Tuner Explanation Help

[hollow5555]

Hey guys, bit of a dumb question but I was hoping someone could help clear this up for me. If I posted this in the wrong spot please let me know and sorry in advance.

Can someone please explain to me the differences between analog tuners, digital tuners, and dvb-t? I know the basics, but what I don't understand is how to tell which I can use?

For example, I have digital cable, but my gbpvr box currently uses a PVR150, which is an analog tuner/capture card. Since my tv is a regular old tube tv and the line coming out of my cable box is a regular old coax cable, does that mean I can ONLY use an analog tuner?

Here's why I ask: I currently have a 2.8ghz gbpvr box with a PVR150 (1gig of ram, 500gb drive, etc) hooked up to my bedroom tv and that works great. I added a MediaMVP in the family room for the rest of the family but the picture is so dark that on some shows it's close to unwatchable. I'm considering trying to turn a low power thin client (one of those via motherboards) into a gbpvr box for the family room. It's a 1ghz machine with 512mb ram. It's got a single PCI slot and room to add a 2.5 inch laptop drive. I've been told this is most likely enough to do simple recording and then playback,which is all I really want to do with it. The only concern I have (and other people felt the same when I posted this here a few weeks back), was that the via video chipset was not powerful enough to do the overlays and such. With only 1 PCI slot I figured I can either put a PVR150 or a better video card. If I go with a USB (or PCMCIA?) tuner/capture card I can use the PCMCIA slot for a video card strong enough to do the graphics work and take the load off the 1ghz CPU. The problem is finding a USB tuner that is small, compatible with GBPVR, and will work with my cable setup. Everything is listed now as digital so I'm confused as to what I can/can't use. I know I don't have HD, so that's not a concern, but will a digital and/or HD USB capture device be able to handle the signal my cable box is putting out?

I'd really like to use a usb device that I don't need a second power plug for, which is why the stick (or PCMCIA if any of those are compatible) are so tempting.

Can someone please help explain this to me and maybe suggest a capture device?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the idiot-type question

[gazoo]

I have no idea about that motherboard for the video. however, you could, as you said, try it and if it doesn't work buy a cheap video card with some horsepower and see if that works. If you bought a USB HDTV ATSC/QAM capture device you could capture high def in the US either off the air with HDTV or over cable for QAM. However, your system may not be able to play it. The server probably will. SD is not too bad on most systems, but you have to be really careful with HD.

Also, I'm assuming that you are in the US, but if not you might want to update your profile to indicate where you're from.

[hollow5555]

I have no idea about that motherboard for the video. however, you could, as you said, try it and if it doesn't work buy a cheap video card with some horsepower and see if that works. If you bought a USB HDTV ATSC/QAM capture device you could capture high def in the US either off the air with HDTV or over cable for QAM. However, your system may not be able to play it. The server probably will. SD is not too bad on most systems, but you have to be really careful with HD.

Also, I'm assuming that you are in the US, but if not you might want to update your profile to indicate where you're from.

Oops, thanks for the heads up. Yep, I'm in the US (Philadelphia, PA). I don't quite understand what you're saying. I don't have an HD feed. I have digital cable feeding a plain old tube TV. My current GBPVR box has a PVR150, so I assume the signal out of my cable box and into my tv/pvr is analog. Does that mean I can ONLY use analog tuners?

On a more general note, are there any all in one cards (Video AND Tuner/Capture) that gbpvr supports? I see the PVR350 has a tv out port. Could I use that as the "video card" for viewing the PVR on my tv? If so, that may be the best option (video card and capture card on single board!).

Thanks

[whurlston]

If you remove the STB from the equation (by plugging the cable feed from the wall directly to the tuner) you will get analog and any unencrypted digital (clear QAM) channels that your cable provider is broadcasting. The PVR150 will only tune the analog.

If you run from the STB to your tuner, you will be able to record all channels because the STB will unencrypt them before sending them. The downside is that you will need to configure a blaster to change channels on your STB. Aslo, everything will be recorded in standard definition unless you use the Hauppauge HD-PVR.

With the PVR150, you can configure it with both of these scenarios simultaneously using the S-Video input for the STB.

[martint123]

There are also some tweaks that can be done to the PVR150 with software to brighten recordings up for the MVP. (but I've lost the details at the mo).

[hollow5555]

There are also some tweaks that can be done to the PVR150 with software to brighten recordings up for the MVP. (but I've lost the details at the mo).

Yeah, I saw that but the recordings aren't just for the MVP. They're mostly used by me on my TV in my bedroom, but I added the MVP so the rest of the family can use the PVR to record stuff too, so if it makes it bright enough for the MVP it will then mostly likely be too bright for my tv, so that's out.

Thanks for the help everyone, and I think I found the answer (I MUST use an analog capture device, it appears). Since the machine I was planning to use only has room for ONE pci device, and I need a better video card AND an analog, I think this is a lost cause... I'll probably just stick with the MVP.

[cgsample]

Please explain what you mean by this statement. I too am looking for an answer.

I think I found the answer (I MUST use an analog capture device, it appears). Since the machine I was planning to use only has room for ONE pci device, and I need a better video card AND an analog

[hollow5555]

Please explain what you mean by this statement. I too am looking for an answer.

I think I found the answer (I MUST use an analog capture device, it appears). Since the machine I was planning to use only has room for ONE pci device, and I need a better video card AND an analog

I meant that after reading everything that was posted I believe the basic idea is that if you have a cable box feeding a television via standard coax that it's most likely an analog signal, so you need an analog tuner. Digital tuners won't work for that situation.

So basically, I can't do what i wanted to do because there isn't really a decent USB tuner that is both analog and powered by the usb port (i.e. doesn't need a wall socket just for the tuner).

[garymeds]

There are also some tweaks that can be done to the PVR150 with software to brighten recordings up for the MVP. (but I've lost the details at the mo).

maybe this tool?