PCI vs. USB: Which add-on TV Tuner?

[Slava]

Guys,

It has been a while since my last post, so happy New Year everyone! )

Now, I need advice: I like my video card and see no need to get an All-in-Wonder. However, my card does not have a TV tuner. I can't figure out what is the best TV card/tuner solution.

Here's my CPU/Video specs:

2GHz Pentium 4
ASUS V8200 GeForce3 Ti-500 Deluxe

Here's my problem:

1. The ASUS card comes with Digital VCR software which works pretty well (when I capture from Composite input). The D-VCR has Time Shifting, Scheduled Recording, supports a gazillion of TV and compression formats - the whole nine yards.

2. Many add-on TV tuner cards seem to have many of the same features my video card has, which makes them unnecessarily redundant.

All I need is a HIGH quality TV tuner to attach to my ASUS video card. Any advice? Please.

Also, I've been looking at PCI and USB TV card solutions, such as

1. PCI PINNACLE SYSTEMS PCTV PRO TUNER & VIDEO CAPTURE CARD (WATCH TV CAPTURE & BURN VIDEO 210100209)

and

2. USB PINNACLE SYSTEMS PCTV DELUXE TUNER & VIDEO CAPTURE CARD (WATCH TV BURN VIDEO 210100231)

Any input on that?

Thanks.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Slava on 01/24/03 09:22 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

Input? Yes, USB sux completely, you'll end up haveing to use ultra low resolution to get reasonably smooth video.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[14Dx]

I'd just plug a tv output into your video in and watch it that way. If not a $30-$50 Hauppage Tuner/Capture Card from Best buy will work nicely. Just stay away from USB.

If its not broken, you're not trying hard enough.

 

[Slava]

Thanks, guys. Just one more quick question: are there any decent internal TV tuner cards which are just tuners (no capture)?

 

[kinney]

I have a Hauppauge WinTV Go and ATI Tv Wonder on hand here. The Wintv go is mono only (pci) and the sound conflicts with my audigy strangely..
the tv wonder doesnt have any sound problems but the drivers and software are in terrible shape, supposedly ati is going to fix this and the wait is giong to be well worth it but im not holding my breath.

Hauppauge has the best image quality IMO and stable software. Another option is teh Asus tuner and the Leadtek (my 2nd favorite after teh hauppauge stuff), they have newer chips on them that do some image improvement without software deinterlacing (which the hauppauge does, but wintv cards are the only ones that do this w/o strange software like dscaler).

Like the man said, hauppauge.

Athlon 1700+, Epox 8RDA (NForce2), Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 9 80GB 8MB cache, 2x256mb Crucial PC2100, Geforce 3, Audigy, Z560s

 

[Slava]

Kinney,

Thanks, man. I can't believe it has been almost a year since I posted here and now I am demoted to "newbie". Damn ) Anyhow, about Hauppauge. When you said "mono" you referred to sound, I presume ) So, will the card allow me to capture sound directly through Sound Blaster (I have Live X-Gamer) or will I be married to mono sound in my captures with Hauppauge?

Thanks.

 

[kinney]

You'll just be stuck with mono if you get the cheapest one ($40), the Wintv Go which I have.

Theres hauppauge cards that allow you to view HDTV content with dolby surround and record it to your HD, at $300 nonetheless. They are definitely the most experienced and highest quality. I would suggest ATI because I like its features the most (although at a lower image quality) but it doesnt work properly on 2000/xp.
Check out hauppauges webpage at www.hauppauge.com

Athlon 1700+, Epox 8RDA (NForce2), Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 9 80GB 8MB cache, 2x256mb Crucial PC2100, Geforce 3, Audigy, Z560s

 

[Slava]

Gotcha. I got XP Pro, by the way...

 

[14Dx]

If you get a new card from Haupage it will probally suport at least stereo. To import sound (not using the RF jack) you would just hook it up to whatever your sound card's line is.

If its not broken, you're not trying hard enough.