Good TV Tuner for Win7 for watch and recording

[jtac84]

Hello all -
I recently switched to Windows 7 and I want to record and watch tv using my PC. I've never used a tv tuner card before and I am seeking advice for a device to choose for my desktop PC. What tuner card(s) do you recommend?

Thanks in advance.
Jtac84

 

[Ksyder]

are you just looking for over the air HD? IMO this subject has gotten more complicated with the advent of cable card, and the demise of analog television. Unfortunately I haven't been following the tv tuner card scene for awhile since I got Uverse.

However, listing your needs would probably be helpful regardless.

 

[jtac84]

I want to be able to watch TV and record TV, in high definition. I want to access as many channels as possible. Any advice?

Thanks

 

[Inspire]

Okay, we'll need to know your input source - is it cable, antenna, or something else? Next, you need to understand that most channels are not HD; there's analog, digital, and then there's HD. There's a tradeoff between channel availability and recording quality.

It's also helpful, if you have cable, to know your cable company. I use Comcast in the Chicago metro area, but they haven't rolled out CableCARD.

As an example, I get basic cable, but my cable guy hooked me up with extended basic. So, I get about 60 analog channels. Over the same stream, I get ~30 digital channels over QAM. I split my cable into 3 streams - 1 to my TV (analog, because all of Comcast's digital in my area runs over QAM), and 2 to my HDHomerun Tuner (which pulls in Clear QAM - most of the more common networks). Using W7MC, I can schedule recordings on a subset of the channels I can watch on my TV - most of the networks come in at 1080i.

Not sure if that helps, but like I said, it depends a lot on what you have to work with.

 

[jtac84]

Hi -
I have Cablevision in Northern New Jersey. Based upon that, any advice please for how I could do some tv capture on the PC?

Thanks

 

[cheapherk]

I'll let you know after I try my OnAir HDTV GT.