Help with Dual Monitor + TV Tuner Decision!

[JaYBirD0613]

I was just about to buy an ATI AIW 9700 pro when I found out that it does not support dual monitors (only has DVI). GGrrrrRRR :frown:

So now I am left with a choice:

1. Get 9700 pro (non-AIW) and then buy a TV Tuner card

or

2. Get a AIW 9700 pro and buy a pci card for the second monitor.


Which is the better solution? I think the first would be good cause I could use the 9700 pro for displaying good 2d on both monitors. The second option has its advantages in that I would get all the bells and whistles from the AIW like the remote.

I'm open to any suggestions. (I will be using a 19" CRT and 18" LCD)


GRrrrrRRR why would ATI only put 1 DVI on its AIW?

 

[NTB]

I've got a setup similar to your first option - 1 video card & a separate TV tuner - and it works really well.

What do you plan to do with the tuner? just watch TV or use it as a Tivo-type device? just curious, because if you're looking at Tivo functionality, I would recommend a WinTV PVR-250 for the tuner. This card has on-board MPEG1 & 2 compression, which is really nice because you don't have to worry about dropping frames. I tried recording with a standard tuner (WinTV Go) - and the thing would start to drop frames if I so much as looked at it cross-eyed i.e., I couldn't do anything else while it was recording. With the PVR-250 I don't have to worry about that. It even ignores system sounds (error beeps & other effects) while recording, which the WinTV Go would not.

If you want any more informationg about the card, look here or let me know either in the thread or through PM.

Nate

 

[JaYBirD0613]

I will mostly be using to the TV Tuner card to watch TV while I surf, irc, icq etc...

Will the WinTV card allow you to do that cool overlay feature that makes the TV image transparent? (I know the AIW can do it).

I also plan to use it like Tivo since there are no PVR options here in Canada.

 

[NTB]

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about with the overlay feature and making the TV image transparent. Got a link or anything that explains it?

If you plan on doing any Tivo-type stuff at all I would strongly reccomend the PVR-250 or something similar, with hardware encoding. This card allows me to capture full NTSC spec 720x480 @ 30fps while still using my computer for other tasks. It has several recording-quality settings, so I can make VCDs or DVDs; only thing I need is a DVD burner. The WinTV-Go card, on the other hand, struggled when trying to capture at anything above 320x240.

EDIT: thought I should add: by default the standard tuners, without hardware encoding, capture in raw AVI format, which takes up gobs of space, especially when you start to bump up the resolution. The raw AVI would also need to be encoded to another format, which would temporarily require even more space. The MPEG captures from the PVR look just as good as the raw AVI files, take up much less space, and are almost ready to be burnt to VCD or DVD as soon as the recordings over. They just need to be edited and the sound re-mixed in - something the bundled editing software does all on it's own. This takes much less time than re-encoding an AVI file. Minutes vs. hours. Of course, you can try to compress on the fly with the standard tuners, but that will bog your system down even more I think, and keep you from using it for other activities in the mean time. This also requires a very fast system.

Nate

 

[NTB]

I just found out about the transparency trick you were talking about and no, I don't think the WinTV cards can do that. They will allow you to watch TV in a resizeable window or full screen though. So if you need to get to the desktop or work on something while you're watching/listening to the TV, just shrink it from full screen to the window.

Nate

 

[NTB]

bump^^

 

[JaYBirD0613]

I guess getting the non-AIW is the best choice then..... although I really wanted that kool remote.

Any idea what else I'll be missing without the AIW?

 

[propellerhead]

I have three video cards driving three monitors, and a tv tuner card. I usually have Outlook/browser on one, mIRC on another, TV window and/or browser in the middle.

The tv card that I got is the AverTV Studio. It comes with a remote control, so when I just want to sit back and watch tv, I set the tv picture to full screen then I go lay on my bed.

Keep in mind that the tv picture will only display on your primary monitor, whichever one is set to primary by Windows/BIOS.

 

[MoobyTheGoldenCalf]

Originally posted by: propellerhead

Keep in mind that the tv picture will only display on your primary monitor, whichever one is set to primary by Windows/BIOS.

I have an 8500 and an ATI TV Wonder VE, also running dual monitors. This combo works great for me under XP. Also, I can have the TV image on either monitor I want. I usually just leave the TV up full screen on my 2nd monitor and surf, work on my main 21". I can do the blended/transparancy effect too (on either monitor).

 

[NTB]

Some of the WinTV cards - PVR250/350, WinTV-Radio (FM tuner) and WinTV Theater - also come with a remote, and for the cards that don't I think you can buy one seperately.

Nate

 

[peang]

How about this one LEADTEK WINFAST "DELUXE" TV2000XP TV/FM MULTIMEDIA CARD
seems got a lot of people in hot deal forum buy the card.

 

[NTB]

Originally posted by: peang
How about this one LEADTEK WINFAST "DELUXE" TV2000XP TV/FM MULTIMEDIA CARD
seems got a lot of people in hot deal forum buy the card.

He's in Canada unfortunately, so I don't think this hot deal will work for him. Newegg doesn't ship internationally, does it?

Nate