TV Card questions and recommendations

[Spooksmcgee]

I am interested in getting a PVR for my computer, but have a couple questions. I currently have a PCI-E video card. I can just add a TV Tuner card into one of my PCI slots correct? I don't need to replace my current video card? And how does that work having two video cards? Is one set to the default and the other one only cuts on when I use the tv software?

Also, is it possible to have a television program playing in one window, and my main video card still being used to display my Windows applications? I plan on switching to a dual monitor setup soon so can I have separate video cards running on each monitor (snapstream on one monitor, my regular card running the other one)?

Lastly, does anyone have any recommendations for a TV tuner card under $150? I was thinking of getting the Beyond TV / Hauppage TV-150 bundle listed for sale at http://store.snapstream.com/btv-analog.html since it comes with a free firefly remote, but I also like the
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-350 ($140) since their site says it says it has hardware encoding and doesn't list it for the other one, although that would mean I'd have to pay an extra $100 for Beyond TV (is Beyond TV even worth it or should I use an open source program)?

Sorry for so many questions and thanks a lot for any help!

 

[TheCanuck]

Probably go with either the ATI 550 pro or a Hauppauge 150 and then use a free PVR program like GBPVR: GBPVR

Hauppauge TV Tuner: PVR 150

ATI TV Tuner: 550 Pro

I have two of the PVR150s and use GBPVR and haven't had any problems. Some reviews say the 550 provides slightly better picture quality but I've also seen one that said the Hauppauge was better. Both are good cards and both have their own issues. I went with the Hauppauge because it's more common, and easier to find tweaks / support for it.

Both cards will plug into a free PCI slot and use your video card to decode the TV (probably use up around 15 - 30% CPU depending on what filters you use etc). You can also play the TV in a small window and run your other apps as well. I haven't tried dual monitors but I'm pretty sure it will work fine -- i.e one monitor to play TV and another for your apps. The dual monitor setup may not work smoothly if you're playing a game and have TV on at the same time though -- that type of setup might require a second PCI video card to play the TV portion.