TV tuner cards?

[czech09]

How good is the quality? I'm thinking about getting one of these things since my roomates are always playing Halo2 on the tv.

 

[shortylickens]

You can find some that will do HDTV, but they cost a pretty penny.
The high-end ones also have Tivo like features.

 

[Engineer]

Click me!

Off Topic (sort of), the above card isn't rated too bad as is only $15.99 + shipping after rebates. If you were e-mailed a $5.00 coupon, it would be $10.99 + shipping after rebates. Since it includes remote, not bad at all. Captures but not hardware.

Good Luck in your search.

 

[czech09]

Doesn't really say if it connects via AGP or just regular PCI. I have a PCI-E motherboard so AGP wouldn't work.

Thanks for the link.

 

[imported_Tick]

Wrong forum! Nyah!

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: czech09
Doesn't really say if it connects via AGP or just regular PCI. I have a PCI-E motherboard so AGP wouldn't work.

Thanks for the link.

It's PCI. There are no "tv- tuner only" cards that are AGP (video + tuner, but not just tuner) that I know of.

 

[Kelemvor]

Are you meaning to just watch TV on the computer or use something like SageTV to actually record the shows so you can watch them back later?

I'm using the Hauppauge PVR-150 card with SageTV and it works great. Only $130 or so (I think) for the card and the software from www.pcalchemy.com

If you just want to watch TV and not do the fancy recording stuff, you can just buy the card and use the included software to watch TV. Quality looks just fine.

 

[czech09]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Are you meaning to just watch TV on the computer or use something like SageTV to actually record the shows so you can watch them back later?

I'm using the Hauppauge PVR-150 card with SageTV and it works great. Only $130 or so (I think) for the card and the software from www.pcalchemy.com

If you just want to watch TV and not do the fancy recording stuff, you can just buy the card and use the included software to watch TV. Quality looks just fine.

Not to record. Just to watch. Looking to spend under $50. Thanks.

 

[radioouman]

External USB 2 (Gainward TV2GO) is a good choice.
But only if you have USB 2 ports.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Engineer
Click me!

Off Topic (sort of), the above card isn't rated too bad as is only $15.99 + shipping after rebates. If you were e-mailed a $5.00 coupon, it would be $10.99 + shipping after rebates. Since it includes remote, not bad at all. Captures but not hardware.

Good Luck in your search.

That's a great deal if that card is even so-so.

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: radioouman
External USB 2 (Gainward TV2GO) is a good choice.
But only if you have USB 2 ports.

No they aren't, with the USB ones, the video and audio is always out of sync

 

[loup garou]

Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

 

[wasserkool]

i currently use the ATI TV WOnder Elite based on the T550 chipset and i am totally happy with the quality and sound!

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

Does he need the hardware and extra costs if he only intends to watch, not record? (curious as to the economics of the deals).

 

[IGBT]

..will ntsc cards work wit hdtv over the air casts??

 

[imported_Leviathan]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

Does he need the hardware and extra costs if he only intends to watch, not record? (curious as to the economics of the deals).

Yeah, I was thinking that a s well. If he doesn't want to record, no need to spend on something which he probably won't use anyway.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

Does he need the hardware and extra costs if he only intends to watch, not record? (curious as to the economics of the deals).

Better video quality, more stable drivers (major manufacturers), I'd imagine CPU usage is less as well even if just watching, plus he can move to PVR software in the future if he wants. I'd say it's worth the extra ~$40.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

I'm going to have some questions for you after you get it up and running. I have the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 350 in the box I use to cap and watch TV on and a WinTV PVR 500 (same as the 150 with 2 tuners) in my MCE 2005 box. I also have the ATI HDTV card in that box but my OTA reception is worthless so I am looking to replace it with the Fusion card once it is supported in MCE since it does QAM.

 

[shelaby]

How does the ATI Tv wonder perform? anybody had any major problems with them?

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: keeleysam

Originally posted by: radioouman
External USB 2 (Gainward TV2GO) is a good choice.
But only if you have USB 2 ports.

No they aren't, with the USB ones, the video and audio is always out of sync

the audio does not go through the USB port. It has an external audio jack. I haven't had any problem with out of sync audio.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

Does he need the hardware and extra costs if he only intends to watch, not record? (curious as to the economics of the deals).

Better video quality, I'd imagine CPU usage is less as well even if just watching, plus he can move to PVR software in the future if he wants. I'd say it's worth the extra ~$40.

Some of us are just cheap@sses!

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: werk
Pony up the extra couple bucks and get a Hauppauge PVR-150 or a VisionTek Xtasy Theatre 550 Pro PVR, you won't regret it (both around $50-60 AR, search Hot Deals).

:thumbsup:

Two of the best hardware based TV tuner cards on the market.

I just bought an HDTV tuner card, can't wait until it arrives :thumbsup:

Does he need the hardware and extra costs if he only intends to watch, not record? (curious as to the economics of the deals).

Better video quality, I'd imagine CPU usage is less as well even if just watching, plus he can move to PVR software in the future if he wants. I'd say it's worth the extra ~$40.

Some of us are just cheap@sses!

Every few months Circuit City has an awesome deal on the retail Hauppauge PVR150 with remote for $59.99 AR :thumbsup:

 

[RossMAN]

I should add I got mine for $59.99 - $10 coupon = $49.99 AR.

Kick ass deal for a kick ass video card.