satellite dish

[georgebeee]

ok, I got a satellite dish with a cheap dvr already. from my understanding it's already digital video, and it also has s-video out.

my question is, what kind of video card would I require to make a better dvr out of my pc?

amd 2000+, maxtor 60gb, BBA 9600xt without video in, sb live, gigabyte ga-7va mobo

 

[the_Prisoner]

Yes, the signal you receive to your Dish is digital. It is sent from a satellite in space. hehe

In terms of video quality it will depend on your TV, or will you be watching on a computer monitor? S-VHS is fine for just a normal TV and still good on a computer monitor. HDTV type TVs, or computer monitors(resolution wise) you want something better. Component is best.

I assume the Dish receiver you got doesnt have component outputs.

Here is a link for a higher quality Dish receiver: DVR 921 with components outputs:<A HREF="http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/products/receivers/HD/index.shtml" target="_new">http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/products/receivers/HD/index.shtml</A>

Here is a link that describes what component means:<A HREF="http://www.projectorcentral.com/component.htm" target="_new">http://www.projectorcentral.com/component.htm</A>

I dont know what a cheap DVR player is, but you might be able to get a DVR type card that might be better. No clue.

The DVR, hence the name Digital Video Recorder, is recorded in digital. S-VHS(analog)output is not digital but still better then composite.

Anyways if you want to get DVR/PVR/HDTV cards you can go to:<A HREF="http:// http://www.hauppauge.com/Pages/prods.html" target="_new">http:// http://www.hauppauge.com/Pages/prods.html</A>
The better ones have hardware encoding so your CPU doesnt have to work hard.

For the cheapest solution use the DVR you have and buy a cheap TV Tuner type card that has S-VHS in. If you need to record on the PC, get a Hauppaguage 150, 250 or 350 depending on your budget.

the Prisoner








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

 

[georgebeee]

that's pretty much what I was wanting to know, and more than I suspected. my manual told me my s-video was higher quality than the rca cables, but I didn't know it was an analog signal.

so, I guess I'm back to the hauppaguage 250, was hoping I could bypass the tuner card since I already had the digital tuner, but thank you much for the reply

 

[the_Prisoner]

Your video card doesnt have a video in. Their are three options(maybe more). I assume you want to watch TV on your computer. Do you want also record and burn the video?

Option one: You can buy an external box that will hook up to computer monitor and you don't have to even turn on the PC.

Option two: A basic TV Tuner card with S-VHS in.

Option three: A TV tuner card with hardware encoding to record and burn video with S-VHS inputs. The Hauppauge 150 is least expensive. A Great value. I own the 250.

A basic TV Tuner card with S-VHS is cheap. Hauppauge has them, along with many others. Alot of people consider the Hauppauge best quality. So for like 30.00US you can get one.
So you dont need a 250 unless you want the extra functions.

Have fun,

the Prisoner


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

 

[georgebeee]

nah, prolly gonna save up and get the hauppauge 250 pvr. gonna build a PC based dvr so I can record some shows and burn some dvd's. the talk on the street is 16x is as fast as dvd readers and burners are gonna get, but I want more speed outta the rw's and the dual-layer burners. I'm prolly gonna look at what's available late spring early summer '05 and try to put something together about then.

just doing some learning about my PC on several levels. have never built my own system yet and am planning on building a new AMD64 socket939 system sometime next year and working my dvr/dvd recorder into that

thanks for your advice

 

[georgebeee]

and to answer your question, cheap dvr is a dish 521 or whatever that model of receiver is. it's in dual mode so whenever the other receiver is being watched and I'm watching the dvr it skips, or if I'm recording and trying to watch have the same problem, let alone if both. sometimes it even skips when nobody but me is watching and not even recording anything. not only that, it's missing several features of a TIVO. but it was free($5/month), nothing up front though and it holds 100 hours. plus it records pretty well most of the time.

 

[the_Prisoner]

Thx for the update. It sure does sound cheap.
You will like the 250. It is a nice card.

the Prisoner

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