TV Cards - analogue or digital?

ebowdia

Hi all, was just looking for some help on choosing a TV card. I'm a bit confused with the whole analogue/digital thing

I'm looking at getting the Hauppauge WinTv PVR USB2 device (http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/products/data_pvrusb2mcekit.html).

Question is: This will work with normal analogue tv (aerial on roof/standard cable etc), but will it work with say Chorus digital/Sky digital etc?

Any help appreciated

Tom Dunne

ebowdia wrote:

Question is: This will work with normal analogue tv (aerial on roof/standard cable etc), but will it work with say Chorus digital/Sky digital etc?

Any help appreciated

The best way to think of these things is like your normal TV. Can your normal TV let you watch Sky Digital, Chorus Digital? Of course it can, as long as you have a Sky/Chorus Set Top Box. The inputs to the Hauppauge unit are the same (for the most part) as the inputs to your TV.

I have one of these units too - analogue TV reception is quite crappy, even with a booster.

ebowdia

Well put Tom, feel daft now!!

What service do you have connected? Chorus/Sky/NTL/aerial?

You say the picture is really bad, do you think this is a fault of the Hauppauge USB tuner?

You using XP MCE? If so, how do you find it?

Tom Dunne

ebowdia wrote:

Well put Tom, feel daft now!!

Don't. It makes it easier to explain something when using an analogy. It was not intended to make you feel silly.

ebowdia wrote:

What service do you have connected? Chorus/Sky/NTL/aerial?

Sky Digital.

ebowdia wrote:

You say the picture is really bad, do you think this is a fault of the Hauppauge USB tuner?

No, reception is patchy enough where I live. It takes a lot of jiggling with the ariel to get it a watchable picture.

ebowdia wrote:

You using XP MCE? If so, how do you find it?

No, Media Portal. Much the same, except free.

ebowdia

Cheers Tom. Just had a look at the Media Portal website, looks pretty good.

What did you pay for your USB tuner? Where did you purchase? After a scout around on the web we're talking about €150 for the tuner & compatible PC remote yea?

Tom Dunne

Can't remember how much I paid, but I got it from Amazon.co.uk

stoneygossard

Guys,

Sorry for hijacking ur thread but I found it very informative. Can I ask a couple of things?

I have nero7 and it has all the TV tuner software etc..Is this the equivalent of "Media Portal"?

Next, I want to ask, I want to buy a tv tuner that i can hook my vcr, ps2 and tv up to (ntl digital). Can you recommend something to me and any other hardware I may need to make it work e.g. adapters to make plugs etc fit together etc.?

I know this sounds like a real novice question but afterall, I am a novice.

Stoney