Watching and recording Tv on computer.

[juanito]

I have a P4 2.8, 1GB RAM and Nvidia 5200 video card
I wanna watch cable on my computer and record shows to my hard drive.
What equipment do I need and what do you recommend please?

[edDV]

You need some kind of analog capture device or tuner card that you will hook up one or both of these ways.

1. Direct cable coax connection from a splitter to a PCI tuner card to allow watching and recording "analog" cable channels. Most tuner cards include primitive recording software.

2. Add a local cable box. Connect it to a capture device or tuner with S-Video and audio connections (e.g. simple white/red stereo or AC3 coax or optical for 5.1 surround if you have it). This will allow computer viewing of digital channels as well as analog. S-Video will generally offer higher quality video than RF (Ch3) or composite (RCA yellow).

[thecoalman]

You need a capture device with a tuner or just a capture device using a external tuner such as a VCR.

There's many different ones to choose from. For good and cheap I'd suggest the Leadtek tv 2000..... http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-122-180&depa=0 It's a pretty good product for the price. From ther the skys the limit. Look over in the capture card section for more.

[juanito]

whats the best way to go? internal or external?

There are many, many cards in that section! The one you recommend it seems to have problems with capturing.
Can anyone recommend a card that will let me watch TV (with good quality) on my monitor and that will capture a show to my hard drive with no dropped frames and good picture? I was looking for one in the 100 dollars or less range. Any other recommendations in the 100 to 150 range?

I am totally new to this so my questions might seem a little stupid.

[jameshgross]

I use the external Hauupauge WINTV PVR USB2.0. The external device allows me to use my desk or laptop computers for capture.

[juanito]

I am only going to use a desktop so is it worth going external if I do not require that laptop/desktop flexibility?

[thecoalman]

The one you recommend it seems to have problems with capturing.
Can anyone recommend a card that will let me watch TV (with good quality) on my monitor and that will capture a show to my hard drive with no dropped frames and good picture?

First did you read just the first 3 or 4 comments if you want to call them that, scroll down a little. I have that card and can tell you it worked perfectly for me the few times I used it.

Dropping frames can be caused by a lot of things, even the tape can cause fdropped frames when capturing from VHS. It's more dependant on your system than the card whether your going to have dropped frames.

[juanito]

I just read the comments on newegg,com
I just read the ones here (after the first 3 or 4) and it seems to be a great card for a great price.

I do not intend to use a VCR though. My planned connection is to split my cable line and connect it directly to my hard drive (is that correct/possible?) and record to my hard drive (not a DVD).

If you still recommend this card (after reading the above) I will purchase it. Thanks for the advive.

By the way, does it come with decent software for recording or should I use some other software?

[juanito]

"connect to my computer"!! not hard drive. Thats what I meant.

[thecoalman]

Yes you can do that. It comes with all the basic software you need. Even has some starter apps video editing. Note: get the latest software and drivers from the manufacturers website.

Before you go taking my advice I'd wait to hear from some others.

[juanito]

The reviews seem very good but I can wait for more people to comment. Thanks for your help.

I have just one more question for you. Do I split the line going into the cable modem or the one going into the TV?

Anyone else with some recommendations for me please?

[tipstir]

1. How much do you want to spend?
2. CAP (capture card) PCI or USB2?

If you want to record to the HDD, and you have a desktop PC, it's better to go PCI, why direct bus system.

Don't have to worry about USB2, USB HUBs, USB Printers, USB Scanners, USB Camera, USB Mouse. I know I going to get a lot on the USB stuff above.

PCI is better for desktop PC; Laptop users can use USB2 versions.

Now what's available?

CAP with Software based MPEG1/2 Encoder dirt cheap, okay but the work is being done by your CPU.

Picture quality really depends on the tuner (Philips tuners are better), but the recording is what counts and it can be really fuzzy or grainy.

CAP with Hardware based MPEG1/2 Encoder expensive, but better, why is it better because it has a MPEG Encoder chip and frees up the CPU for other task. Now you might say you have a fast CPU, doesn't matter. Hardware base Encoder gives you better overall picture quality, sharper, and vivid color.

Choices are: WinTV PVR-150/250/350

Features: Hardware MPEG1/2 Encoder
The PVR-350 has also Hardware Decoder and S-Video out. PVR-250 is like the PVR-150.

dbx-stereo sound
All have remotes; the PVR-150 has newer 45 buttons remote.

PVR-150 is new, some users are having audio problems, I am not, so I would recommend this PVR and I see so does PC World has done a review on this PVR CAP card.

ATI All-in-one-wonder are okay, mix reviews on them here, I know some friends who swear by them. They work better with ATI software.

If you want to see what you can get and if you do what you can do with it, go to www.gbpvr.com

As to your last question:

------Coax cable---------
------Splitter------------
-----cable modem-----

Your dwelling should have a main splitter and sub splitters. If you can add a new main splitter and branch off from that to your CAP RF would be better.

Really 8-way splitters are better and help reduce a house full of sub splitters.

[thecoalman]

I have just one more question for you. Do I split the line going into the cable modem or the one going into the TV?

Doesn't matter if they are on the same line but I would split the one from the TV. FYI you can't pick up Digital channels on a capture card. You would need to plug in the output from the cable box.

[tipstir]

thecoalman,

Yes you can pickup digital channels on a capture card from a Comcast Digital Motorola DC box, through the rear serial to the serial of the PC using special software to control the box and the RF to the CAP card.

[thecoalman]

thecoalman,

Yes you can pickup digital channels on a capture card from a Comcast Digital Motorola DC box, through the rear serial to the serial of the PC using special software to control the box and the RF to the CAP card.

Is that a specific software from Comcast? How about a link?

[Leoslocks]

I recently bought the PVR 150. It is an amazing little card.

I have captured some vhs tapes straight to mpg2 with good results.

I have not ported the output (sVhs) to the TV but I do watch TV on the computer.

• Powered 4 port splitter @ cable connection to the house (Time Warner basic cable, no digital box)
• 2 lines to the computer room, one to TV, the other to the computer.

I purchased the powered splitter to improve a poor signal coming into the house. The signal is still poor but vastly improved over what I had. Broadcast TV over the external aerial is way better quality than TWarner cable in my neighborhood.

[diginode]

external is far better than internal.

If configuretion is poor pls use external tuner card for better result

[mats.hogberg]

If I have the choice between internal and external anything, I alwayss go for internal. For one thing, I'm allergic to all leads, for another, plugging something directly into the mobo must be better than thru a cable, using some interface/protocol that might or might not put up with what I want to push thru it.
Recommended card: Hauppage 1/2/350 - Doesn't seem to be much differences between them, even if I've heard some audio issues with 150 (and 350 has a radio tuner).

/Mats

[rfielder]

whats the best way to go? internal or external?

I have been using ATI hardware to capture TV, with Intervideo software. Very pleased so far.

At this time, I have an ATI All In Wonder 9600XT, and it works very, very well.

Intervideo WinDVR 3 for scheduled (or unscheduled!) recording of TV shows gives a very nice quality mpeg file. Capture is to hard disk.

Intervideo WinDVD 5 used for viewing the captured shows, as well as DVD's. This works very well with the ATI Remote Wonder and Remote Wonder II. I found that WinDVD 6 does not work with the original Remote Wonder, and is not completely there with RWII.

I have used the ATI Multimedia Centre in the past, and it works, and is acceptable, but the Intervideo products give a nicer image.

The rest of the PC:
P4 Celeron 2.4Ghz
ASUS P4P8X motherboard
1Gb RAM
60GB Maxtor hard disk - capture only
120Gb Maxtor hard disk - boot, programs, and storage
ATI AIW 9600XT video card
The P4P8X has onboard audio and gigabit LAN, both of which work well. At some point in the future, I may put my Waveterinal 192L audio card into this system, since that card gives awesome audio, but not just yet.

In the past, I have used an ATI TV Wonder VE PCI card, and an ATI All In Wonder 8500DV card.

The TV Wonder VE worked very well. In fact, with a really good signal, the video capture with it was almost as good as with the 9600XT. On less that really good signal, the 9600XT is far superior.

I went through two 8500DV cards, and neither did well for TV capture. Actually, when I first got the card, it did work well, but something changed. Never did figure out what, but replacing the card has made a drastic improvement. Before it was about as good as a VHS tape, but now it is as good, if not better, than the original broadcast.

Having said all that - I also have a system with a Matrox P750 video card. This is a triple headed card. I have had it set up to drive two monitors and a TV set, and it does that very well. The TV output from the Matrox card is clearly superior to the ATI 8500DV, and somewhat better than the 9600XT.

Sorry for the long post - hope this helps. Someone someplace someday....

[tipstir]

the coalman,

Here's the link to CAP from a Motorola DC Box on Comcast and COX Digital channels control digital channels using girder with a WinTV PVR-150 and GB-PVR software:

http://gbpvr.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?s=1625895a4336a397553dac3f569bd675;act=ST;f=2;t=3091

[tipstir]

ATI WDM -

WinTV 150, 250, 350, 500 (has dual tuners) and USB2
Hardware Encoder
350 and Hardware Decoder
USB2 FM Radio

There is more software for WinTV products to turn your PC into a HTPC (home theater personal computer) or media server. Then you buy the Media MVP 1000 to watch everything on your PC video, pictures, music, internet radio and fm radio using GBPVR software server client. This it he way I do it. If you like ATI for WDM CAP okay, but Hardware MPEG1/2 is better CAP.

[dvdx_925]

i know this is a stupid question, but for watching t.v, do u need to connect an antenna to it??

[thecoalman]

i know this is a stupid question, but for watching t.v, do u need to connect an antenna to it??

Antenna or Cable unless you live right next to the TV station antenna :P , the xp2000 comes with a antennae for TV and FM tuning.

[djsdjs]

You shouldn't split the cable modem cable. *Technically* the cable feed from the street should have a 2 way splitter in the cable box on the side of your house. One side goes direct to your cable modem with NO additional splits. The other side is split as many times as necessary to feed your TVs.

If you have additional splitters (especially if they are cheap) they can cause signal loss which causes drop outs in your cable connectivity.

An especially nasty pain if you're using voice over ip.

I actually have two cable feeds into my office - one direct from the 2 way splitter in the outside box and a second one from the TV splitter side for my TV card.

If it sounds like I am speaking from experience it is because I am.

D.