Toshiba DR-400 DVD recorder Upconvertor can't rec HD pic.

[bbrevolt]

Hi, ok, so the only input on this recorder is composite and s-video. I think my dynex 32" hdtv only has composite outputs.
I can record NTSC picture and sound but not digital HDTV video, only sound gets recorded for the hd channels. I have an antenna to recieve the local hd/ntsc channels.
If someone could answer the question as to why I cannot record the hd local channel video?


On another question. Being that I cannot record in HD I am thinking about trading in my laptop and getting a desktop with an hdtv tuner card and a graphics card with dvi->hdmi cable. Will this setup be able to record the local over the air hd channels? And does anyone currently have this setup and can you recommend a good hdtv tuner card and graphics card with dvi-hdmi?

[Krispy Kritter]

You need an HD recorder to record HD material. There is a difference, and from what information I can find, this unit doesn't have a HD tuner. It should record the SD stations just fine. Even if it would record them, if your TV only has coax and composite inputs, you won't be able to view HD material anyway. For HD, you will need component/HDMI.

For recording on a PC, about any of the tuner cards will work fine for TV viewing/recording. Again, for HD, you will need an HD tuner based card. Hauppauge are widely known for their quality.

Video card selection isn't that important. For true HD content, you will want a HDCP capable card. The nVidia 8500/8600 series cards offer h.264 onboard decoding which can come in handy. Most all new cards are DVI.