Poor quality from Leadtek TV Card

[ptw]

I'm using a Leadtek Winfast TV2000XP TV Tuner Card. Unfortunately, I am having some image quality problems. On both the RCA Line-In and also the Coax-In, there is a moving, horizontal interference pattern. Also, the image quality itself is quite grainy--much worse than when the cable or RCA-In (either from a DVD or VCR) is hooked up directly to a TV. The colors are also extremely flat. The only time that the picture looks good is when I'm in the "Configuration" screen with a tiny, tiny version of the image--suddenly everything looks sharp and the colors seem crisp (too bad it's too tiny to watch!)

Here is what I have tried so far:
--2 different computers at opposite ends of my house--same result
--the original drivers and Leadtek app, and also PowerVCR II and PowerDVD--same result
--both the RCA Line-In and the Coax--same result (I don't have any S-Video to try)

My brother's Radeon AIW 7500 has FAR superior quality. Is the Leadtek simply that much of an inferior card, do I have a lemon, or are there drivers/configuration I can do to improve things?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[the_Prisoner]

I have never used the Leadtek cards. Could be a lemon. They seem to make good video cards. For TV Tuner cards, I found Hauppage and Pinnacle make the best.

Maybe some computer interference?

the Prisoner

I'm not a number, I'm a free man!

 

[Frisbee]

Could be that the tv-signal in your house is weaker than in your friends.
I have a Hercules tv card, and had the same problem.
I bought:
- a 100% shielded cable
- a signal amplifier (say $20)

My problem was solved.

It's not because the picture on your tv is good that the cable signal is strong you know.
Todays tv sets can do with a pretty weak signal. I think that tv cards need a stronger signal.

But I suggest you try another cable before buying a signal amplifier.

Hope this helps.
Carl

 

[ptw]

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, the cable TV signal I tried is the SAME one that my brother used for his AIW to get a better picture (the cables he and I use diverge at a y-junction from a single cable). Also, that wouldn't account for the image quality problem from VCR and DVD through the RCA-in.

I guess the next step is to try the AIW in my computer. I may have to club my brother over the head to be able to borrow it though

 

[the_Prisoner]

That is the weird part. You are getting bad quality inputing directly to the DVD and VCR player. I have a SVHS and DVD player hooked into my TV Tuner card and it works great.

If you have a SVHS cable try hooking that up into your DVD player and see if that makes a difference. Spltting the signal and running a long cable will degrade the picture but
you would think it would work fine for a direct connection into the VCR/DVD player.

Don't club your brother too hard!

the Prisoner

I'm not a number, I'm a free man!

 

[silly_rabbit]

dunno.....the WinTV2000xp works fine on my computer
maybe your card doesn't like you =P

anyway you can bring the card to some friend's house and try
it out? Might give you a better idea if its the card or your
computer or its your house or whatever....

btw...what is a lemon?



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