planning to buy a tv tuner card... which one?

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

guys i wanna get a tv tuner card... but which one? I think i might get the ati tv wonder pro since its got everything. I'm really looking at the quality and performance mainly, not to many features but a good remote like the remote wonder is what is a must have.

what im looking at is a/v in (and im not sure about out or how its goes through my audigy 2), high quality, easy recording (but not important), damn good remote and something that'll run a ps2 well. also might be hooking up a digital tv terminal (a scientific atlanta box)

price isnt too much of an issue, they are all relatively cheap. well gimme some suggestions... and also how can i run the ps2 sound through the audigy 2 to get 5.1 if someone can answer me that question also

Vampyromaniac

Didn't you already ask this here?: tv tuner cards + ps2

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

kind of... no replies. but im actually asking more about what each tv tuner card has to offer... i asked the ps2 question also since it is a new thread

Vampyromaniac

This is judging from my experience with my AIW . . . I've never had a TV Wonder

The TV Wonder should be great for TV viewing, but I'm not so sure about PS2. I once hooked up a PS2 to my AIW, using Composite, and it was kinda blurry when in fullscreen mode.

If your digital TV terminal has a Composite or S-Video output, you can hook it up to the TV Wonder.

For the 5.1, you need to see what connector (optical or co-ax) your PS2 and Audigy2 have for digital audio. If they have the same, you can hook it up directly.

The_Neon_Cowboy

i use ther ati tv wonder VE.

i like it allthough tv doesn't look so good full screen but regular tv was never ment to be displayed on a hi res screen

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

so no tv tuner cards will give near perfect quality on fullscreen?

the tv wonder pro is better than the ve isnt it?

Vampyromaniac

the TV display on my AIW looks pretty damn good in fullscreen

swimtech

I have TV Wonder PCI (now discontinued) that I am happy with. The TV is blurry full-screen, but, as stated previously, that is expected for the reason Neon Cowboy gave (the card is making NTSC into HDTV so to speak)

The picture from an All-in-Wonder's tuner is better (crisper) because of an additional chip (Rage Theatre in the older models, the new one is named something else) on those cards.

The remote with the TV Wonder Pro card is very nice. It's RF - you don't have to be able to see (line of sight - as with most conventional video equipment remotes) your computer to change channels, which is very convenient in actual use in a media room.

The software can make your computer like a TIVO too.

At work, I use an old ATI-TV card (hooked to an Expert at Play Rage Pro card with the proprietary cable inside the computer) and an All-in-Wonder 128 (on another computer) to check and diagnose video equipment with. Knowing the limitations, they are very useful and reliable.

As for the Pro being better than the VE, the Pro has stereo sound, the VE supports mono only. The VE has just a cable (RF) input, the Pro has cable, composite, and SVideo inputs.

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

so none of the cards have great full screen? i mean even using a digital signal?

wut about those leadtek/msi cards? any good?

swimtech

No tuner card I know of accepts an actual digital signal. NTSC, composite video, and SVideo are all analog signals. The box that receives the satellite, antenna HDTV, or cable signal could be accepting a digital signal (which keeps the broadcasted signal very clean and free of interference) - but it is sent to the TV, VCR, or other device as an analog signal.

Not to confuse, just to clarify this "digital cable"/"digital satellite" issue that misleads a lot of people. It is digital, and it isn't digital...

I would not be surprised to find that any (less than 100.00) TV card (or any inexpensive scan converter card for that matter) introduces degree of blurriness or artifacts to the converted display.

The ATI line of cards is a nice match for your 9700, the software integrates with the hardware very well, but admittedly I don't have any hands on experience with other TV cards.

The_Neon_Cowboy

i think the pro is the same card it just comes with the romote control and the sensor

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

and it has stereo sound which i really care about haha

well i dunno im gonna get one so ati's tv wonder pro looks like my best bet or wut?

seen leadtek and msi i dont know how they are...

swimtech

As for the Pro being better than the VE, the Pro has stereo sound, the VE supports mono only. The VE has just a cable (RF) input, the Pro has cable, composite, and SVideo inputs

...from two of my posts back in this thread.

I would say the Pro is the better buy. The remote is available separately too, if you don't need it right off. Check the package carefully, as ATI is selling both the VE and the Pro with and without the remote.

mkk

I've had a MSI TV Anywhere Master (their prime model) for about a month and I'm beginning to become fed up with it. Unless MSI improves the drivers soon I might try this separate ATI TV tuner too. But I will have to hold out for at least another month, so go ahead and try one and make a report.

Thought about Hauppauge for a while, since my first ever TV tuner card were from them and was okay. But I noticed that at present they haven't updated their drivers for quite a while wich is a bad sign. At least when they charge a premium price for the products.

Pinnacle seem to have a good reputation, but their current cards are based on the rather old chip Conexant 878 (same as my ancient Hauppauge WinTV had) and if I've noticed something good in this MSI TV Anywhere Master then it is that the newer Conexant 881 is clearly improved. On the other hand I have no idea about how ATI's TV/Video chip compares...

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

msi has terrible driver support, i own a board and had another amd board and mx 440 god

Roadee

They do make a digital tuner card. They also make about the best tuner cards on the market. The ATI AIW 9800 Pro has about the best picture quality I have seen on a card with onboard tuner. The extra chip really makes a difference.

I use an Asus TV Tuner card with the ATI RF Remote control and use the Multi Media Center 8.8 with it. Works excellent and has an excellent full screen picture, but of course this depends on your incoming signal.

If I get another card it will be the Hauppauge Digital since I use Sat for everything and then just continue to use my ATI Remote control.

Hauppauge

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

well i cant really order online no credit card so there arent any stores that sell haupage... maybe could get them to order it

well ill be using a digital signal its really i care about is the ps2
i want to play it fullscreen

Vampyromaniac

Well, why not just buy the TV Wonder Pro, and try it out? If you don't like it, return it.

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

i dont know stores a beotches sometimes...

i have one other question, how big are things i record err lets say a simpsons episodes which is about 30 mins with commercials?
how much with the tv wonder pro?

Vampyromaniac

you can set it many many ways, depends on codec/bitrate/resolution . . . .

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

how about regular quality like jus how i see it regularly

Roadee

You would just have to try out the different settings and see what you like....the better the quality settings.....the more room it will take up on your HD

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

no one has an estimate

thx for the advice roadee

Vampyromaniac

a so-so quality (MPEG-1) capture might be around 30MB or so
a high quality (DivX) capture, I'd go about 225-250MB for 30min

Like Roadee said, you need to try different ways, and see what balance you like.
It's like asking how big a 4 minute mp3 would be. Some people like 4MB, some like 7 or so.

BiGBrOwNPimpsta

icic

just wanted see what numbers i might get... i dont wanna go out and buy something that is blurry, eats up space when i record 2 mins lol and the colors are messed

Roadee