HDTV Media Center Questions

[hellrazor]

Okay I have a few questions. First, I would like to turn my pc into a HTPC. I know I want to use WMC. I'll give you the specs of my PC and then ask the questions.

Athlon 64 3200
Asus A8N-E
1g PC3200 memory
Geforce 7800GT
36g Raptor
72g Raptor
soundblaster live 5.1

My first question is the video card. Do I just need to get an HDTV tuner card or should I get something like an ATI AIW? Next, will I still be able to get all the channels that I currently get through my cable company(including HD)? Also, does the picture look the same as it would using a cable box? I currently have a 52" LCD projection type HDTV. Will that work?

 

[madmurph]

If you are using a set top converter box, no, you won't pull HD. Yes, you should get a TV Tuner card if you want to do time-phase TV recording though MCE. I'm not a big fan of AIW, under the premise, "Jack of all trades, master of none." HD tuner cards only pull content over-the-air (OTA), so you're limited to what you can pick up via an external antenna, in your area. Here's an article showing some relative comparisons of picture quality, none of which will be as good as the source broadcast on your TV, but your TV will work fine for displaying captured content, quality dependant on the available inputs for secondary video sources. I think your card has dual dvi outputs, so if your TV has a DVI input, that would give a great picture.

http://www.htpcnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=684&Itemid=26

 

[hellrazor]

Dang, thats too bad. I just wanted to get rid of the cable box so I could record as much as I want(limited with cable company) and then burn whatever onto a DVD. It would had also been nice to watch TV from anywhere in the house also.

 

[madmurph]

Yeah, it is. We're in the grip of the cable conglomerate. There's talk that we'll be able to acquire internal digital cards, so the "box" can be eliminated, but even then, we'll still have to rent them from the cable company. Echh!

Depending on the outputs on your box, you can capture the digital image from the set top box, with a digital tuner or capture card, but time-phase recording (and internal channel selection) is eliminated under MCE because you're chained to that box. Good luck. MM