[BloodEagle]

So I'm thinking about getting a TV tuner.

• Problem: I've heard that the cheaper ($15.00-$30.00) cards suck at capturing video
• Problem: I've heard that the cheaper ($15.00-$30.00) cards suck at capturing audio
• Problem: All of the above

So, does anyone have a recommendation for a TV Tuner? Keep in mind that the main thing I would use it for would be capturing video.

[Kazan]

analog? anything from hauppauge that does hardware MPEG2 encoding
digital? ..... you can get them for <$30?

[Inquisitor]

I like the haupage ones. Even the USB ones do a decent job.

[Kazan]

hauppauge cards are so populate with the linux custom DV communities (mythtv esp) that hauppauge hired a guy just to do linux driver development

[BloodEagle]

I did some searching, the Hauppauge cards are pretty damned expensive*. The main thing I'm asking is whether or not the cheap cards will fail on me.


*Approximately $50.00

[Jeff Vader]

I'll try to translate a classic aphorism to you: "A poor man should buy cheap stuff, because eventually doing that will get expensive and expensive is always good."

[Herra Tohtori]

I'll try to translate a classic aphorism to you: "A poor man should not buy cheap stuff, because eventually doing that will get expensive and expensive is always good."

I believe that's what you meant...


My sister has an Anysee cable TV receiver, apparently it's been working okay... I just don't know how much ot cost.

[Jeff Vader]

I'll try to translate a classic aphorism to you: "A poor man should not buy cheap stuff, because eventually doing that will get expensive and expensive is always good."

I believe that's what you meant...

Actually that's the truth. Cheap stuff breaks down fast, so in the long run, a little bit bigger investment is recommended. But what I said up there was a translated Alivaltiosihteeri quote (**** it, from now on I'll explicitly state it if I'm trying to be funny).

Edit: For those who care, the original piece that I (apparently) translated a bit inaccurately, though the general idea was correct: "Osta aina halvinta. Se tulee kalliiksi ja kallis on laadukasta."

Also, a friend of mine complained about them Anysee products. Though he might have had the antenna version. But I think the cable version costs (at least here) roughly 150€ =235$ = 23,447.91 JPY. Right?

[Nuke]

im not rich, not even middle class. but i have good hardware. reson being i research products before buying them. most people cant help but get caught up in the impulse buy mentality. the second you step into a store youre being brainwashed by some degree. another example i save a ****load by buying 2 liter bottles of coke, rather than little 1 liter or 20 oz bottles or cans. half ass tech gadgets always sit out there in grab range. people just need to use some ****ing common since and a healthy sense of paranoia, then you can buy stuff without getting jacked.

[Colonol Dekker]

Do any usb hauppage cards come with scart input? If so i can scrap my telly

[Kazan]

hauppauge cards are "kinda expensive" for a DAAAAMN good reason

they're the ONLY analog tuners anyone should ever buy.

they have good tuners and they do hardware MPEG2 encoding.

pretty much every other card has a noisy tuner and forces your CPU to do the video compression

[haloboy100]

i used an ATI card for TV once and it was good.

ATI all-in-wonder radeon IIRC.

[colecampbell666]

What is a good card or using with SDTV? a.k.a making an HTPC. And also converting old VHSs. Hauppage is the main brand? And what about VistaView? I've heard things about them.

[Kazan]

What is a good card or using with SDTV? a.k.a making an HTPC. And also converting old VHSs. Hauppage is the main brand? And what about VistaView? I've heard things about them.

SDTV=analog

Hauppauge, Hauppauge, Hauppauge

accept no substitutes

here is my DVR: (Fedora Core + mythTV compiled from trunk)

Athlon 64 x2 4200+
1GB DDR2-400
nVidia video card (For linux XvMC - not that i'm using it)
1 Terabyte of storage in ext3 LVM /media/mythtv (250GB + 250GB + 500GB drives)
Hauppauge PVR-500
Kworld ATSC 110

will probably be adding a Hauppauge HVR-1800 to it in the future

[colecampbell666]

What is a good card or using with SDTV? a.k.a making an HTPC. And also converting old VHSs. Hauppage is the main brand? And what about VistaView? I've heard things about them.

SDTV=analog

Hauppauge, Hauppauge, Hauppauge

accept no substitutes

here is my DVR: (Fedora Core + mythTV compiled from trunk)

Athlon 64 x2 4200+
1GB DDR2-400
nVidia video card (For linux XvMC - not that i'm using it)
1 Terabyte of storage in ext3 LVM /media/mythtv (250GB + 250GB + 500GB drives)
Hauppauge PVR-500
Kworld ATSC 110

will probably be adding a Hauppauge HVR-1800 to it in the future

HVR being HDTV?

[BloodEagle]

pretty much every other card has a noisy tuner and forces your CPU to do the video compression

Ah, that answers my question. Thanks.

[Colonol Dekker]

Are there ANY hauppage cards with a scart socket? Or is that more the sort of thing a monitor comes with?

[Nuke]

i remember my old voodoo 3 3500 had a better tuner than most of the other ones ive used. i have another cheepie tv tuner card i got in a random box of computer junk but i dont use it. i really dont see the point in using a high end capture card if youre not doing of video editing or recording. im happy with a lower end tuner (not that i actually use it) and can tolerate any fuzz that results. its just useful cause you dont need to own a tv and a computer. though i do at some point plan to get me a big ass flat panel tv as a monitor (probibly this summer).

[WMCoolmon]

I've heard a lot of good things about Hauppage; you can use them on some pretty damn underpowered systems. We're talking Mini-ITX, fanless, < 1Ghz processor systems. I've heard the quality's good to great, and I've seen deals for ~$35.

Right now they seem to be the tv tuner card maker for Linux anything, and my general impression is that they're in close running with ATI for best overall consumer tuners.

[Grace_ofGod]

So I'm thinking about getting a TV tuner.

• Problem: I've heard that the cheaper ($15.00-$30.00) cards suck at capturing video
• Problem: I've heard that the cheaper ($15.00-$30.00) cards suck at capturing audio
• Problem: All of the above

So, does anyone have a recommendation for a TV Tuner? Keep in mind that the main thing I would use it for would be capturing video.

Also watch out for cards that accept NTSC only, because it'll be useless in ~9 months.  Get a card that also accepts the new Hd- standard, ASTSC I believe.