Recommend me a PVR card

conzy

Hi, I am looking for a PVR card preferably available from komplett or Ireland.

It must cost around €100 it must have hardware codecs and a remote control.

Analogue inputs and composite inputs are ok, Digital would be a bonus.

I was looking a the Hauppage WinTV PVR150, on komplett it seems great but it is the Media centre edition version, and I want to run it with XP pro

Thanks

DemonOfTheFall

The MCE version will work with any XP or Linux for that matter.

It's only called MCE cos it's certified to work with MCE.

SouperComputer

you can use the PVR150 with XP, but im not sure if the remote will work. You can use mediaportal as PVR software or wincap32 for just plain-Jane video capture.

Also, they dont generally come with digital inputs. You will need to control your STB\Decoder with a IR repeater (AKA blaster) and take the video via Composite, RGB or Svideo.

conzy

Sorry i should have made myself clearer

The PVR 150 MCE on komplett come with the official MCE remote control so it isnt compatible, unless you know of a programme that can interface with it?

heres the card http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=307273

Also i know that the digital channels will need to be changed by the decoder.

But if i got a card with a digital tuner, couldnt I use free to air digital channels, such as BBC..........

Thanks

DemonOfTheFall

I'd be surprised if you could pick up FTA BBC channels in Kilkenny to be honest?

conzy

I have a digital sattelite system, I can watch all free to air channels on Astra1 and Astra2...............

So, if i get a card with a digital tuner, it should work?

Anyway i dont mind recording the digital channels via video in, and changing the channels with the box.

So any recommendations:)

SouperComputer

ok, im pretty sure that media portal can use the MCE remote.

As for drivers:

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=106894

conzy

I dont have access to a MCE disk

What card would you recommend in general?

Tom Dunne

Right, I think we all have our wires a little crossed here.

conzymaher - you have two options, as I see it.

That original card, with video in from Sky box and the Hauppauge remote that comes with it. You can run HTPC software such as Media Portal or GBPVR.

Option two is get a digital satellite card such as one of these . Just make sure they are satellite cards, not digital terrestrial cards. You shouldn't need the Sky box in this case and you can of course use Media Portal or GBPVR.

Don't get hung up on MCE - all software/hardware above will work with XP.

conzy

Thanks, but I am using plain old digital sattelite not SKY digital.

Also SKY is encrypted and wont work without the digibox/card.

So if I get the original card i linked to

It will work with XP?
The remote will work with XP?
I can record terestial TV, rte......
All I need is good Media centre software.

And thats it?

SouperComputer

conzymaher wrote:

Thanks, but I am using plain old digital sattelite not SKY digital.

Also SKY is encrypted and wont work without the digibox/card.

So if I get the original card i linked to

It will work with XP?
The remote will work with XP?
I can record terestial TV, rte......
All I need is good Media centre software.

And thats it?

The original card you linked to does not come with a remote.

It will work with XP and media portal, Ive done it. But media portal can be sluggish and very buggy (beta software) and you still have to get a remote to control it all. You could go for an ATI remote or suchlike.

So yes, you can watch/record terrestrial TV no probs.

The ideal way would be to get a dual tuner PVR500 and a DVB card, slap em in a MythTV rig and go nuts.

One thing to note. If you end up going the Windows MCE route, it only allows one set of EPG, even though you may have two sources.

SeanW

Aldi does sometimes have a special on TV tuner cards. Got mine there about a year ago. A little buggy but very good. Analogue inputs. Well under €100, think it was like €40 or €50.

Also has a remote. Small, but effective.

Tom Dunne

conzymaher wrote:

Thanks, but I am using plain old digital sattelite not SKY digital.

Also SKY is encrypted and wont work without the digibox/card.

Sky digital without a subscription will give you the free to air channels such as BBC, ITV and loads of crap. My apologies, when you mentioned digital satellite, I incorrectly assumed it was Sky.

So, my original post still stands. Your arrangement will look like the following: Satellite Dish->Satellite set top box->PVR 150 card->PC
With this arrangement, as SouperComputer points out, you can also record terrestrial TV.

Or, if you don't have the satellite set top box, you use the cards I linked to and your arrangement would be as follows: Satellite Dish->Hauppauge Nova card->PC.

conzymaher wrote:

So if I get the original card i linked to

It will work with XP?
The remote will work with XP?
I can record terestial TV, rte......
All I need is good Media centre software.

And thats it?

Yes, No remote with this card, Yes, Yes and Yes.

As I mentioned, whatever you are recording (terrestrial/satellite), have a look at MediaPortal and GBPVR.

irishshogun

Has anyone used those remote tv sender boxes to connect their TV to a PC?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=36676&criteria=tv%20senders&doy=15m3

I've only the one chorus box in the living room and this seemed like the easiest way to connect it to my PC without drilling through the walls or having to rent another box.

Tom Dunne

Yes, that's what I do.

But there are two problems with this setup.

1: If you have wireless on the PC, the signal from that and from the tv sender will interfere. Net result is occasionally jumpy TV picture on the PC. This can be worked around by changing the channel on the tv sender, but it is not perfect.

2: You can only watch one channel on both the TV and the PC. You cannot have, say, BBC1 on the TV and Channel 4 on the PC.

If you can live with those two limitiations (as I do), you are sorted.

Ro-76

I'm using a PVR 150 and a 250 in XP pro with GBPVR. Both cards work flawlessly, but I have not used the remote on either because I use an MVP over ethernet. I would recommend the tuner cards very much.

irishshogun

Thanks Tom I can live with that limitation.