WMC Recorded TV Quality

[JackSpadesSI]

I use Windows 7 Media Center to record TV on my PC. My tuner card is DIAMOND ATI TV Wonder HD 650 Combo TVW650PCIE. It only records in standard definition and using an analog tuner (when I set it up as digital I only get the network channels, not all the cable channels).

Some of my recorded files are *.dvr-ms and some are *.wtv (I believe the former were recorded with Vista's Media Center).

I have two separate issues:

When I record on "best" quality the visual quality is still terrible. On a 24" monitor (1920x1200) it is barely watchable and streamed through my Xbox 360 to my 52" 1080p LCD it really is unwatchable.

Also, even though the visual quality is terrible I feel the file sizes are WAY too large. A 4-hour football game is 14 GB and a 30-minute show is nearly 2 GB.

Please help me to achieve better quality video and with a more manageable file size. Thank you!

 

[Blazer]

is this your card, it shows its both ATSC and NTSC [hybrid] capable ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Tpk=TVW650PCIE

what is your source for TV ?

 

[unfalliblekrutch]

If you are using an SD source, that is simply how SD look. SD looks terrible up close on a medium size screen or even far away on a big screen. Sorry.

You can't get digital cables with that tuner other than the network channels unless you're really lucky and your cable company broadcasts everything in clearQAM

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Blazer: Yes, that is my card. It is connected to a cable jack in my wall (TV source).

unfalliblekrutch: No, this is not how SD looks. Sure, SD looks mediocre when shown at 1920x1080 on a 52" TV. However, what I've recorded looks bad even in a window that is actually at SD resolution (smaller than my whole monitor). I know what SD looks like - even at 52" - and it is far better than what I'm getting with my current setup with Windows Media Center.

Then there is the issue of file size. Why should 1 hour of TV take up an entire single-layer DVD-R? It isn't because it is in stunning quality, either (far from it).

 

[JackSpadesSI]

As a separate note, is it possible to split my cable and connect it to both the coaxial connections on my tuner card? If I did that, could I record digitally off the network stations and in analog off the cable stations?

Would digital recordings look better? Would they be smaller files?

 

[Blazer]

IF the cable comes directly from the wall to your TV card and the viewed/recorded quality is bad, i would suggest you disconnect the cable from your card and attach it to your HDTV, is it still bad ? if so its your cable feed line.

you may have failing hardware, shut down and reseat your Card, if not fixed try uninstalling the card, if still not fixed run memtest86+, run the manufactures hard drive test utility in EXTENDED mode.

the file size would be correct for High Def content, but you must locate the problem whether its the source or your hardware.

do you have a CodeC pac installed ?