Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > CPUs > PVR and capture cards

PVR and capture cards

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs - PVR and capture cards

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Ask the community Add a reply
Word :    Username :           
 
epsilon922   12-23-2003 at 08:36:03 PM

What would everyone here say the best capture card is. I hate the ones that you have so much static in. I have looked at the pinnacle, the ATI capture card, and the all in wonders. I am looking at getting the 9800 pro all in wonder. Would you guys say that is the best for a capture card. Thanks

Add a reply
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
epsilon922   12-23-2003 at 10:44:25 PM
- 0 +

does anyone actually know which is best

Reply to epsilon922
Freiheit   12-23-2003 at 11:01:00 PM
- 0 +

I'm quite happy with the Asus TV Tuner card found at http://usa.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=TV Tuner Card&langs=09

Got it quite cheap at (I believe) NewEgg.com after reading a few reviews of it. It's got decent picture quality (note I'm using antenna not cable - cable should be a lot higher quality picture). For capturing from VCR or external DVD player it works beautifully. With an 800MHz Athlon processor I was capturing to full VideoCD specification with no dropped frames. With my AthlonXP 2400+ I capture to DivX format video with mp3 format audio with no dropped frames at the same VCD resolution (352x240 or whatever). I use it alongside a GeForce 4 Ti4200 with no problems.

It's a PCI card, comes with a good bundle of fully-functional software, and it's not at all expensive. Supports component video and S-video as well as stereo audio. I'm quite satisified with the purchase.

Reply to Freiheit
Crashman   12-24-2003 at 12:40:45 AM
- 0 +

The Hauppauge PVR series is a premium solution, it's high quality and has HARDWARE MPEG2 compression to take the load off your CPU. Anything less than hardware compression will either limit the resolution your system can record at smoothly, or slow your system to a crawl using high recording quality.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

Reply to Crashman
edwpang   12-24-2003 at 07:53:45 AM
- 0 +

Hardware MPEG2 encoding does free up a bit in CPU usage, but on system with P4 3G HT or more, software MPEG2 encoding and video playback(MPEG decoding) together at 720x480@29.97fps won't take more than 30% of CPU.

XP1900+
MSI KT3 Ultra 2(KT333)
512 MB Samsung PC2700
AIW 9700 PRO(Catalyst 3.8+DX9)
WD 80.0 GB @ 7200 RPM
LG 19"
LG 32x10x40x CDRW
Windows XP SP1
(Built: September 2002)

Reply to edwpang
Crashman   12-24-2003 at 08:35:37 AM
- 0 +

Yes, but 30% is huge when you're recording something to watch later while you do something else!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

Reply to Crashman
jim552   12-25-2003 at 08:22:22 AM
- 0 +

I have been using the ATI All in Wonders since the 7500.
(previous to that I tried other cards from Matrox, ATI, Happauge, and I think Pyro?) The All in Wonders are the first ones that I have actually liked.

I use mine any day that I happen to be on my primary system. I have had no complaints with it's performance. Often I have logged onto the internet while recording shows, and not had nay glithes in recording.

I am VERY curious in this area as to the experience of others too.

One thing I have not found, a bit in the same realm, is decent software to author DVD's?

I have been using Ulead v7.0, and it mostly works. I tried Nero v6.0, and I was pretty disappointed.

Reply to jim552
edwpang   12-26-2003 at 05:23:03 AM
- 0 +

What I was saying was called "timeshifting", meaning watching TV while recording. If only recording only, it should take around 15-20%(most likely 15%). In saying these figure I have Window MCE in mind. It take more to do MPEG2 decode and render the video using dx7 in MCE application than media player 9. So you use other applications like ATI media center to doing or timeshifting, it should take less CPU...

XP1900+
MSI KT3 Ultra 2(KT333)
512 MB Samsung PC2700
AIW 9700 PRO(Catalyst 3.8+DX9)
WD 80.0 GB @ 7200 RPM
LG 19"
LG 32x10x40x CDRW
Windows XP SP1
(Built: September 2002)

Reply to edwpang
Ask the community Add a reply
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > CPUs > PVR and capture cards
Go to:

There are 1361 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Forum map
Bestofmedia Forum ©
2000-2009 Bestofmedia Group
Page generated in 0.426 seconds
Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
Related Topics
See all relatives topics
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them