This will be a new thing for me and am very limited on my knowledge of PC and TV Tuner cards. Here's what I want it to do. I want the ability to connect my antenna that I currently have going to my HDTV to my PC. I know this requires the right type of card. I also want to be able to do simple functions with a IR remote. I also intend to use Windows Media Center (for now at least) I have a Phillips Pronto Pro remote and want to learn the codes from the Windows media approved remote to it. I can get THIS one for 23.00/shipped. Can I just buy any pci/pci express card and be done with it (aside from driver and manufacture software compatibility issue that may occur on my PC). So the major question is will the Optical/Coax out on my Gigabyte mother board carry my digital sound, or will I need a TV card with a digital out? Thanks in advance. TJ
get one of the hauppagauge tv tuner cards the hvr 1600 has both hd and analog inputs. These tuner cards get the video/audio directly from the coaxial input. It also has the hardware mpeg encoders built-in that is needed by the latest media software. These cards process all the video onboard, this means your cpu won't be used to do any of the encoding. For instance on my mediapc, I can have my media software recording in the backgound while I'm watching a dvd or playing a video game with no slowdown. As far as audio, the tuner cards that I have seen only have audio in, for audio out you have to use your soundcards output. I use the hauppagauge pvr150 on my mediapc (I have 4 of them installed). Hauppagauge is a very good brand and their cards are quite reliable, on my computer they been running 24/7 for almost 3 years. There are cheaper tuner cards, but they are all "software encoder" types. These cards don't work too well on mediacenter software since all the video is process by the CPU, it will also slowdown your computer.
Good to know. When you say they only have audio in and I have to use sound cards this means I can use the onboard sound on my mother board, right?
Yes, you can use the onboard sound connected to your computer speakers. But if you will be hooking up your PC to a HD TV. There are some video cards (radeon HD4350 among others) that can output the HD audio through the HDMI cable. I have the HD4350 (cost 40.00) that has the HDMI output with the full HD 7.1 surround audio support. That might be something to look at if you demand the best audio. I don't have a HD capable TV so I just use my computers onboard audio.
just a query in irl now we have moved from mpeg 2 to mpeg 4 dont think anything is available yet to work here.
My Video card I bought is a ASUS EAH 4650 Radeon HD 4650 1GB DDR2 PCI Express on CRAIGSLIST FOR $35 it does have HDMI.
All the radeon cards with HD in there part number are HDMI capable. Some have the HDMI output built-in but some have the adapter seperately.
i have 2 pcs with maybe 2-4 yr old cards and at that time they worked on mpeg 2 broadcasts,they are updating everything in irl to mpeg 4 as there is more info on it and as of yet have not found any cards that work on mpeg 4.this is in irl.you might only pick up analogue signal.
I looked on hauppagauge's site. Looks as if there are no models I see that have any mention of mpeg 4 in there specs.
even the tvs with built in tv cards only supported mpeg2,made you buy another tv that has an mpeg4 card installed.
I guess I need to check the specs on my TV. It seems to get all the Over Air HD broadcasts now. I just hope the killer deal I found on ebay for Hauppagauge 1600 works for me....not sure f the wife will let me buy another :-(
