Tv tuner

hellarda · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:04

Hi

Could someone recommend a good pci e (x16 or x1) or pci digital and analogue tuner card cheap as possible. It will be sitting in my server and recording scheduled shows from digital and analogue. Also I only have one ariel socket it my room and that needs to stay plugged into the tv is there a allotted or somin I need to get?

Cheers guys

Tikkabhuna · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:08

For the splitting side you can go to a DIY store and buy a splitter and some male (?) connectors. You will probably need some of the cable unless you have some lying around. It's easy to do.

honosuseri · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:21

hauppage tuners are pretty good. I've used PCI and USB versions. The bonus is that they are supported by windows media centre. Although i've had issues getting the dual tuner USB stick working as two tuners in MCE, this is a driver issue for vista and Win 7.

You can buy boosters in D.I.Y stores or a well known catalogue store. Not sure if the OC guys sell them. You can buy twin or quad versions, i recommend these over splitters as it boosts the signal, splitters will usually degrade it.

Hope this helps

hellarda · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:25

ok thanks guys will look at haupage

cheers

honosuseri · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:28

No worries. A cheaper option for wiring the PC is to see if you have an RF out on the back of the TV. You should have got a cable with the TV. Back in the day you would run the aerial to the tv then use the RF out cable to give the tv signal to the VCR.

A booster will be around £10 and would be best as it will improve signal for both the TV and PC, just check it's a digital booster

coldfused · 29 Jul 2010 at 18:48

I have had a ComproDTV tuner for 5 years, and it works really well with Windows Media Center. The drivers on their website have been updated yearly.

hellarda · 29 Jul 2010 at 21:12

so if i bought a digital booster, would i still be able to watch analogue channels?

thanks

honosuseri · 29 Jul 2010 at 21:39

Mate what's the fascination with analogue? They are switching off analogue so why waste money buying a tuner which supports analogue? All the analogue channels are on freeview anyway and you get radio too.

Yes the digital booster will allow you to watch analogue. Some boosters are analogue only, so check you buy a digital one to ensure you get the best reception possible.

hellarda · 29 Jul 2010 at 22:09

because where i live i get pretty much no digital signal for itv1 bbc 1 or 2 or ch4......

ok good thanks.

Bint Box · 29 Jul 2010 at 22:58

Hi,

Have you considered a satellite tuner card for your PC? Obviously, you need a dish and cable to link to the PC but it will provide a solution when analogue terrestrial is switched off.

You would have a wider range of programming and if you get an HD satellite card you will get all the non subscription HD stuff.

Just a suggestion.

Rgds
Binty

hellarda · 4 Aug 2010 at 00:02

cheers yeh will try this if i can convince the rents to get a dish

honosuseri · 4 Aug 2010 at 12:09

If you want to go with a sat dish you might as well go through SKY and get the internet and TV all in one. You can run an extra cable from the sat's LNB to your PC if you have a SAT tvcard then opt for an extra sky card.

If you cancel your sky subscription after a year you still keep the dish and decoder, makes sense rather than paying out for a free2view sat dish in one hit.

I'd just go with a freeview tvcard (hybrid if necessary) but it's your call

OCChew · 4 Aug 2010 at 19:56

My Compro VideoMate Vista T220 keep locking up when I tried to change TV channel.

I am not sure what the problem is since I have the latest driver.

I am using Win7x64, RAM 4gb & CPU i5.

oh ... I am not sure if it is the one that is causing my Black Screen of Death.