USB HD tuners???

[Speciale]

I don't need anything fancy, i just want to have the basic HD channels that are broadcast by Mediacom to be recorded by media center.

I've seen these things at Best Buy for $70...what is their downside exactly?

[ARCJr]

I direct you to the tuner guide....

http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2034&Itemid=1

[Speciale]

I direct you to the tuner guide....

http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2034&Itemid=1

ooo, delightful. It's bout time someone put this together

[Speciale]

Can someone just explain, or point me to an explination, of all these encoded jargin...

QAM NATC ATSC

[Jon]

QAM = unencrypted digital broadcasts over cable. This would be the equivalent of what you should be able to receive over antenna if you had perfect reception of all local broadcasts - only over the subscription cable service line. You'll need a card/software, STB, or TV capable of receiving QAM signal (not to mention a service that sends it).

NATC, I assume you mean NTSC = standardization of analog TV signal. North America uses it as well as several other major countries (Japan, S. Korea, et. al.). What it boils down to, in a nutshell, is framerate, refresh rate, and vertical resolution. NTSC operates at 29.97fps, an optimal 60Hz, and has 525 lines (486i available) of vertical resolution.

ATSC = quite simply the digital broadcast counterpart to NTSC. When you are going for HDTV over-the-air (OTA - another you've seen by now) by antenna, you're going for ATSC signal and will need an ATSC-capable TV card. HDTVs with advertised ATSC tuners are capable of grabbing these signals as well.

This is very generic information without much detail, but should be enough for insight.

[LandShark]

I'm using a HVR-950 USB tuner, not as good as the PCI/PCIe tuner, but close enough! (signal strength is like 93% vs 100%)

[Speciale]

Thanks a ton guys!

[sir_pyro]

Be aware that if you ager getting it over cable, you'll only be able to get the BASIC HD channels, not any of the other ones. I have Comcast here, and we get the off air's and ESPN HD over QAM. The rest (MHD, Descovery HD, NGCHD, ect) can only be picked up with a cable box or using a cablecard (not possible in the DIY realm yet) unfortunatally.