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

[corinthos]

Re: indoor antenna... I use an indoor antenna with mine (currently using the bundled fm antenna for TV & radio reception!) and it works as well as it would on a regular TV. You have to extend the antenna and experiment with positioning for the best reception... and use the auto fine-tune function when scanning for channels or manually fine tune them. I'm going to be getting an amplified indoor antenna soon and hopefully the channels that don't come in as clearly will become clearer.

Re: wintv 401 w/fm & dbx stereo... I used to own one of these, and I'd have to say that this Leadtek is much better. The hardware capabilities are similar, but the bundled accessories and the quality and refinement of the software is what makes it much better than the Wintv 401. The remote is way better with more functions compared to the puny Wintv 401 remote. The WinFast PVR software is slick and more refined with more features, and appears to be less buggy. When I was using the WinTV, I ditched their TV viewing software and found myself using PowerVCR II instead because it had more features. But the WinFast PVR is, IMO, as good if not better than PowerVCR II. What else? Wintv 401 didn't come with an s-video to RCA cable.

If you want higher quality video capture and playback, I'd look at the ASUS TV card... if you want FM as well, I'd look at the new Winfast Expert/Professional card or whatever its called, based on a newer chipset... it's gonna probably cost the same as the ASUS TV card, somewhere around $70-80 though.

Personally, this card offers sufficient qualilty for me and I'm satisfied with it.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: ImSeeker
Well, I ordered one... we'll see how it is when it arrives - I'll report back.

Seems to me you will like it. I like mine so much I ordered another for my other machine. Maybe if I'd have considered the Asus TV880 for my other machine if I was aware of it at the time but I doubt it since it doesn't support FM like the Winfast. If you read the reviews at Newegg it's apparent that people are happier with the Winfast than the Asus, and also are buying it around 10x as much. Well, there are 186 reviews for the Winfast, 13 for the Asus.

 

[fatBrain]

To those who couldnt go back from TV to FM directly. Here is the easy way. Right click the icon of winFast wizard, select FM.

 

[hp660c]

Originally posted by: ChoppedBroccoli

Originally posted by: hp660c
I found a bug in the PVR software.

Can someone else try this and see if you get the same results (in xp):

Start recording
Hit WINDOWSKEY+L to lock the machine
Unlock the machine and see if it just erased your current recording and started back at 0 bytes. The counter is still counting, but the file itself is erased and recreated which creates a 0 byte file, then it starts recording again right after you unlock the system.

I tried finding an email to email them but i cant find it anywhere. So, let me know if it does the same for you too. I'm running version 2.816 of the PVR software.

I had similar problems when testing what you said: the file is erased and recording is restarted when I log back on. You are not alone !

In regards to this bug that i mentioned. It doesnt seem to affect recordings that were programmed to record previously.

BUT, i seem to have found another bug in relation to a programmed recording.
When it starts recording automatically, it will record just fine, but while it is recording and you go to full screen you will get stuttering. It is ONLY happening when in full screen, if i switch back to windowed mode it is fine (no stuttering).

In the same light, if i just hit the RECORD button without programming it to record and go to full screen it is just fine, no stuttering at all. So it must have something to do with the programmed portion of their code. The resulting mpg file appears to be fine though, no lost frames at all.

Could someone once again see if you experience the same symptoms as me?

Thanks,
AMD_

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

alright, I finally jumped on the bandwagon. I'll let you all know of my experiences.

 

[Kraeji]

i just ordered 2.. couldnt pass up the remote

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Is there an IR transmitter you can buy that would allow you to change the channels on your cable box if you have one?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Who woulda thunk this thread would accumulate 532 posts?

Great product, in any event, and the price seems to keep getting hotter . . .

 

[papaschtroumpf]

One BIG difference with the new drivers is that they allow full integration with www.titantv.com, so now you can record a show by doing a single click on your titantv program page. That's neat, I had been wanting this TIVO-like functionnality for a while.

 

[SpideyCU]

I can't get the TitanTV stuff to work - it keeps insisting that the address I enter isn't a real address. Grr.

 

[Kraeji]

Originally posted by: Hossenfeffer
I'd recommend basically tossing the installation that came with the card and just downloading the new drivers and apps from the website. Make sure you install them in the correct order.

Haven't had any issues on XP Pro using the above method.

What's the correct order?

I installed the drivers then the app from the website.. my TV quality is horrible. It locks up my comp with a BSOD randomly.. the picture freezes every 3 seconds or so.. i tried changing pci slots and reinstalling the drivers.. you guys using the newest drivers from the leadtek site??

my comp is usually rock solid.. im running xp.. this sucks b/c it seems like such a great product

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Kraeji

Originally posted by: Hossenfeffer
I'd recommend basically tossing the installation that came with the card and just downloading the new drivers and apps from the website. Make sure you install them in the correct order.

Haven't had any issues on XP Pro using the above method.

What's the correct order?

I installed the drivers then the app from the website.. my TV quality is horrible. It locks up my comp with a BSOD randomly.. the picture freezes every 3 seconds or so.. i tried changing pci slots and reinstalling the drivers.. you guys using the newest drivers from the leadtek site??

my comp is usually rock solid.. im running xp.. this sucks b/c it seems like such a great product

I would suggest swapping out your video card if you can swing that - temporarily, and see if that makes a difference. You could also try an alternative video card driver, assuming you can do this. Uninstall your current video card driver first. What are your system specs? Can you test the card in another box?

 

[ChoppedBroccoli]

Have you tried inputting an address that is close to you, that you know TitanTV will recognize?
It doesn't matter if TitanTV recognizes your particular address, as long as it can recognize an address which has the same cable programming/providers as yours.

 

[ZakPC]

Originally posted by: SpideyCU
I can't get the TitanTV stuff to work - it keeps insisting that the address I enter isn't a real address. Grr.

or you can try standardizing your address and see if it takes it in USPS standardized format - I know this helps w/ internet orders:
USPS - Zip Code Lookup

 

[bulldawg]

I've been using this card for several months now and really love it. That is until last week. Now after 2-3 minutes the sound will turn off. Everything seems to work fine at first, and then, poof. No sound. Using new drivers on fresh install of WinXP. Any ideas as to what's going on?

 

[ImSeeker]

I just got mine - I'm impressed, if I can iron out the glitches.

sound comes in and goes away at odd intervals. I have to futz with it to get sound back.

Also, when I switch channels on the tuner, it gives me the bad "spritz" noise sound between channels.

If I can work out those two, I'll be feeling good about this.

sound seems to kick off after 90 seconds - so this must be a setting, but darned if I can find where.

 

[spanky]

u guys think i should get this card, or an aiw7500 for $50?

 

[ImSeeker]

5.) TV2000xp. sound cuts off after 20 to 30 second of watching a program.
Norton anti-virus 2003 is causing that problem because it is protecting MSN messenger. The easiest thing to do is to disable Norton AntiVirus from protecting MSN Instant Messenger under the "Instant Messenger" options under Norton anti-virus 2003.

Hope that helps you out, ImSeeker...

I like this, so far.

 

[dude]

hm... So far, it seems that this card has:

1. Driver Problems that need to be solved but hasn't been updated since earlier last year.
2. Application Problems that makes some functions not work or work oddly.

Sems like many have problems with sound cutting on and off.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

mine works great...having a bit of trouble though when recording using the mp3 option for audio....it seems to only record at zero volume...(I can barely hear anything if I crank the speakers full blast)

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: dude
hm... <STRONG><EM>So far</EM></STRONG>, it seems that this card has:

<STRONG>1. Driver Problems that need to be solved but hasn't been updated since earlier last year.
2. Application Problems that makes some functions not work or work oddly.
</STRONG>
Sems like many have problems with sound cutting on and off.

I say that if you are not satisfied with the performance of the drivers or the application - you should complain to Leadtek. It's their responsibility to fix the drivers' bugs and the application's bugs and add useful features. Do it here: online request for tech support at the Leadtek website.

 

[SpideyCU]

Originally posted by: ZakPC

or you can try standardizing your address and see if it takes it in USPS standardized format - I know this helps w/ internet orders:
USPS - Zip Code Lookup

Thanks Zak. I eventually just filled in an address locally that it accepted. Took forever to find an address that it thought was valid. This is what I get for attending grad school in the middle of country-bumpkin Pennsylvania. Blasted Penn State!

 

[Muse]

Does anyone get 4x playback? I have two machines with this card, both running Windows 2000 SP3 (see my rigs in sig) and both are limited to -4x -2x 1x 2x playback. No 4x.

 

[Kraeji]

Originally posted by: MuseI would suggest swapping out your video card if you can swing that - temporarily, and see if that makes a difference. You could also try an alternative video card driver, assuming you can do this. Uninstall your current video card driver first. What are your system specs? Can you test the card in another box?

I just did and the card works perfectly in another box. Unfortunately I don't have another videocard to test in my box. Here are my specs:

Athlon XP 1700+
1gb crucial pc2100
asus a7v266-e
albatron ti4200 128mb
onboard audio
linksys 10/100 NIC
orange usb2.0 PCI host adapter

 

[ElectricLegs]

Here are a few links for video capture and driver removal. Other twain drivers can conflict with these cards. Run the btwin diver installer and use the remove option to clear the reg of possible conflicts.

Lossless video capture compression

Brooktree driver (Conexant)