TV in card

[Argle2]

Hey,
Does anyone have suggestions on the easiest way to bring cable tv onto my monitor. I ideally want to plug coax cable into a tv-in pci card in my computer. I dont want a new video card. I looked at Pinnacle's PCTVpro pci card, but is too expensive for this college student. Any suggestions? Any help is appreciared in advance. Please PM me with replies.

 

[VBboy]

Hauppauge has pretty good, relatively cheap cards. I used their WinTheater [Pro] something, no driver or incomptibility problems on 98, ME and 2000. They have different cards, with varrying number of features (Stereo/No stereo, etc).

You can also hit PriceWatch.com and buy a cheap one, but if you get a trully no-brand one, you may not have any driver support now or for the future OSs.

 

[sathyan]

If you can live without stereo sound for the TV signal, Pinnacle PCTV (not pro) and WinTV go retail for $40-50 at B&M stores. Or buy from an auction site: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1288891394

STB and a few other companies have offered TV tuners but since these product types and notoriously buggy with drivers, I suggest you stick with PCTV or WinTV

After you buy one, download ShowShifter so you can use your PC like Tivo and pause live TV!

 

[spikegifted]

you should try hauppauge wintv nova-t pci or usb...

 

[Noriaki]

I use an ATi TV-Wonder, they also have the TV-Wonder VE that's much cheaper if you dont need S-Video input.

I like the Video quality better than my friend's Haupagge...but I can't comment on other features, I've never used it for anything but watching TV on the Coax or playing PlaySTation on the RCA....never used Recording even.

 

[VBboy]

I would not buy a USB TV tuner. It cannot give you the same quality at high resolutions as an internal PCI tuner..

 

[MonstaThrilla]

I have both the ATi TV Wonder VE and Hauppauge WinTV Theatre. The ATi card would lock up my Win2K machine on shutdown, I never figured out why. I agree that the quality of the picture with the ATi is slightly better than the Hauppauge. Its up to you really and what features you want. The Hauppauge card I got is loaded (comes with an IR receiver and remote controller, a built in FM tuner with antenna, a nice audio out adapter, etc). The ATi TV Wonder VE does the most basic job, and it does it quite well. The prices are set accordingly. I got the ATi on rebate at Best Buy last June, I don't know if its still up.

If you want to buy online, I'd suggest mwave.com. They have a nice selection of TV tuner cards from both brands.

And whichever card you pick, make sure you download the latest software/drivers for them from their manufacturers' websites. The ones that come on disc are ASS...

 

[Argle2]

thanks all for your help. I finally decided and bid for a Pinnacle PCTV. I think that i swill work out. Again, thanks all