O.T. PCI Tuner card requirements

Former user wrote on 12/9/2009, 8:31 AM

This is totally OT but I hope someone can offer some help.

I have been wanting a TV tuner card with onboard MPEG hardware encoding. I found an older one real cheap, but under the requirements it says Windows Media Center 2005. (shows how old it is). Does anyone know if you have to have Windows Media Center for these type of cards to work or can it work with other DVR software and Windows XP. I guess in other words, were some tuner cards tieds to Windows Media Center?

Thanks for any help
Dave T2

Comments

JJKizak wrote on 12/9/2009, 9:11 AM

Don't know about Windows Media Center but I use the MY-HD 120 card with DVI daughter card for 5.1 sound. It also has an IRC remote control which can be hooked to your serial input on the computer (mine is 50 ft long as the analog cable feeding the TV) It will only encode 720P (or 1080i) however with files ending in TP which can be changed to mpg to play in Vegas. You can record as much as your hard drive can hold. ( about 8.1 gig per hour) The recordings are as perfect as the tv.There is a Fusion 7 card also available that I just gave to my cousin.
JJK

Tinle wrote on 12/9/2009, 9:36 AM

Here's what Wikipedia has to say re: Windows Media Center & hardware:

"Hardware requirements

The Software Version screen showing MCE running on an Intel Core 2 Duo computer.Media Center has higher hardware requirements than other editions of Windows XP. MCE 2005 requires at least a 1.6 GHz processor, DirectX 9.0 hardware-accelerated GPU (ATI Radeon 9 series or nVidia GeForce FX Series or higher), and 256 MB of system RAM. Some functionality, such as Media Center Extender support, use of multiple tuners, or HDTV playback/recording carries higher system requirements.

Media Center is much more restricted in the range of hardware that it supports than most other software DVR solutions. Media Center tuners must have a standardized driver interface, and they must have hardware MPEG-2 encoders, closed caption support, and a number of other features. Media Center remote controls are standardized in terms of button labels and functionality, and, to a degree, general layout.

In June 2007, the Media Center Components Database was set up as a resource for Media Center self builders to pool knowledge of which components play well with each other."

Media Center Components Database is found at:

http://mce-components.com/

"The All New MCE-Components Site
Written by Paul
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
The long overdue MCE-Components.com site is now ready. We've been working hard to try and make the new site the most useful resource for Media Center enthusiasts and beginners alike. So whether you're a seasoned vet of MCE self-builds or you're just exploring the options we're sure you'll get something out of it.

Of course we still have the hugely popular Media Center Hardware Database with over 450 systems added. Login or Register using the box to the left to add your system today! "

LReavis wrote on 12/9/2009, 1:12 PM

I was surprised to read above that Media Center is more restrictive than other software in regards to hardware that it supports. Maybe it requires a superior CPU/GPU/memory set, but I read recently that it supports more types of tuner hardware than almost any of the other software packages.

I recently upgraded to Win7 64 bit and my Total Media software that I had used in XP with my USB tuner crashed almost immediately - even after downloading the latest version. Running in WinXP compatibility mode didn't help.

Then I read that MC supports most turner hardware, and that MC was included in the Win7 Professional and Ultimate flavors, and - sure enough - I found it in my Win 7 Professional installation and it worked.

I'm using it on a Q6600 with a $40 nVidia (ASUS) 9600GSO, so I don't have such a hot rig, but it's far better than the old XP on the same hardware with Media Center. It pauses, does time shift (and is much easier to set up for recording a future show than Total Media), records analog or HDTV 1080i to hard disk (MPEG2) with no dropped frames, never crashes. I'm totally pleased. If you can get MC, I recommend that you do so. You can still upgrade to Win 7 Pro for just a little more than cost of inferior software such as Total Media.

Incidentally, I only paid about $45 for my no-name Hong Kong USB tuner on ebay a couple of years ago. I see ebay has one that might be equivalent (except that it has a remote control, which mine doesn't) for less than $11 - including shipping!

Former user wrote on 12/9/2009, 6:54 PM

larry,

Can you give me a link to the USB tuner that you use or a similar one?

I can't decide whether to go internal or external but if you have one you like, that may help.

Dave T2

Former user wrote on 12/9/2009, 8:27 PM

Is anyone familiar with the Emuzed Angel USB Capture (also know as Dell Angel)?

If so, it seems like it will run on any computer, but I can't find anything that specifically says that. It is sold with Dell computers but can be found on Ebay. Also has good reviews as far as quality.

Dave T2

LReavis wrote on 12/9/2009, 11:08 PM

Dave -

The one I looked at apparently has expired, but this one looks interesting (albeit not at all like the one I bought) if you are planning on using it with a 32-bit system. It is analog NTSC and digital ATSC - for the U.S. and a few other locals. You might want to read the reviews - I haven't taken the time to do so. In any case, not much lost for a total cost of only $6.23. It's found at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Digital-HD-ATSC-NTSC-TV-Tuner-Stick-Video-Recorder_W0QQitemZ280434464742QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414b3257e6

amendegw wrote on 12/10/2009, 5:01 AM

fwiw... Today's Woot, 12-10-2009 www.woot.com has an ATI TV Wonder HDTV Tuner 650 PCI for $19.99. It doesn't look particularly high-end, but it's cheap.

...Jerry

Former user wrote on 12/10/2009, 5:47 AM

Larry,

I just ordered the Dell Angel from Ebay. I contacted Lumanate who manufactures it and they said it can be used on any PC as long as the USB can power it. Apparently there are several software options as well, free and paid.

Thanks for your advice and help.

Dave T2

Former user wrote on 12/10/2009, 5:48 AM

Jerry,

Thanks, I should have read your reply first, but I just ordered the Dell Angel USB. I decided on this because I can switch it easily between my two computers.

Thanks,

Dave T2