Does HDTV play back thru VGA and GBPVR?

[atamas]

I'm running a server with two Hauppauge PVR-150 tuners, GBPVR 96.12 (been meaning to upgrade). In my bedroom, I have a Pentium 3 networked PC also running a GBPVR client and I tweaked it to play the recordings off the server. This is all working fine. In fact, I just purchased a 42" LCD TV which is connected to the P3 PC thru VGA which works very well.

I am interested to purchase an HDTV tuner and was wondering if I could throw one into the server as a third tuner.

Questions:

1. What HDTV tuner(s) work best with GBPVR?

2. Can I record HDTV seemlessly with GBPVR while continuing to record the analog content? I remember somewhere in the forums that I can customize the tuner channels so that only the HDTV tuner has access to the HD channels.

3. Main Question - would I be able to play the HDTV recordings in the bedroom thru GBPVR and thru the VGA port? I am not sure if the P3 1Ghz PC is fast enough to process the HD signal but that is a test I can make. But if the PC can process the files, will I see the output in true HD on the 42" LCD TV?

Any pointers on this is greately appreciated.

Andrei

[sub]

1. What HDTV tuner(s) work best with GBPVR

This question has been asked a few times in the past, so a forum search should turn up some discussion. I dont have first hand experience with any ATSC devices, so wont give a recommendation.

2. Can I record HDTV seemlessly with GBPVR while continuing to record the analog content? I remember somewhere in the forums that I can customize the tuner channels so that only the HDTV tuner has access to the HD channels

yes.

3. Main Question - would I be able to play the HDTV recordings in the bedroom thru GBPVR and thru the VGA port? I am not sure if the P3 1Ghz PC is fast enough to process the HD signal but that is a test I can make. But if the PC can process the files, will I see the output in true HD on the 42" LCD TV?

Sorry, but that PC will not be powerful enough to do HDTV. You'd also require a suitably powerful video card. Assuming both of these were powerful enough, then yes, you can output HDTV through VGA.

[atamas]

Sub, thank you for the quick and accurate reply. I'm sorry I didn't think of searching for GBPVR supprted/recommended HDTV cards. I did search the main question and did not find an adequate answer. I thought about asking for recommended card when I wrote the question without thinking to search for it.

You are correct about the P3 1Ghz being too slow. I was able to eventually find and download a couple 3 min HDTV clips and confirmed it. Interestignly, my 1.7Ghz Pentium M Laptop (Latitude D610) played the clip perfectly. And it played it streamed thru the 100MB network (from the server). It's my work laptop and I have it running on 1GB RAM on 533FSB, 5400RPM HD.

So it seems it would be a $250 investment to get HDTV running. Possibly more, as I may have to add more hard disk space for the recordings. The cards appear to be between $60 and $100 and I would have to get a new client with a P4 processor for the bedroom.

I think I'm a little undecided right now. Just dropped a bundle on the 42" LCD TV. Live HDTV looks great over the air. I don't have too much free time to watch TV so I don't subscribe for HDTV from the cable company. Anyway, I'm just rambling now, I'll probably get the components to get me HDTV PVR in a few months when winter sets in (I'm in Chicago).

Thanks again.
Andrei