Question about WinTV-PVR???

[Tomoyo Narusegawa]

I'm thinkin about picking up this card...

WinTV-PVR

specs are listed here

Product Description - Hauppauge WinTV PVR - TV / video / radio input adapter - PCI
Device Type - TV / video / radio input adapter
Enclosure Type - Plug-in card
Interface Type - PCI
Video Input - TV tuner - plug-in card
Analog Video Format - PAL
Analog Video Signal - S-Video, composite video, HF TV signal
Digital Video Format - MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI
Digital Video Capture Speed - 25 frames per second
Digital Video Capture Resolution - 704 x 576, 384 x 288
Audio Input Support - Included
Sound Input Mode - Stereo
Tuner Frequency Range - 87.6 - 108 MHz
Min Operating System - Microsoft Windows 95/98, Microsoft Windows 2000 / NT4.0

I've bolded the Analog Video Format... My question is PAL isnt that Europe standards and isnt US NTSC??? Does this mean I wont be able to use this card in the US???

[ChrisX]

Yes, you are right with this WinTV-PVR is for Europe and the UK. This isn't for USA and Japan.

You have to get a multi-system TV or video card to view and capture PAL as well as NTSC.

You should look for information on the types of capture cards you can buy on the left side of this web page. Make sure you get what you want and don't get caught of getting a card with macrovision built in.

My new video card is: Leadtek's Winfast A250 TD, "My Vivo Edition" and this one is an excellent capture and graphics card. They recently won an award for the best video card in the market. The captured video is awesome. WOW! NTSC and PAL viewing and capturing. VIDEO FILES POSSIBLE: MPEG 1, MPEG2, VCD right up to DVD quality capturing.

If you want to use this video card to capture DVD's from the DVD player, this one will be a problem for you. This video card has a macrovision sensor built in, so no capturing is possible from the external DVD player. A macrovision hack might help you?

I also have another capturing device, Win2000 TV card in another computer. This one is PAL and NTSC compatible, just like the one above and fortunately no macrovsion will stop me recordng from the DVD. The resolution isn't as good however.

The program Win2000 is the updated downloaded version due to incompatiblity with the later OS Windows 2000.

Anyway, I am looking into DVD ripping very shortly. I got all downloads ready to process in my computer and having the time is the only problem. This is the only way to get around the stupid macrovision on my own DVD into my own computer. I have a right to back up my own videos in the HD at home. Blasted the movie industry.

[SHS]

Tomoyo Narusegawa check out the new PVR 250 and when come to the Tuner if you get a PAL Tuner it will not work in with NTSC broadcast nor the other way a round but what you do is use the S-Video/Composite input that works any where in the world.