you said its 1k pages, thats a lot of reading.
 
Pliablemoose

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I guess I'm just trying to figure out if I'll use it enough to justify a HD Direct Tivo...

That & if I'm going to put fabric on the walls of the room I'm going to use as my home theatre:)

What I want to do in the next year is do away with my 61" Sony RPTV, replace it with a 37" LCD or larger, and put the 30" LCD in my bedroom...

Decisions decisions...

I just hooked up my InFocus, the picture from DVD's rocks:)
 
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