NTSC/PAL tv tuner card

[jk736]

Dear members,

My initial search didn't give me a good answer to this question so I post it here (But I feel that this topic may have been dealt before).

I'm living in US and plan to move to UK. So I'm looking for a tv tuner card that serves in both regions. The main purpose of the card isn't for VHS tape or DVDs. Receiving TV signals and watching programs real-time on my monitor is my primary concern. (I may try tv-out or feel like to record a few programs. But those options are minor now.)

I've been searching informations, then I got confused. It seems many people naively suggest that most TV card can handle both NTSC and PAL. But maybe they are talking of capturing PAL DVDs, not about watching air-broadcast. Products such as Hauppauge WINTV401 mention both formats but when I called them, they told me separate models exist for each, NTSC and PAL. I checked a few different products but no success.

Can anyone please recommend me models that works in both countries just by connecting antenna? (I assume both countries use the same frequency and the same antenna. Well.. maybe I'm even wrong for that.) I may connect cable signal in the end.

[lumis]

ATI's All-In-Wonder line is pretty good about PAL & NTSC support.

The only times I've ever used it is when I had a PAL Playstation 2 game and I had to play it through my ATI AIW card.

[dphirschler]

So you are looking for a PAL and NTSC tuner in one card? Not sure that exists. My card will capture both PAL and NTSC from an external source, but the tuner is NTSC. I am pretty sure that is what you will find. But nothing should stop you from buying both a PAL TV card and an NTSC TV card. I figure $35 each or so. You might pay more for the PAL one since it has to come from overseas, or wait until you get there and buy the PAL one.


Darryl

[edDV]

ATI AIW comes in regional models. The tuner sections differ.

The Americas version tuner only supports Brazil PAL-M and Agentina PAL-N. The Euro version won't tune US NTSC stations but will work for PAL-I UK.
http://kropla.com/tv.htm

This may or may not have changed for current models. Check specs carefully or call ATI.

As dphirschler suggests, use a PAL cable/sat box or VCR tuner in UK or wait to buy your card there.