TV Tuner

[hacheema]

I was looking to buy a tv tuner for my recently built pc. What things should I look for when buying a tv tuner? Is there a specific one that you would recommend. I was looking to maybe record tv. What software might I need? My friend said that I should look into getting windows xp media center if I want to record tv but i was wondering if I could stick to 64 bit windows and just get some software. My friend also said that I should look into getting a tv tuner that is capable of braodcasting hdtv because tv is soon going to be broadcasted in hd.

[RJ]

What things should I look for when buying a tv tuner?

First, for which way of reception do you need it (terrestrial, cable, satellite, then analog or digital), as there is no TV card for all of them (there are some combos, though).
Then, do you need a common onterface for pay-tv. If you do, you need a card with a connection for said slot.

I was looking to maybe record tv. What software might I need?

Depends on the card. There will be software bundled with it anyway. If you want another software, DVBViewer is a good one, it works with many digital TV cards, and it works well.

My friend said that I should look into getting windows xp media center if I want to record tv

MCE isn't really good for that. It lacks important features. . . like CI I believe. Ok, if you don't need that, MCE would probably be fine, but you don't need it, just use the TV card, its software, that will work as well.

but i was wondering if I could stick to 64 bit windows and just get some software.

Not sure on this, but I think there are 64 bit drivers available from various manufacturers.

My friend also said that I should look into getting a tv tuner that is capable of braodcasting hdtv because tv is soon going to be broadcasted in hd.

In various places in the world, HD has been reality for many many years. BTW, HDTV itself is not something the TV card has to support, you can do that with virtually every one available.
But it depends on where you live. Germany uses DVB-S2 for satellite (very very new, there are barely cards out there for DVB-S2 and the one or two that are, are pretty immature), other places in the world will follow with DVB-S2.

If you live in Australia where HDTV is broadcasted via DVB-T, any DVB-T card should be fine.

The US will be using DVB-S2 some time in the future, too, I believe, but I don't know when.

If you get your signal via satellite, I wouldn't wait for the DVB-S2 cards to be mature, I'd just get a DVB-S card, they're pretty cheap, too.

RJ

[hacheema]

I am going to be using cable as my reception and I live in the US. Now which tv tuner card do you recommend?

[thorlo6]

Personally, when I built my PC I got a Leadtek Winfast TV2000 XP Deluxe. It does just about anything you need it to. I have my tv cable connected directly to the cards input. It comes with a remote control and operates just like your TV and VCR. You can record onto your HDD, or if you have a CD or DVD burner, it will directly burn to a disk in VCD, DVD, SVCD format, and also handles MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4. I got mine from newegg.com. Hope this helps. thorlo6

[RJ]

The Hauppauge PVR series are also excellent cards for analog cable. You can record directly into DVD compliant MPEG-2.

HDTV does not exist for analog, you'd need a different card for that.

RJ

[tsiguy96]

the hauppage PVR150 to me seems like the absolute best deal you can get. the PVR500 is basically to PVR150's on one card

[Fleabus]

Hi:
ATI TV Wonder Elite Theatre 550 PRO PCI TV card tuner with
remote control. Part Number: 100-703206
http://ati.com/products/tvwonderelite/index.html

Google for reviews of this or any other recommended card.

Happy trailz,

[Beatlepants]

I have a K-world analog/digital card with Beyond TV software (which comes with it) and use a terrestrial antenna, this will work fine in an urban center but cable is better. There are several good cards out there, some have been mentioned already in previous answers to your post, and they are all fine. The only problem is foresee is the lack of 64 bit drivers, the K-world works fine on my 64 bit Windows but my sound card didn't.

Don't get an analog only tuner card as analog signals are going to be obsolete in a couple of years, but it is a good idea to have it anyway even if just to hook a VCR up to your PC. Once you start watching TV, though, you will laugh at analog.

[hacheema]

yeahhhhh
i got the tv tuner card that thorlo6 has, the winfast 2000xp rm edition and it seems that it is only for windows xp, not the 64 bit version of windows, which I am running.

[hacheema]

please correct me if im wrong which i hope i am.

[glc]

http://www.planetamd64.com/lofiversi....php/t210.html

Welcome to the world of x64 drivers..........