Selecting a Tuner Card...

wheely34

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Jul 24, 2008
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Just ordered all my parts for my new Media Center build. This machine is going to be sitting right next to my TV in the living room. I want to basically use it for the following:

-Watching DVDs/BlueRays
-Recording TV programs
-Internet (email and browsing)
-Would like to control the TV and the PC functions by remote control

I currently have FiOS and know I will need to get a tuner card that is capable of viewing and recording HDTV correct? I am just getting into this end of the industry (digital and anologue signals, standard and HDTV Broadcasts, recording, etc....) and incorporating a PC into it. So i really don't know what card I should be looking for and just need someone to point me in the right direction. I just want to make sure I get a card that will be able to do everything I want it to do.

I will be pairing it with an ATI HD3870, so I will be able to transmit a digital HD signal back out of my computer to my TV. My questions about the video card is how much does the picture quality actually depend on the video card? I mean, I guess watching DVDs and doing other computer related functions will benefit from a good card, but does actually watching live TV depend on a good video card? I thought it just depended on the signal and the mediums capability of encoding that signal.

Obviously I have a lot of confusion on this topic, so feel free to correct me on anything that needs correcting Thanks!
 

neon neophyte

Splendid
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make sure you choose someting that is compatible with microsofts media center.

if you dont, you will end up having to buy a 100 dollar seperate piece of software. (ie, sagetv or beyondtv.)

3870 is a good card.