Use the cards tunner or external tunner?

[Caple]

I have my analog cable connected to a DVD recorder. I use it as a tunner and output the signal to my Hauppauge using the S-video output.
I read once, can't find where, that the difference betwen s-video, composite and coaxial would only be noticed when using an external tunner. If I connect the cable straight to my card's coaxial input it would give me the best quality. Coaxial is not good when it comes from external tunners.
Dunno if it's wright or wrong. Maybe it depends on the card's tunner and the tunner from the external device.
Any comment about it?

[The_Doman]

I see you use a Hauppauge PVR500
I have almost the same setup here.
I am using 2 JVC SVHS VCR's as tuners for my analog cable connected with S-Video to my PVR150 Hauppauge cards. 8)

Using the external S-Video connection of the PVR150/500 cards definitely will give you the best result possible.
One of the big problems with those newer models Hauppauge cards is they give pretty bad results with a standard composite signal as input. (Specially if you use PAL!)
The tuner of the card is also internal connected with composite!
See here:
SHSPVR Forum: Poor Picture Quality with PVR 150 Analog Capture

Also most tuners used in VCR/DVD recorders are of much better quality then the ones you find on (most) TV-Cards.

[Caple]

Until last week I was using a VHS as tunner and composite cable. I read about the composite quality, probably on one of your posts at SHS forums, but I didn't have other alternative.
When I bought this DVD recorder and connected the s-video cable it was like... WOW! Much better!!!
I still need to compare recordings between my card and the dvd recorder, but for now I'm glad with the quality gain I had, even with my crappy analog signal.

[jsmithepa]

So when u people schedule recordings, u program your external VCR, AND schedule the hauppauge. Isn't that a bit painful?

[The_Doman]

So when u people schedule recordings, u program your external VCR, AND schedule the hauppauge. Isn't that a bit painful?

Yes, ofcourse it is very inconvenient recording scheduled programs this way...
But for me it is much more important to have high quality recordings.

[Caple]

I usually don't schedule two recordings at the same time, so I just leave the VCR on the channel I want and program WinTV 2000 to capture.