Assistance with playing video files on my TV

[skyler1534]

Hi,

I beg your pardon in advance because though I have been using this type of technology (and these forums, which are a lifesaver) for quite a while, I never took the time to really learn a lot about it, so I am a relative newbie.

For a long time, I have wanted to watch video files I have downloaded on my TV. I used to use (and still have) an ADSTech PYRO 1394DV capture card that I used to capture video from the TV and put it on my computer. I have heard that you can use that capture card to put the video from the computer to the TV also, but I never had any success with that. After countless hours of trying, I have given up on my current card and I'm looking for a new one. In looking, I realized quickly that I don't know what to look for.

What I would like help with, if someone would be so kind, is to understand what specs I am looking for for my purpose and what those specs mean. I no longer need to use a card to capture from the TV. All I need is one to put what I am viewing on the computer onto the TV instead. The cheaper, the better, obviously. I don't want to pay a lot for a card that will let me do a lot of things I will never use.

If someone could help me with understanding what I am looking for and also any specific suggestions you may have, I would appreciate it very much. I don't rely on other people's opinions alone for buying computer/electronic products, so I really need to be equipped to understand the differences and what exactly I need to do what I want to do.

Thank you very much in advance,

Skyler

[Baldrick]

Please give us more information about your graphic card and tv.
What is you graphic card model?
Does your graphic card have any svideo/svhs or composite output?
What kind of input does your tv have?

You usually just connect the svhs or composite directly to your tv.

and this is more media center pc / htpc. moving you.

[tipstir]

PVR-150 can do a better job of recording Live TV off Comcast and COX Analog Cable. If you use a program like GBPVR (freeware) you can do a lot more, than just watch video on your TV using the power of you PC as video recorder.