Exchange DVD Recorder for PC

[ispy]

Hi all,

I have this odd ball idea to exchange my standalone DVD Recorder for a custom media PC with say MS Media Center & use the PC for copying sky programs to the Hard Drive of the PC rather than the DVD Recorder Why!

Well I would think that a PC would have more flexibility for editing and saving files etc. software used can be upgraded with all the slipstream benefits etc. Then the media content can then be burned to a PC DVD Recorder once edited etc.

The only problem is I have no idea what connections would be best from my Philips 32" 32PW9617 TV. I have been told that component connections are the best for picture quality but on inspection I don't think this TV is fitted with them so the alternative is S-Video. Has anyone had experience in doing this, express and pitfalls and disadvantages/advantages etc.

regards,

Dave

[Richard_G]

Use component if you can find a graphics card that has component outputs, otherwise use HDMI, DVI or S-Video (in that order of preference). Advantages over a standalone are far more flexibility and control over the final output. Disadvantages are that it's a lot more work!

I tend to use my pc to capture from a Freeview receiver, edit out the bits I don't want and then burn to DVD-RW. That way, I can watch it using my DVD player and not have to connect the pc to the TV.

[ispy]

Hi Richard_G,

Thanks for the feed back I see the way you are doing things but i was thinking more of a dedicated PC, like say a cube PC setup to replace My Standalone DVD Recorder. Pardon my ignorance but what is DVI.

I have done some further research & the TV is not a Digital Philips TV however the Tevion DVD recorder has component video out with coaxial which I think is for sound. S-Video is there & is also on the TV with twin scarts. With this in mind I think I will need to route the sky signal through the Tevion DVD Recorder then re-route through the component video out on the Tevion to the PC if that makes sense!

Anyway thanks for the reply,

Dave

[Richard_G]

I thought the idea was to replace the DVD recorder? It is unlikely, unless you want to spend an awful lot of money that you will be able to find a video capture card for the pc with component inputs. If I describe my system it might make a bit more sense.

I use a Freeview digital receiver and feed S-Video plus audio from that to the capture card in my pc. That gets the video signal into the pc. In my case I have an ATI All-in-Wonder card which is a combined capture and graphics card, but for simplicity, we'll assume two separate cards. The graphics card has DVI output for using with a DVI compatible monitor (this is the long rectangular type socket instead of the standard 15 pin D Type) or a TV with a DVI input (usually only on recent LCD and plasma TVs). That could go to the TV (if it had the correct socket) although I just use a standard LCD monitor. Many graphics cards also have TV out although this is usually restricted to Composite and S-Video so you have a choice depending on what your TV has in the way of inputs. If your TV has DVI, use that, if not, use S-Video. Using S-Video will allow you to use a monitor or TV or both. As I said, I either watch what I've recorded on the pc monitor, record it to DVD and play it back on a standalone or run a 10m S-Video cable from the pc TV out to the TV and watch it on there.

Without using specialised components (ie expensive) in the pc, your way of doing it would be S-Video + audio from Sky receiver to capture device on the pc. TV out (or DVI out if your TV could accept it, which it can't!) from the pc graphics card using S-Video to one of the Scarts. This would mean you would have to have the pc on all the time and passing the signal through. Quite what the conversion from S-Video to digital and back to S-Video TV out would do for the quality if you were to go via the pc all the time, I wouldn't like to think. It might also be worth having a scart from Sky receiver to TV in for when you don't need to record.