General Questions

[ress]

I am deciding on an AV Card, but they are always broken down into Analog and Digital. Obviously I know the difference in quality and amount of info that can be transferred, MY question is

Do these cards work for both?;i.e. If you buy a digital card, can it work with an analog tv signal? So then you would be covering both bases in case your cable company comes out with digital service you don't have to buy a digital card all over again. Or are there other issues concerning this?


Second issue, these cards are also always split up into two OTHER categories, reciever and recorder. The receiver cards should only allow you to view tv on your monitor, and the recorders, well...... duh. But whenever I read a spec sheet on the reciever cards they always come across as if you can record as well. So then what the hell is the difference?


Last but not least, a "what is better question" - real time or nonreal time capture AND WHY?

Thank you for any help that wil clear these issues up.

[BJ_M]

what is non real time capture ?

[ress]

From what I understand, it means that your computer after having stopped the recording signal, needs time on it's own to sort of convert and put together all the video it just sucked in. Where as in real time, once you click on the stop recording / capturing button on your software, the video is RIGHT there ready for you to go ahead with whatever you want to do next.

[Craig Tucker]

With digital cable the cable box converts the signal to analogue anyway so that it can be recieved by analogue televisions. So an analogue capture card is fine for digital cable, because it is converted to analogue by the reciever anyway.

Craig

[ress]

craigtucker,

thanks for the info. So what would be the purpose of getting a digital capture card?

[ress]

craigtucker,

(continue from above) is it for the somewhat near future of digital televisions for the masses?

[Craig Tucker]

what digital capture cards are you referring to, I am not farmiliar with any, although I know you can get digital reciever/capture cards for your PC.

Craig

[ress]

WHen you go the the Hauppage site they have some in their product list. Sorry I didn't mention the brand before.

[Craig Tucker]

I just went to that site and had a look at the WINTV-D specs and they seem to be digital recievers for the new wave of digital channels. They will also accept an analogue signal via RF.

Craig

[ress]

Thanks.

Any ideas on my other issues?
-----------------------------------
Second issue, these cards are also always split up into two OTHER categories, reciever and recorder. The receiver cards should only allow you to view tv on your monitor, and the recorders, well...... duh. But whenever I read a spec sheet on the reciever cards they always come across as if you can record as well. So then what the hell is the difference?

Last but not least, a "what is better question" - real time or nonreal time capture AND WHY?

[Craig Tucker]

The reciever cards have tv recievers and allow capture (not many people would buy a tv reciever card if they could'nt capture, you may as well just watch a TV), the capture only cards don't have tv recievers, they are for capturing from an independent source.

I don't know anything about "non real time capture"

Craig

[ress]

Hey Craig,

what do you mean by an independent source?

[ress]

So if I want to capture from a vcr or television, I should get the reciever type card that will also record the video itslef I choose, RIGHT?

[Craig Tucker]

By an independent source I mean anything that is not part of the reciever/capture card. If you have a reciever/capture card you can watch and record tv on your PC with no other source required. If you have a capture card only you need to input a signal to it to record. This signal could be from a seperate television, a VCR or a camcorder.

Craig

[KingJohn]

http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=106340&highlight=