LEADTEK WINFAST "DELUXE" TV2000XP TV/FM MULTIMEDIA CARD - RETAIL BOX (UPDATE: NOW $42.00 shipped!) @ Newegg!

[nebula]

Originally posted by: stockjock

Is it just me or have the Leadtek Expert refurbs disappeared from NewEgg.com?

you have to be diligent and keep looking everyday. I lucked out 2 weeks ago and got one for $32 shipped and it had everything!!!

Yep, and when you see one don't hesitate to order it if you want it, they go quick. I ordered one for me last week, then a few minutes later, ordered another for a coworker. After that they were OOS again. $32 and both came in retail boxes. I even looked at the contacts on one and didn't notice any signs of usage. I suppose if it was only inserted once maybe you wouldn't see anything.

Haven't installed it yet but from the posts here, that is such a deal!

 

[sunase]

w00t, I read (ok, skimmed) every page...unfortunately all the audio sync and video quality concerns convinced me to pay for a Canopus ADVC-1394 instead since I only care about capture, not tuner functions. Sort of the opposite of a deal for me, heh. Xx

 

[corinthos]

sunase i don't know about canopus cards, but aren't they more expensive than the wintv pvr250 or the like? they have really good image quality and the blackbird cards aren't supposed to have audio/video sync problems (cards like avermedia m150, leadtek pvr2000 and the newer roswell pvr250.) These blackbird cards go for $68-75, but probably the Canopus is better, I don't know anything about 'em.

 

[sunase]

I did look at those, but AFAICT they can't output uncompressed video (or even pipe it directly into say divx, xvid, or huffyuv). So to get into my preferred archive and "watching on the go off my laptop" format (which is xvid with high motion search precision and 2-pass to make sure the allocation is perfect) I'd have to capture into their lossy, encoded on the fly, mpeg2 at the maximum bitrate allowable and then convert.

I suppose I should email a rep or ask around to make sure there is no support for uncompressed, heh. Also maybe I'm being too picky and the maximum bitrate those cards could put out is sufficient to prevent the video from degrading much due to the enforced transcoding. Btw, in case you go with one of them and bother converting, one review mentioned to set the output to cbr instead of vbr to avoid sync issues when converting from it. Would be nasty to elimante one cause of desyncing by getting a card that can handle audio iteslf only to have more crop up there, heh.

Edit: The Canopus actually hardware captures to DV (just like the PVR250 hardware captures to MPEG). Just making sure that's clear in case someone comes across this later. The Canopus does about 13GB per hour, though, and DV is very editing oriented. The PVR250 on the other hand only manages about 5.6GB per hour at maximum bitrate and CBR settings. Direct capture to huffyuv (lossless)/uncompressed would be higher quality, but then you're back to risking dropped frames and audio sync again...

 

[mindless1]

Yeah I used to record to MJPEG then later recompress to Divx, for a while at least, then it got really tiring to go back over every video so I fell behind in converting 'em and had every HDD in the place filled with Gigs of video.

Now I use the TV2000XP to capture straight to Divx and can even save to a multimedia store across the LAN. One key to recording "TV" broadcasts to Divx is to reduce the default scene threshold, mine is at 28%, then it more readily detects cuts in and out for commercials so "IF" I wanted to edit commercials out of something I can cut on the keyframes and have the result be much closer to if not the exact frame I would've wanted to cut, without having to recompress the rest so the quality is preserved.

 

[dr150]

Mindless1.
How do you have direct Divx encoding with the TV2000XP? I don't see that option available in the drop-down encoding menu options.

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: dr150
Mindless1.
How do you have direct Divx encoding with the TV2000XP? I don't see that option available in the drop-down encoding menu options.

You can install any codec you want... the key is "install", not just use whatever happens to come with the card. It will then be in the drop-down menu along with whatever config options it supports, you can save a profile for it, etc.

 

[boboko]

Can anyone tell me if this card's SW will let you search through the closed caption text to find a spot in a show you've saved?
Thanks

 

[mindless1]

boboko, I don't know all the finer details of closed captioning, but AFAIK it's either overlaid or a seperate digital stream, but either way once you've recorded it you only have the digital representation of the analog portion, not any data reserved specifically for the closed captioning, so this (or any other) card can't search that way. Maybe there's more to it than that, a provision in "some" codecs to preserve CC data?

 

[rhacquer]

Anyone have any opinions about their USB tuner box? I need to go the USB route--got both a laptop and a desktop that I want to use for video capture and editing.

 

[boboko]

boboko, I don't know all the finer details of closed captioning, but AFAIK it's either overlaid or a seperate digital stream, but either way once you've recorded it you only have the digital representation of the analog portion, not any data reserved specifically for the closed captioning, so this (or any other) card can't search that way. Maybe there's more to it than that, a provision in "some" codecs to preserve CC data?

I don't know how it works, but the ATI AIW cards can apparently do it.
http://www.firingsquad.com/print_article.asp?current_section=Hardware&fs_article_id=1112

 

[ABErickson]

Has anyone gotten wmv9 to work on the Winfast software? When I go to Configuration for the "Windows Media Video" compression it only lists the wmv8 encoder. Also, for the wmv audio the configuration is completely grayed out and I can't enter any parameters at all. When you install the software it looks like it installs the wmv9 encoder, so I would think it would be available.

 

[Petunzz]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any trouble with the PVR software that came with this tv tuner card.

I just got mine two days ago, and everything worked perfectly (installation, tv signals, remote, etc). However, now, just two days later, my remote doesn't work (every button I push makes it record) and also the PVR software automatically starts recording the program even when I'm not doing anything.

Can anyone help?

I've tried updating the drivers: I downloaded the newest ones (5.13.1.277 from currently 5.13.1.274), but when i open device manager and try updating, it doesn't find it (specified the correct folder).

 

[mindless1]

Petunzz, remove batteries from remote to see if it still starts recording on it's own. I'm suspecting that your remote is defective or somehow has become broken after receipt. Check voltage level of batteries, try new batteries. All of the above is under the presumption that you have NO other infrared devices within receivable range that might have overlapping signal to the TV2000XP.

When you try to update, are you just looking for the "best" driver, or are you actually specifying the file (if not, specify it... it need not be in any particular order, there are 3 or 4 devices with corresponding INF file, IIRC). Then again, you made no mention of which OS, but I don't think it's a driver issue.

 

[gredodenda]

Ok, I just received the WinFast TV200/Xp from Newegg. Even after reading this forum, I'm still unsure about installing drivers and softwares. Could anyone tell me what to install...
I read that I should not install the drivers from leadtek because it's bad. Instead use www.dscaler.org.
Is this true? then How should I install driver for dscaler.org? or Can TV card be used without drivers?Obviously, I'm totally new to TV card stuff.


Please advise the best way to use/setup WinFast TV200/XP for New Buyers!!!
thanks

 

[Petunzz]

Mindless1,

thanks for your help. Yes, I do believe it is the remote now. I took out the batteries.. loaded up the program (apparently it starts recording when only the winfast wizard is loaded in the system tray). When I took out the batteries.. it stopped auto recording. I put the batteries back in.. and the buttons worked for about two channels.. then it started going back to recording w/ every push.

As for the drivers, I have WinXP Pro, and after I downloaded the drivers.. I extracted them into a new folder and went to my device manager. I selected "update driver" and specified the folder to look into (where I extracted the files).

So what can I do now? I think just the remote is defective.. should I email newegg?

 

[mindless1]

So what can I do now? I think just the remote is defective.. should I email newegg?

Yes, email them, providing you've also tried different batteries.

Considering the effort to uninstall, repackage card, drive and pay to ship, I might pop open the remote and inspect the contacts, but I can't advise it for anyone else, you make the call... If your prying open of the remote leaves pry marks or you damage it in another way, it may void your warranty.

 

[bolomite]

I ordered a refurb Expert card on 6/1 for $31.50, arrived the following day. Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as some of you guys -- I got the bare card only, zero accessories. I wonder where I might get the other stuff like the remote...

 

[corinthos]

bolomite,

sorry to hear you only got the bare card... i'd ebay it and get the full package... or go for the deluxe which was $42 recently, and could still be at the price...

or check e-bay to see if anyone's selling the accessories only... another option is to contact
Leadtek to see if you can get the missing items from them... but you might as well just buy a new
one since they'll likely charge you for those items...

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Petunzz
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any trouble with the PVR software that came with this tv tuner card.

I just got mine two days ago, and everything worked perfectly (installation, tv signals, remote, etc). However, now, just two days later, my remote doesn't work (every button I push makes it record) and also the PVR software automatically starts recording the program even when I'm not doing anything.

Can anyone help?

I've tried updating the drivers: I downloaded the newest ones (5.13.1.277 from currently 5.13.1.274), but when i open device manager and try updating, it doesn't find it (specified the correct folder).

My first guess would be a stuck button, the record button on the remote.

 

[Muse]

Does anyone have a take on this?

I've got my this card in my PC, which has a Santa Cruz sound card. The EQ in the Santa Cruz control panel works (when enabled) when I'm playing a CD in my DVD-Rom drive, but it has no effect, evidently, when using the Winfast card (whether it's enabled in the Santa Cruz control panel or not). The Winfast card is plugged into the line-in jack on the Santa Cruz. Am I doing something wrong? TIA...

 

[ZiKi]

i just got my deluxe off of ebay yesterday for $37 nib. the reason i got it is so that i could record shows with my antenna while im asleep or not home, but the antenna doesnt pick up jack. i think it might have to do with my wireless mouse and pc components interferring with it. any ideas? im about to buy a stronger antenna off of ebay

 

[nebula]

Originally posted by: Muse
Does anyone have a take on this?

I've got my this card in my PC, which has a Santa Cruz sound card. The EQ in the Santa Cruz control panel works (when enabled) when I'm playing a CD in my DVD-Rom drive, but it has no effect, evidently, when using the Winfast card (whether it's enabled in the Santa Cruz control panel or not). The Winfast card is plugged into the line-in jack on the Santa Cruz. Am I doing something wrong? TIA...

I've sorta seen the same thing. When I open up my audio panel (not the SC) I can adjust the volume then record something and it didn't seem adjusted. What I think I finally figured out is the audio settings in the WinFast software overrides the audio panel setting. In other words, if I have the setting at 80% in the audio panel and 50% in WinFast, after starting a recording it bumps back to 50%.

I'm using the CD-Audio input on my mobo, which I thought was technically line-in, but not according to WinFast. In your case, I'd think it should work too!

 

[cKGunslinger]

Just ordered one for $44 shipped from Newegg. Seemed like a nice deal.

Question: This works with Satellite TV, no? I can run the coax from my DishNetwork receiver to the card, then back to the TV? Will my PC have to be powered on to watch normal TV, or will it pass though (like a phone line & modem)? Can I watch the TV on both my TV and the card at the same time? Does it have to be the same channel? I realize this is the wrong place for these questions, so does anyone have any relevant links?

 

[ZiKi]

get a splitter