OT: Need HDTV tuner advice..

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/23/2006, 8:19 PM

ok.. i'm kinda biting the bullet here. I want a TV tuner since the antenna in on my VCR has gone kaput & I'm NOT going to buy another darn VHS player that's only use for watching TV & the sporadic Veggietales video by my son.

So.. I'm thinking of an HDTV tuner. Thing is, I don't have an HDTV, just analog SD stuff. I don't want a new TV (so don't say "get a HDTV! I'm not going to. I got a car this year. :) ), I'm very happy with what I have now (actuatly, it's not even a TV. It's a NEC C25-900a 24" color monitor). I'm looking at this HDTV reciever here at Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104191&cp=2032057.2032180&parentPage=family

it's in my budget (sub $100) & seems to get good reviews. Anyone else have suggestions?

Comments

richard-courtney wrote on 2/23/2006, 9:36 PM

Can't say my unit was not sub $100.

Since you are not going 16.9 test how it converts to 4:3.
Do you have cable or roof antenna? Outdoor roof antenna is
a MUST. A rock steady mast / mount is critical. Small movements
from wind or heavy birds can cause tiling and loss of the channel.

I have a professional Blonder-Tongue wideband UHF for most of my
channels with a "cut channel" tuned antenna combined for one
station coming in at a different direction.

A resource such as antennaweb.org can tell what stations are
broadcasting and the compass direction to point to. You may
want a professional install it on your roof.

Wallmert was selling a unit that in some cities your can pick up
some basic cable channels 6 or 10 popular such as CNN, Disney,
etc for less than $20/month.

p@mast3rs wrote on 2/24/2006, 6:56 AM

If you are looking for an HDTV tuner card for your PC, I recommend Fusion5 Gold from Dvico. I have seen it for as low as $100 (paid $150 for mine.) I also have ATI HDTV Wonder card which isnt the best and is a total resource hog but puts out an ok picture (plus it comes with an antenna Fusion5 doesnt.)

Dvico is awesoem about making sure their cards have updated drivers.

www.dvico.com

edit: Dvico not too long ago released a Fusion5 USB version too. Awesome for viewing on laptops and its portable providing you have a place to hang your antenna.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/24/2006, 7:13 AM

don't want a PC tuner. The PC's are in seperate rooms from the TV. I could put together a new PCfor that but then I'd end up buying more parts & get ~$300-400 total. I'd rather buy a new TV for that much. :)

p@mast3rs wrote on 2/24/2006, 8:40 AM

Do you have a HDTV now? I fnot, then how would getting a HDTV tuner/receiver ven help your situation? Does the tuner from Radio Shack do SD as well?

JJKizak wrote on 2/24/2006, 9:01 AM

He is using the tuner in the VCR. For $100.00 it's a lost cause. Wait until you get the money then purchase a new VCR or an HDTV or a standard tv.

JJK

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/24/2006, 8:12 PM

that's what I'm trying to avoid unfortunitly. I don't need a TV, don't want other VCR that half works & don't have the money for the HDTV I'll legally need in a few years. :(

Steve Mann wrote on 2/24/2006, 10:39 PM

You can always build your own PVR (www.byopvr.com). I did and it's better than TIVO and better than my Satellite PVR.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/25/2006, 7:11 AM

you know, I'd buy a PC tuner for that. That's not a bad idea... I already have a spare MB, CPU, memory, HD, even have a PC remote. I just need a vid card, tuner & case. I'll look in to doing that. Great idea & thanks for the link.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/25/2006, 9:08 PM

thanks for the HDTV PC tuner recomendation pmasters. The HDTV 5 does Analog & digita/HDTV, so I ordered that because I am making my own DVR like n19093 suggested. I've got most of hte stuff, just needed a HDTV/analog tuner (wanted both) & a video card. I just got an ATI 9250 card. It supports the DxVA the tuner requires & it was on sale. Also ordered a HD cooler to help keep the HD in the new machine cool (since it will run almost all the time).

Thanks for the links & idea. I think this will be better then a seperate HDTV tuner & eventuatly I could ditch the VCR! :)

Steve Mann wrote on 2/27/2006, 10:28 PM

I bought my tuner and PVR software from Snapstream, but there are other solutions out there. I haven't sprung for an HD tuner yet (about $100 through Snapstream) but I will be putting three tuners into mine by the time I am finished building it.

Steve Mann

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/28/2006, 5:17 AM

I'm using the free PVR software at first (www.gbpvr.com/)

It looks pretty cabable. I can also add menu items so I canset it up to load a webbrowser, play games, run winamp, etc... all from the software. After I make the initital investment this year I'l upgrade in following years (like when I get an HDTV I'll need HD outputs from the video card. Right now analog is fine for me)

I would of gotten the hodgepodg 250 card but it doesn't have the remote & it's analog only. I wanted HD too (ironicly, there's more HD channels available in my area then SD because of the simulcasting). But the Fusion doesn't do video out.

p@mast3rs wrote on 2/28/2006, 7:37 AM

whats the website that lists all of the HD channels for different areas. I thought it was something like antenna.org but I think Im wrong. Anyone know?

edit: duh Im a moron. antennaweb.org was listed above in an earlier post.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/28/2006, 9:37 AM

they're out of date. This one's more accurate:
http://www.nab.org/newsroom/issues/digitaltv/dtvstations.asp

Stations are organized by market ratting. Buffalo went up since last time I checked I think. :)

TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/12/2006, 5:02 AM

Well, I got my DVR 98% working!

I just have to install media player 9 so that my DVT software works but I get all the analog stations I got on my VCR, minus FOX for some reason, & I get 4 of them in HDTV and an all weath channel for a local station! :)

ArthurDent wrote on 3/14/2006, 3:42 PM

I bought a DTV/HD tuner at RadioShack last fall for $90

now they have one for $70

it has composite, S-video, component, spdif and HDMI outputs

I use it w my analog TV, but the picture is great!

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104191&cp=2032057&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032057&categoryId=2032057&kwCatId=2032057&kw=hdtv+tuner&parentPage=search