I live in north america and am getting digital cable in a couple weeks. I will have a digital tuner box so I need to know which card I should get. There are a ton of them and I have no clue which to get. Can someone please help me? Right now im using a PVR-500 so if possible a dual tuner card. If not then somethign that is good.
DVB Card Help!! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter hermy65
- Start date
United States of America
Its not a DVB that you want
Hello Hermy65 -
I am new to this MP software, however, i have been designing my HTPC setup for a whole house install im working on. And i can tell you based on what i have found in my research, what you need is a "TV tuner card", which is completely different from a DVB-x(t,S, and i forgot the other) card.
A DVB-x card lets you take straight signal into your computer to be de-coded and whatever a reciever does to the raw signal within your software like MediaPortal and some others to produce the picture. A DVB cards turns your PC into a satellite reciever.
A TV turner card takes cable from your reciever and displays it on your computer so you can watch tv on your computer. Since you are buying a DishNetwork dual-turner reciever, you want a tuner card....because your reciever has already done the work.
I would go with any cheap TV tunercard that supports standard definition or if you are getting HD then get a HD card. You will be fine. I am not sure if a DVB card can tune as well without programing the software and finding the satelite channels and all that "out of the box".
A tv turner card can, out of the box. But, if you want a DVB card then you may as well just take the extra step and forget the reciever and get a DVB-s card and manage demodulation and PVR functions in the HTPC.
I am pretty sure i am right about this
, but, if im not, please feel free to correct me!
- Topdiggy2
Hello Hermy65 -
I am new to this MP software, however, i have been designing my HTPC setup for a whole house install im working on. And i can tell you based on what i have found in my research, what you need is a "TV tuner card", which is completely different from a DVB-x(t,S, and i forgot the other) card.
A DVB-x card lets you take straight signal into your computer to be de-coded and whatever a reciever does to the raw signal within your software like MediaPortal and some others to produce the picture. A DVB cards turns your PC into a satellite reciever.
A TV turner card takes cable from your reciever and displays it on your computer so you can watch tv on your computer. Since you are buying a DishNetwork dual-turner reciever, you want a tuner card....because your reciever has already done the work.
I would go with any cheap TV tunercard that supports standard definition or if you are getting HD then get a HD card. You will be fine. I am not sure if a DVB card can tune as well without programing the software and finding the satelite channels and all that "out of the box".
A tv turner card can, out of the box. But, if you want a DVB card then you may as well just take the extra step and forget the reciever and get a DVB-s card and manage demodulation and PVR functions in the HTPC.
I am pretty sure i am right about this
, but, if im not, please feel free to correct me! - Topdiggy2
If you're wanting to do HD with your cable box, you'd need a capture device that supports component inputs. The only one available right now is this one:
HD PVR Product overview
Like topdiggy2 said, though, a DVB-C (as in cable) card wouldn't work for your cable provider as that standard is only used over in Europe. If you are wanting to do HD and don't want to spend $250 on the HD-PVR, you might check with your cable company and see if they broadcast unencrypted channels using QAM. That would allow you to get something cheaper like a Hauppauge HVR-1600 and tune those HD channels + any other channels that aren't encrypted on your cable line.
If you're not interested in HD, then you could just stick with your PVR-500 since you'll most likely still have some channels unencrypted on your cable line and you'll have composite/s-video inputs for your cable box to hook up to.
HD PVR Product overview
Like topdiggy2 said, though, a DVB-C (as in cable) card wouldn't work for your cable provider as that standard is only used over in Europe. If you are wanting to do HD and don't want to spend $250 on the HD-PVR, you might check with your cable company and see if they broadcast unencrypted channels using QAM. That would allow you to get something cheaper like a Hauppauge HVR-1600 and tune those HD channels + any other channels that aren't encrypted on your cable line.
If you're not interested in HD, then you could just stick with your PVR-500 since you'll most likely still have some channels unencrypted on your cable line and you'll have composite/s-video inputs for your cable box to hook up to.