My Leadtek VIVO 7800GT has capture but no tuner??

[Rudyard]

I am trying to run my cable box from my living room to my PC and when I bought my graphics card I specifically got it for the VIVO capturing abililty (mainly for vhs capture) and noticed on the box it advertised timeshifting, picture in picture and all this other TV related stuff and assumed it was also a TV tuner.

However with the 2 RCA outputs from my cable box already in use I was going to use the coax output (you know the standard connection that used to go from say your video to tv) and run the coax under the house into the study at the other end where the PC is located.

But then I noticed that my Leadtek VIVO 7800GT card has no antenna input (or coax) only s-video and RCA. Now as I said assumed with time shifting and all that that it was a tuner aswell (i know my cable box is providing the picture but I am connecting the same way as if it was direct from an antenna) but it seems it isnt and I cant plug my coax antenna connection into it.

So what I want to do is somehow connect using that connection. Can I get something that will convert a standard coax antenna connection into a RCA connection? So I plug the coax into it and out the other end is a yellow video output and red and white audio outputs??

I dont mind buying a TV tuner card if I have to but it seems I am so close to having everything I need and dont want to double up on things if I dont need to.

What would you suggest I do to get TV to my PC?

I could also reroute my connections somehow so that I have RCA connections going into my VIVO card but that would require a 20 odd meter RCA cable and I already have stacks of spare coax so I would prefer to use that.

Also if possible as I want to use it to tape shows when im not home can you get software or does most software come with the abillity to turn the PC on and off to start and stop recording?

As for recording formats if I need another card I would probably record straight to a compressed MPEG2 or something forgoing a bit of quality for smaller size as I will mainly use it for weekly shows that I miss and just delete after I watch it but would also like the ability to record to uncompressed (or slightly compressed) formats incase a good sporting game I may want to keep comes on.

Thankyou for any help.

[Krispy Kritter]

The purpose of the VIVO card was to provide video editing capabilities. There should be a combination cable that connects directly to the VIVO port. It has connections for YPbPr (RGB) out, Composite in & out and S-Video in & out. It does not have a tuner and was not meant as a tuner card.

There are coax to RCA converts...such as these: http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=coax%20to%20rca&origkw=coax%20to%20rca

Your best bet for TV viewing/capturing, would be to get a real tuner card. You would then have all the connections that you require and all of the needed software.

[FulciLives]

You could still use the RF Coax with a VCR ... thus you use the VCR as a tuner ... then connect the composite video and analog stereo from the VCR to the capture card.

If you don't have an extra VCR you can buy a new one for probably like $40 from WALMART or buy one even cheaper (used of course) on eBay.

An old VCR or a dirt cheap used VCR would be the cheapest ... or just get another cable box. I think my cable company charges $5.50 for an additional non-DVR cable box.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Rudyard]

Krispy Critter,

Thanks for the reply and yeah I suspected as much and I guess I will go the way of a tuner card....was just checking my options.

Fulcilives,
I ended up moving a vcr and doing what you said. Long term I will add a card but for now the vcr can stay in the study with the pc.

Thanks for the replies.