TV Tuner Card

[imported_rod]

Compro VideoMate DVB-T300
It's basically an analouge/digital PCI TV capture card, with a remote control and power-up scheduling. Link to manufacturers site

Has anyone here used it or heard anything good/bad about it?... I've seen a few reviews of it (all of which seemed fairly good), and it seems to be decently priced.

Thnx in advance
RoD

 

[LxMxFxD3]

is it HDTV capable?

 

[imported_rod]

Well, it says it is digital TV capable, so i would presume that mean HDTV.

RoD

EDIT: Yes, it is HDTV according to the compro-usa site.

 

[imported_rod]

Well, does anyone have information/advice on TV Tuner cards in general?...

RoD

 

[stelleg151]

Sweet, Im interested as well, as this is the first card I have seen with analog and HDTV tuning abilities in one card (At least if im not misinterpreting the specifications on the site given.)

Where do you see it for sale rod?

 

[imported_rod]

One of the main reasons Im looking at this card is because it does have Analog and Digital capabilities, so i dont have to throw it in the bin next year when i want digital.

Im in Australia, so any of the places i've seen it are probably a bit far out of your way. Im not sure, but i think newegg may stock it (i know they stock some compro cards). Otherwise, just google it i guess.

RoD

 

[almach1]

anybody know if these cards are capable of tuning sattelite tv(direct Tv). i'm sure i can run an outgoing stream from the sattelite reciever, but i want the computer to change the channels and function as a dvr.

are there special cards, some for sattelite and others for digital cable?

 

[ribbon13]

Manufacturers page

"VideoMate digital TV products comply with the Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial or DVB-T, international standard. Over 35 countries have adopted the DVB-T standard for transmitting digital TV signals. Using the same video compression technology as satellite TV and DVD discs, DVB-T provides clear, interference-free TV picture quality. Compro VideoMate DVB-T PCI Tuner Cards include both digital and analog TV tuners so that you can enjoy the broadest range of programming."

I believe that means free-to-air broadcasts only.

 

[stlcardinals]

I use Visiontek's card with Ati's 550 Theater chip, I have two of them in my Windows Media Center Edition 2005 box. Quality is really good considering I'm just using the coaxial connections on both of them. I would also recommend looking at Windows MCE. Ever since I put my MCE box together last October I have loved it. The Microsoft remote for MCE comes with a standalone IR receiver that you can hook a cable up to put in front of the IR sensor on Cable set top boxes or satellite recievers to change the channel for you.

 

[imported_rod]

Why do you need two cards in your MCE box???

Also this computer is in my bedroom, and i use it for gaming/internet/study/university work etc... Wouldn't i be better off sticking with win2K (until longhorn/vista comes out). This card also comes with a remote and reciever for it, so i would really benefit from MCE there...

RoD

 

[INM8]

Hi rod ,

i recently got a Compro T300 to go in my new pc. Its running very well, it works with Mediaportal (www.mediaportal.com), and they include their own software with it too, which looks fairly decent for bundled software. The remote is one of the best DVB-T remotes i have seen. If you dont have an MCE remote, this is the next best thing. Its a good size, its got all the commonly used buttons, its looks nice, and you can even power on the pc with it (i tested that the other day and it works).

As you probably already know, its got BDA drivers which means it'll work with pretty much all available DVB software, including windows MCE. Its also capable of capturing video via the composite video input. I believe it has an onboard phillips chip to deal with that. I used it today to get some recordings on my old camcorder and it worked great.

Only thing it doesnt have is an onboard MPEG decoder chip, which means it'll use a bit more CPU Time. This will definatly not be a problem with your pc, the MPEG Decoders are really only neccisary for people with pc's that are 1ghz-800mhz and under. Slight delay between chanel changing , but i have encountered that with every PCI DVB-T tuner iv used so far.

Hope this helps,

INM8

btw: I live in Australia too.

 

[stlcardinals]

Why do i need two cards in my MCE box?

So I can watch and record two shows at once of course

 

[Hurricane Andrew]

Originally posted by: almach1
anybody know if these cards are capable of tuning sattelite tv(direct Tv). i'm sure i can run an outgoing stream from the sattelite reciever, but i want the computer to change the channels and function as a dvr.

are there special cards, some for sattelite and others for digital cable?

Satellite cards (talking Dish and DirecTV here), as far as I know, are non-existant. This is due to the proprietary encryption technologies that the providors employ. The only way around it, as far as I know, is splitting the signal coming out of your satellite receiver. After that, pretty much any tuner card will be able to handle the already "decoded" signal.

 

[Markbnj]

There are some cards out there that say they can receive unencrypted satellite television transmissions, and apparently there is still quite a bit of that stuff zipping around out there. Do a scan on Newegg.com and you'll see a few.

 

[Quasmo]

Originally posted by: stelleg151
Sweet, Im interested as well, as this is the first card I have seen with analog and HDTV tuning abilities in one card (At least if im not misinterpreting the specifications on the site given.)

Where do you see it for sale rod?

ummm have you seen the ATI card or perhaps the MyHD card or the fusion cards that have been out for about a year now?

 

[imported_rod]

INM8: Welcome to the AT forums. Nice to see another Aussie in here. From what you've said, it sounds great.
Hey, I just have a couple of questions for you.
1. Is it possible to watch one show and record another? Im not too stress about this, but it would be nice to know.
2. Have you had any problems with it. My friend has an analog tuner card, and he's mentioned that he sometimes has A/V sync issues, where the audio and video are out of time with each other.

thanks m8
RoD

 

[INM8]

Hi again,

unfortunatly its not possible to watch two shows at the same time. If you purchase two of the cards, then you can watch two channels at once, either DVB + DVB, Analogue+Ananlogue or even Analogue + Digital. With one card, it is only possible to recieve one concurrent stream at a time.

Iv only tested mine with digital so far, and iv had no troubles with Video/Audio sync. I havent messed around with the analogue settings as yet, but i will try them out later and let you know. Maybe your friends pc isnt fast enough to decode the stream in real-time, or he could be having sound card/integrated audio issues?

Is digital tv available in your area as yet?

 

[imported_rod]

INM8: Thanks for the reply. I live just outside of Perth, and i can pick up free-to-air analog from the city, so i guess i would probably be alright.

Just wondering, is the timeshifting feature good. It sounds pretty cool, if it works alright.

Also, my friends PC is a P4 with only 256MB Ram, so he may be having problems there. But if you havent had the problem, then i guess i should be right.

thnx again guys

RoD

 

[INM8]

Yeah, time shifting is an excellet feature. It does use considerable hdd space up, but that shouldnt be a problem for you. You can set it to only "timeshift" for a certain amount of time, or you can just let it keep going untill your hdd runs out of room (prolly wont happen if you have plenty spare on that 200gb HDD). ITs a really handy feature if you are watching something and you just neee to go out for a few minuites.

I dont think you will have any audio sync issues, however 256 mb ram wouldnt deal well with watching/tiemshifting live. If he's using windows xp, 80% of that 256mb is already being used.

Id go for it, this card will be perfect for you. When they started broadcasting digital tv around your area one press of a button and you'll be able to recieve it ASAP

 

[imported_rod]

Awesome. Hey, if i run out of HDD space, it just gives me an excuse to upgrade.

Anyway, I think i might get one of these. Where did you buy yours?

Thanks m8
RoD

 

[INM8]

Hi Rod,

i bought mine at Scorpion Technology which is located in Victoria (im acctually from Tassie, but i do all my "hardware shopping" in Melbourne; even if i went to an expensive computer store in Melbourne, id still be getting 30% of what i could get it here for :roll: ).

Heres the link to their site: http://www.scorptec.com.au/index.php?prdid=14823

Their a very good store, good customer service, no dogey importing, although they arent the cheapest. Their somewhere inbetween most of the time, but on this item their price is very good, only $129. I bought most of the parts for my new pc from them a few weeks ago. Peace of mind when spending $2000+ on computer goods is important, so its nice buy from a seller you trust. Offcouse your purchase isnt that major, so the cheapest price is probably the best one :thumbsup: The cheapest i could find online was at Ai Tech, which is another Victorian based company. Their price is $119.

Heres the link to their site:
http://shop.pc.net.au/A.i.TECH_3037_/Co...zenid=24c1e201deaad0271e736ee7eee2b380

Havent ever bought anything from them, or been to their shopfront, so i dunno how good they are.

IF you want to purchase it from somewhere in WA, here are the online shops i could find that stock it:

1 $148.50 Compro VideoMate DVB-T300 PCI Tuner Card for DVB-T and analogue TV receptio...
pc's on a budget (WA) | www.pcbudget.com.au |

2 $149.00 Compro VideoMate DVB-T300
Storm Computers (WA) | www.stormcomputers.com.au |

3 $154.00 Compro VideoMate DVB-T300
Selpaw Services (WA) | www.selpaw.com.au |

4 $154.00 Compro Dvb-T300 Digital TvTuner Pci
Domain Digital (WA) | www.domaindigital.com.au |

5 $159.00 Compro Videomate Digital/Analog Tuner DVB-T300 PC World Best Buy
Trinix Computers (WA) | www.trinix.com.au |

These shops prices are considerably more expensive. You could probably get it shipped from one of the shops i mentioned earlier for cheaper.

Goodluck with your purchase, if you get one im sure you'll be happy with it If you want an all in one Media Centre, id try the Media Portal software that also happens to be free. Mediaportal is a better solution than MCE 2005 if you ask me.

Cheers,

INM8

 

[imported_rod]

I'm guessing you found those prices on static ice. Damn i love that site. I figure i might buy it from PC Case Gear for $129. There a VIC based company, but I've mail ordered from them b4, and im happy with them. Last time i ordered, i put in my order in on saturday, and recieved my gear via Australian Air Express on tuesday!

Im not really looking for a media centre, just adding some cool feature to my PC, and replacing my dying VCR(i figure there's not point buying a new VCR if they're being replaced by DVD recorders), but thanks for the suggestion.

Well, Im off to watch the footy now. Go WEST COAST!

RoD

 

[Blain]

Tons-O-Info Here.

Great listing of TV card reviews Here :thumbsup:

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: LxMxFxD3
is it HDTV capable?

Only for European terrestrial broadcasts. This does not work in the US or Japan (among lots of other countries).

Europe:
[*]Terrestrial: DVB-T (with COFDM)
[*]Cable: DVB-C (with 64QAM)
[*]Satellite: DVB-S and DVB-S2 (with QPSK)

United States:
[*]Terrestrial: 6 MHz ATSC (with 8VSB)
[*]Cable: 6 MHz ATSC (with 16VSB/256QAM)
[*]Satellite: 6 MHz ATSC (with no modulation(?))

Japan:
[*]Terrestrial: ISDB-T
[*]Cable: ISDB-C (with 64QAM)
[*]Satellite: ISDB-S

 

[imported_rod]

Somone dug up an old thread, didn't they.

Anyway, it works in Australia, not just Europe.

If it won't work in the US, why do(did) newegg sell them?

RoD