Reccomendations for a TV Tuner Card?

[gas-man]

I'd like to get a TV tuner card for my PC so that I can watch cable while I surf the net.

Can you guys recommend some good ones that will jive okay with my Geforce? Don't really need anything too fancy, just want to watch!

Thanks guys

[Sneak]

I have an ATI TV Wonder. It works great and right now it is in a computer with a geforce 2. No probs.

[dew042]

the tv wonder is nice because you can record shows in mpg2 as well and its price is not that different from crappy ones....

dew.

[gas-man]

Thanks guys, it looks like something I will consider. Does the price jump radically for features like a remote and such?

[Sneak]

It probly be a little more, 10-20$.

[gas-man]

Geeze, the USB version seems to be three times as expensive. I think I'll check out the PCI card, maybe I can pick one up for cheap - what's a good price?

[dew042]

Originally posted by gas-man
Thanks guys, it looks like something I will consider. Does the price jump radically for features like a remote and such?

one thing to note: if you have a wireless keyboard, you a have a cheap rf remote ;)... its very easily comtroled by the keyboard (+/- channel change and up/down arrow for volume and so on...)

don't know if you do or not, but something to consider...

dew.

[gas-man]

Dew,

Good point but for me it's not really an issue. I've got a wired keyboard, but I have a TV 12 inches from my computer, so if I'm far away, I'll most likely be using that :)

I want the card so that I could watch shows without having to krink my neck, if I'm typing or surfing, etc.

[dew042]

Originally posted by gas-man
Geeze, the USB version seems to be three times as expensive. I think I'll check out the PCI card, maybe I can pick one up for cheap - what's a good price?

tv wonder pci runs about $50 plus shipping on ebay.

newegg has a refurb for around $49 shipped.

the tv wonder and tv wonder ve are two different things. the ve version has no video capture and is slightly cheaper...

good luck.
dew.

[Penguin4x4]

Hauppauge WinTV (http://www.thenerds.net/productpage.asp?pn=695016)

[gas-man]

Eeewww.....mono..

[dew042]

Originally posted by gas-man
Eeewww.....mono..

yeah...

the hauppauge version that begins to be nice is the model 401 with dbx stereo. simular price, but not mpg2 record...


dew.

[Penguin4x4]

D'oh! Can't Read:beer: ! Sorry, ouch, the stereo versions $90, whatever.:rolleyes:

[Malakai]

leadtec WinTV 2000 Xp=badass

it has perfect quality (for a cable signal), lets u record in ANY FORMAT U WANT, as long as the codec is installed on the system.
comes with a nice remote control, has stereo, and the reviews at neweg say its way better than the TV wonder. i havent a single gripe with this card.

i record all my TV shows in Mpeg-4 DivX 5.02, 600k/sec, audio records in MP3 44,100khz stereo

2 hour movie averages less than a gig, im 100x better quality than Mpeg 1 or 2 with much higher filesize.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=47&manufactory=1280&DEPA=1

its 64$ w/4.00 shipping at newegg.

[Mpegger]

If your looking for a cheap-o card with decent capture quality, see if you can find a IO Magic PC PVR card. It'll work fine with your GF card, and it comes with PowerVCRII Standard (not OEM like it says). Its a software based capture card, so size/quality of anything you record will be dependent on your CPU. And its also mono, but you can easily connect a stereo VCR or your TV's stereo outputs to you sound card and use that signal to record. Last I checked, it was still only around $39. Hell, thats less then buying PowerVCRII Standard by itself.