digital tv tuner (1 Viewer)

[pigs_can_fly]

i wanna get a tv tuner card for my pc (digital preferably, but i guess normal is ok...) but i have no idea how much they are, which ones are good, what i should look for, how to install etc etc
can anyone gimme any help?
thnx

 

[Winston]

It's about 70 - 100 they can cost more, but if you just wanna watch TV on your comp a plain one will do.

 

[pigs_can_fly]

wot else can the more expensive ones do? and wots the difference between a normal one and a digital one? is it just that the latter receives digital tv?

 

[redslert]

normal TV tuners costs around 80-90 and nothing more, if you pay more you are getting ripped off

digital TV tuners are newer and costs from 170-220, i have seen one that costs 150 but i'm not sure on the quality of it compared to the others, where the $170+ cards are really good
software drivers for Digital TV tuners are the biggest issue people are having at the moment with compatibility and all, so i would be looking at the more expensive ones with good developed drivers, which is another reason which i don't recomend the $150 even if you save $20 because it might end up being a dud and not work on your system

yes the Digital TV tuners can get both standard definition and high definition TV with the wide screen resolution, where as the old type tuners (under $90) cannot

 

[velox]

get a hdtv one. There are good ones for like 150 at msy

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

visionDtv hardware is good
software is pretti average..

well hope that helps

 

[pigs_can_fly]

thnx guys
i just wanna clear up a few things
can all digital tv tuner's receive SD and HD tv? and will my lcd monitor let me watch HD tv?
also, if i get a digital tuner, will i have to connect it to an internal or external antenna?

thnx alot!

 

[monaro-man]

google around for a "fusion digital HDTV". They go for about $190-200 retail and are quite good, if you can trust reviews from the SMH.

 

[velox]

Pigs, u should be able to use either antenna if they are relatively new. I.e. not 20 years old. I dont believe all digital tuners can receive both SD and HDTV. Yes your LCD monitor should be able to view HDTV. I think HDTV is like 1920 x 1080 ? Actually i think it will depend if your monitor supports this resolution. Might be an idea to ask the ppl at the shop before commiting to your purchase.

 

[redslert]

a tv tuner on computer will work in any resolution as long as it fits on your screen
it is exactly the same as playing a video file, you can adjust the size of it by changing screen size, or make it full screen
you can have 16:9 ratio on a 4:3 monitor, just have black bar on top/bottom of the screen

antenna wise, it depends on your area and what kind of receptions you have
it will work on both internal and external, theorically it will even work on a pair of rabbit ears (old fashion)
but being digital, it is either you have it or you don't
so if you have absolutely crap reception at the moment, by crap i mean like black and white, ultra fuzzy etc, you are not going to have much luck!
but if you have a descend connection with just shadows here and there, some snow, it will be fine and you will get a perfect image

i would say that all the Digital Tuners on the market right now will be both SD and HD
yes it will work on your LCD i use it on my 15" and it is fine, but i only use old fashion TV, haven't got digital tuner yet, i don't think there's a good enough reason for me to upgrade yet

 

[jayz]

continuing on that issue, is it therefore better to buy a lcd tv or a lcd screen with a external tv card, in terms of price and quality? thx

 

[sunny]

continuing on that issue, is it therefore better to buy a lcd tv or a lcd screen with a external tv card, in terms of price and quality? thx

LCD screens are a fraction of the cost of a LCD/Plasma TV.

 

[velox]

Yes, and they have better Res and more uses. I.e. pc

 

[redslert]

no, you have been brainwashed by the crappy advertising

a LCD screen is a LCD screen....generally i have found that the LCD (TV) ie with the TV Tuner attached has a crappier quality than LCD screens for general computer use
the reason they can get away with this is because you sit heaps closer in front of the 15-17" computer LCD when compared to larger size variants...

it does NOT have a better resolution because resolutions on LCDs are set and cannot be changed, it's just he screen size that changes

the LCD TV are just normal computer LCDs with speakers and a TV Tuner wacked onto the back....and then they slap a price tag twice the normal price because well people think they are better...

 

[jayz]

but if lcd tvs are so crap, y r ppl forking out big dollars to get one? y not buy a tv carded lcd monitor?

i totally understand your arguments, it's just i can't see how two alike products would have such a large price difference?

and 1 more question wif plasma...is it just a replacement for large lcd screens, bcoz lcds cost more to produce, or is it a downgrade replacement for lcds?

thx

 

[redslert]

i think your have mis-interrupted by reply jayz

a LCD TV is a LCD monitor with a TV Card attached

the large price difference i don't know why either, it's mainly because there is a market for it and companies can get away with putting higher prices for things which are new and fresh, people thinking it's better so they are willing to pay
current there are not that many companies that actually make the LCD films...most companies are buying the innards of the LCD from OEM makers and then slapping a brand name on the front
maybe this can explain the price difference because the OEM makers are limited and they can control the prices for their limited supply of film/panel LCD screen

plasma is NOT a replacement for large LCD screen, this would be other way around. Plasma screens has been around for a lot longer than LCD (i'm talking about the larger sizes 40")
LCD screens costs LESS to produced when compared to Plasmas
so a Plasma screen is an upgrade to LCDs

Plasmas are brighter, higher contrast, more responsive and clearer when compared to LCDs

 

[jayz]

kewl, pt taken

again on the same topic, i am currently after an external usb hdtv tuner for a notebook, apart from nebula digitv usb

http://www.hyperreality.com.au/hype...category=pc_digital_tv_tuners&item=DigiTV_USB

card, which is claimed by pc world in its sept issue as the best in the market, even though it's priced at near the 300 mark, are there any other good products on sale atm?