Post your home theater/capture/TV cards and software you use

[openwheelformula1]

Hauppauge PVR-150MCE
Dvico Fusion5 Lite
MCE2005

Gigabyte 6600

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: xtknight
Samsung SIR-T451 ATSC 8VSB Terrestrial/QAM HDTV Tuner [VGA out to VP930b] (it's screaming now to be let out of its cage and hooked up to a NEC 20WMGX2 widescreen via YPbPr)
ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0 (Theater 2xx) [coax,S-Video,component]

As for capture programs:
ATI MultiMedia Center (annoying, I can't disable TV-on-demand)
I was also working on one of my own TV capture programs in C++ that was going well. Since ATI MMC is slow now (can't disable TV-on-demand), I may continue it.

SageTV and BeyondTV both lack support for my card (the last versions I tried). GB-PVR also lacks support but I got it to sort of work by editing config files (but not consistently).

I just want something simple I can watch+capture TV with and schedule something once in a blue moon, I don't need/want all the other stuff. So I have been using ATI MMC. But they have neutered that with mandatory TV-on-demand so I don't know what I'll do now. The USB doesn't bother me at all. It's nice to have less EMI with the tuner in a separate box and the ability to hook it up to a notebook.

For maximum TV tuner quality I would be going with a tuner based off the Conexant Fusion 878A chipset.

ATI Theatre 550 Pro vs. Conexant Fusion 878A/typical chipsets found in capture cards

Round 2: ATI Theatre 550 Pro vs. Conexant Fusion 878A/see how they fair against eachother in NOISE FILTERING CAPABILITY

Interesting! I would have no problem going with a different chipset except I'm not sure if there are any PCI-E cards for that chip. I need PCI-E.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: archcommus
Interesting! I would have no problem going with a different chipset except I'm not sure if there are any PCI-E cards for that chip. I need PCI-E.

Sadly, at this point I'm not sure there are any PCI-E tuners except for a couple DVB-T (European HDTV) ones. Do you want an analog TV tuner or one that can also handle HDTV? (I haven't seen one HDTV tuner that can't also handle analog.) If HDTV, what country are you located in? You will need to get a card that supports your HDTV standard. As for analog I think by now they all support NTSC/PAL/SECAM anyway.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: archcommus
Interesting! I would have no problem going with a different chipset except I'm not sure if there are any PCI-E cards for that chip. I need PCI-E.

Sadly, at this point I'm not sure there are any PCI-E tuners except for a couple DVB-T (European HDTV) ones. Do you want an analog TV tuner or one that can also handle HDTV? (I haven't seen one HDTV tuner that can't also handle analog.) If HDTV, what country are you located in? You will need to get a card that supports your HDTV standard. As for analog I think by now they all support NTSC/PAL/SECAM anyway.

I don't need any HD tuning capabilities. There is a PowerColor Theater 550 Pro-based PCI-E card. That may be my only option.

 

[doggyfromplanetwoof]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: tomt4535
Ive got 3 tuners in my htpc. The first one is a PVR-250, second a Visiontek theater 550 card, and third an Avermedia A180. All three work together well in Media Center 2005. Im upgrading my motherboard this week, and its going to be a microATX board, so Im going to pick up a PCI-E version of a theater 550 card. I like Media Center's interface, Although it is difficult with drivers and such. Once you get it set up, it wont bother you, its just a pain in the arse to get it there. I hear good things about GBPVR, although I havent tried it.

So you're also searching for a PCI-E Theater 550 Pro-based card. The only one I've really found is a PowerColor, and it's only on a couple sites I don't normally shop at, like eWiz and Directron. Where are you getting yours?

pcalchemy.com has the PCIE one, so does newegg I believe.

I am using
Windows XP PRO
Meedio (Customize>All)
A210GDMS PRO ATI mobo (no fans)
AMD 3200+ (7700 silent fan)
2GB
6800GS ArticCoolerNV(Silent)
X Qpack Case black no windows w/ Seasonic S12 330watt PSU

Plus some other software, games, setups, and 7 USB ports full.

All on a Viewsonic N2750.

Laying in bed with a 27' LCD with a Firefly remote and unlimited music/movies/dvds/shows/games at your finger tips with a silent setup > AWESOME!

Edit: Oh ya, playing Oblivion with a wireless Logitech remote = 10x better than mouse/KB setup, sadly, first PC game that has done so... Strange.

 

[Peter]

LifeView's twin-tuner PCIE solution appears to be just around the corner ... at least the German rebadging importer Typhoon have put it up as "available".

It uses a new Philips main chip (doubled up from their current one) combined with twin dualmode (DVBT/analog) tuners, for simultaneous streaming of any two of DVBT, analog TV, SVideo-in, Composite-in.

 

[archcommus]

So what's the most popular chipset today for tuners?