New Tv Tuner Help Please

[Guest norling]

Hi All

Can someone please recommend what tv tuner is currently the best on the market in their opinion? I'm about to build a new pc with the dual core e8400 cpu & vista ultimate.

I have a strong digital signal. I would like a dual tuner with pip time shift. I have a 24'' Monitor & I would like to split the screen & watch tv while I work.

I don't have a budget, I'm happy to spend more for a better tuner.

I have searched & researched but I still don't know. I was going to get the DNTV Live! Dual Hybrid PCI-E S2 but there out of stock with no eta date.

Thanks in advance.

[vur]

You may find that by going down the path of TV tuners + computers you are creating a monster (but it can be very rewarding too.)

You might consider initially getting a Leadtek Winfast DTV1000 S or DTV1000 T. Both do HDTV and pic. quality as far as I can tell is much of a muchness with all cards, and regardless of price, various problems can abound. These two are only around the $35 mark for the "S" to $45 for the "T" (check e.g. Staticice for suppliers). Many people have them and are as happy as people who have paid heaps more for others that actually lack connections that these two have.

Later, if some other cards appear with desired features then OK.

At present it is the dedicated software with the card that mainly distinguishes desirability and Leadteks PVR2 software seems poor, but you can use their cards with (free) Media Portal etc. that may have desired features. I gather that Vista lends itself to TV tuners well too although I have XP.

Good luck on your journey

[Conroy1503561364]

I just purchased a Compro VideoMate COMP-E800, Hybrid Tuner PCI-e Card with Hardware MPEG-2 Encode and it is very good. It has component video in as well as the usual composite and svideo so you can record very high quality stuff from an external connection (Austar etc).

I also got a Leadtek WinFast PX7600GS HDMI Edition, PCI-e, 256MB, Noiseless video card which is not too expensive but a very good card with component video out. I have it connected to my wide screen LCD TV and it works very well and is easy to set up.

[Guest midiman]

Well I do not know if I am replying but Iam with that person i have had a LeadtekDTV 1000t for six months and software has something to think abou it is junk I am at the end of my tether with it any other reiable card that anybody can suggest please .

[murrayt]

midiman

The DTV1000T card is not a bad card as cards go. I've got two working on a daily basis. The problem you have I suspect is that the software bundled with the card is nothing flash.

Depends on your needs and how you want to use the card (live viewing vs just recording) but do yourself a favour and get a copy of DVB Webscheduler Pro (Bluebit Solutions) and VideoRedo TVSuite (Hyperreality) and you should have a quite reliable system for unattended recordings, and a very versatile editor to trim the recordings, clean them up etc, and I just then use PowerDVD or similar to play the files, or burn them to DVD to rn on a standard player, or stream them to my media streamer

[Guest midiman]

midiman

The DTV1000T card is not a bad card as cards go. I've got two working on a daily basis. The problem you have I suspect is that the software bundled with the card is nothing flash.

Depends on your needs and how you want to use the card (live viewing vs just recording) but do yourself a favour and get a copy of DVB Webscheduler Pro (Bluebit Solutions) and VideoRedo TVSuite (Hyperreality) and you should have a quite reliable system for unattended recordings, and a very versatile editor to trim the recordings, clean them up etc, and I just then use PowerDVD or similar to play the files, or burn them to DVD to rn on a standard player, or stream them to my media streamer

Murrayt it is the midiman here thanks for help i will try those programs where do you get them from again. By the way All i do is jst record shows on the DTV 1000T .I was thinking about tossing it as it is unreliable .Plus MURRAY T I want I have old video tapes and i want to convert them to DVD 's

any suggestions.And thanks again for your help .Cheers midiman .

[sold]

Murrayt it is the midiman here thanks for help i will try those programs where do you get them from again. By the way All i do is jst record shows on the DTV 1000T .I was thinking about tossing it as it is unreliable .Plus MURRAY T I want I have old video tapes and i want to convert them to DVD 's

any suggestions.And thanks again for your help .Cheers midiman .

The current version of WebScheduler can be acquired from here - http://bluebit.com.au/, if you want to try it out for a while you can get the older free version here - http://memecode.com/webscheduler/ - which is fairly similar but lacks a couple of useful features.

For an EPG source look here - http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.php?showtopic=8600

[murrayt]

Midiman

Sold has given you the link to Bluebit. VideoRedo TVS has an Australian outlet at www.hyperreality.com.au.

If you want to use the DTV1000's analog-in Dscaler is the go. Version 4.115 was the last version I tried.

Google for Dscaler and you will get the links.

Once you are happy with the software, a second DTV1000 will give you great flexibility when you want to record 2 shows at the same time on different "Channels" WS will look after that for you.

[Guest midiman]

Midiman

Sold has given you the link to Bluebit. VideoRedo TVS has an Australian outlet at www.hyperreality.com.au.

If you want to use the DTV1000's analog-in Dscaler is the go. Version 4.115 was the last version I tried.

Google for Dscaler and you will get the links.

Once you are happy with the software, a second DTV1000 will give you great flexibility when you want to record 2 shows at the same time on different "Channels" WS will look after that for you.

You guys are fantastic and thankyou i do appreciate your input.But i have one more question this computer with the DTV tuner card in it does not go near the internet .does that matter at all

[murrayt]

midiman

I don't think that is a limitation

To not download an EPG from the net will affect any tuner solution you want to consider from any supplier.

Maybe to register a product licence will require an internet connection or some alternatve

But it doesn't affect the general operaton of the software

[Guest midiman]

midiman

I don't think that is a limitation

To not download an EPG from the net will affect any tuner solution you want to consider from any supplier.

Maybe to register a product licence will require an internet connection or some alternatve

But it doesn't affect the general operaton of the software

It is only the midiman here again if you have not already guessed Iam very new @ this game I insatalled that web schedular then it asked for java to run so I installed that and now it"s says I have a JVM problem .

[AdrianW1503559681]

Checkout the new Hauppauge HVR2200 card - it's a dual hybrid card. I just replaced my crappy Dvico dual digital 4, and the HVR2200 is much better so far. Channel changes are fast and it seems much less prone to impulse noise issues that the Dvico was.

Check this web page: HVR2200 for details.

Check staticice for pricing, I got mine for $190 plus shipping.

There's a long thread here: on the XPMediaCentre forums.

Edited March 5, 2008 by AdrianW

[murrayt]

AdrianW

$190 or $95 per tuner sounds way too expensive for a tuner these days. At that price I'd want it to change the channels itself!

Midiman...you would ordinarily install java runtime first before installing WS Pro. Perhaps uninstall both and do it in the right sequence and see how that goes.

The current Java runtime is version 1.6 Update 3

[AdrianW1503559681]

AdrianW

$190 or $95 per tuner sounds way too expensive for a tuner these days. At that price I'd want it to change the channels itself!

The card maybe expensive - but the op did suggest that he was "happy to spend more for a better tuner".

The DVR-2200 is a very good card & is specifically built for Vista & XP Media Centre Edition. It also includes a hardware MPEG2 encoder for it's analogue tuners, and an FM tuner (but who needs one of those these days?).

Sure, you can use two single tuners, but I'd think having a single card taking up only a single PCIe slot would be preferable.

BUT, I did just notice that op also said he'd "like a dual tuner with pip time shift". Media Centre can certainly be run in a window, but it doesn't provide PIP functionality - so maybe this isn't the best card for his purposes.

[ozboy]

I just replaced my crappy Dvico dual digital 4, and the HVR2200 is much better so far. Channel changes are fast and it seems much less prone to impulse noise issues that the Dvico was.

Interesting - I am just about to get a DVICO dual digital 4 & the PC guy said it was his favourite. Maybe they have made improvements?

[murrayt]

ozboy

.....and then again maybe he is just keen to make a sale.

[ozboy]

ozboy

.....and then again maybe he is just keen to make a sale.

No

I already wanted it & he just mentioned in passing (in that stereotypical computer nerdy fashion "...nice card maaaannnnn...")

[AdrianW1503559681]

Interesting - I am just about to get a DVICO dual digital 4 & the PC guy said it was his favourite. Maybe they have made improvements?

Do yourself a favour - DO NOT buy a Dvico card.

Read some of the threads at XPMediaCentre.com.au forums, those cards have more issues then you'd think - tuners disappearing from windows, stuttering on white backgrounds on channel 9, slow channel changes, etc. There's lots of unhappy owners - many (including me) have replaced them with other cards.

It seems like some of the Dvico cards have been manufactured incorrectly, with the wrong value resistors soldered on to the board in a few places! (Read this thread Dvico...the stuttering...what you can do). Make sure you do a thread title search on "dvico".

And the remote you get is pretty crappy - if you are using media centre, get a microsoft remote & IR receiver instead, they work much, much better.

Edited March 8, 2008 by AdrianW

[ozboy]

Do yourself a favour - DO NOT buy a Dvico card.

Read some of the threads at XPMediaCentre.com.au forums, those cards have more issues then you'd think - tuners disappearing from windows, stuttering on white backgrounds on channel 9, slow channel changes, etc. There's lots of unhappy owners - many (including me) have replaced them with other cards.

It seems like some of the Dvico cards have been manufactured incorrectly, with the wrong value resistors soldered on to the board in a few places! (Read this thread Dvico...the stuttering...what you can do). Make sure you do a thread title search on "dvico".

And the remote you get is pretty crappy - if you are using media centre, get a microsoft remote & IR receiver instead, they work much, much better.

Its all part of an HTPC - Silverstone LC11M case which comes with a remote control.

Would this remote be a good substitute?

Don't know what I can do as I have paid a deposit & will be picking up tmorrow

[AdrianW1503559681]

Its all part of an HTPC - Silverstone LC11M case which comes with a remote control.

Would this remote be a good substitute?

Don't know what I can do as I have paid a deposit & will be picking up tomorrow

It may be too late then. Just make sure you test it thoroughly - make sure both tuners still show up in device manager after the PC has been asleep, and make sure you check some shows on channel 9 (assuming you can find anything worth watching on 9 ), & look for bright white backgrounds - the stutter usually occurs immediately before a white background appears (quite often during the ads).

If you get issues you should be able to make a warranty claim. Of course, you could get lucky and not have any problems with the card. When mine was working properly - it was fine, except for the slow channel changes. It was also quite susceptible to impulse noise (mainly light switches) but I think I would have that problem (to a certain extent) with all cards in our area.

[ozboy]

It may be too late then. Just make sure you test it thoroughly - make sure both tuners still show up in device manager after the PC has been asleep, and make sure you check some shows on channel 9 (assuming you can find anything worth watching on 9 ), & look for bright white backgrounds - the stutter usually occurs immediately before a white background appears (quite often during the ads).

If you get issues you should be able to make a warranty claim. Of course, you could get lucky and not have any problems with the card. When mine was working properly - it was fine, except for the slow channel changes. It was also quite susceptible to impulse noise (mainly light switches) but I think I would have that problem (to a certain extent) with all cards in our area.

I will be checking these problems before I hand over my hard earned. If it has these problems then it is faulty & I don't have to buy (i.e product doesn't do what it advertises).

Slow channel changes aren't really an issue - I have a Sony SXRD rear-pro which has the same issue!!