New user - advice wanted please

[sub]

I don't understand why some of the cards come with remotes and some don't. How are you expected to use the thing without a remote?

The MCE models dont come with a remote since a separate remote is included with these machines.

[reboot]

You can also purchase 3rd party remotes. I don't know if they work with the PVR-500's or not.
I used to do everything with a remote keyboard and mouse (mostly keyboard), until I added the 250 to my system...
Keyboard works (almost) as well as the remote anyhow, and I find (because I'm used to it) I still reach for the keyboard a lot, because the wifey has the remote

[ejeffers]

Your best bet would be to get a Pvr-500 and a retail Pvr-150 (the one with the remote) to fullfill you initial request of being to record two programs and watch another. Other than that, GB-PVR definetly has advantages over WMC (read: no drmed videos). And you Radeon 9800 should suffice for decent TV-out. For the best no HD tv-out, ive found that the PNY 6200 is the best.

[reckoning]

OK, what I think i'm going to do is buy the PVR-150/250 and get the remote control. With this I can at least set it up and play around with it, then later buy the PVR-500 to give me 3 tuners.

I've just checked the hauppauge site to decided which one to get (150 or 250) and it seems that neither of these cards allow output to the tv! Is this correct? It does specifically say that PVR-350 does allow output to the tv, so maybe I should go with that. I did notice on reboots signature that he has some 250's, so do you only watch on your computer?

Also can someone explain how it all connects up to the tv. It looks like I just need to plug the arial into the tv-card, but then how do I connect the tv-card back into the tv? Had a look at the back of my tv last night and it just has two scart sockets. Also how does it work if you have 2 or 3 tv cards. Do you need some kind of splitter from the arial cable to plug it into all of them. What about the output back to the tv?

I hope i'm not sounding to stupid here :confused: I just want it clear in my head how it all works.

Cheers, steve

[betlit]

It does specifically say that PVR-350 does allow output to the tv, so maybe I should go with that.

thats right. only the pvr-350 has a tv-out (a hardware mpeg-_de_coder). although this takes away a lot of stress from your cpu, it has some disadvantages. e.g. you can't play anything else but mpeg1/2-files through the tv out of a 350, because it's 'hardwired' to the hardware mpeg2-decoder.

if you do not have a pvr-350 or you want to use software decoding, you'll need a good graphic card with a tv-out.

Also can someone explain how it all connects up to the tv. It looks like I just need to plug the arial into the tv-card, but then how do I connect the tv-card back into the tv? Had a look at the back of my tv last night and it just has two scart sockets. Also how does it work if you have 2 or 3 tv cards. Do you need some kind of splitter from the arial cable to plug it into all of them. What about the output back to the tv?

i'm sure that your tv (if it is not an antique *g*) somewhere has a s-video in (a ps/2-like connector but only 4 pins). if not, you would have to use a graphic card with composite out (or the composite out of a pvr-350) and buy or build a composite-to-scart-adapter.

you have to plug in an arial cable to every tuner. therefore you need splitters.

[reckoning]

thats right. only the pvr-350 has a tv-out (a hardware mpeg-_de_coder). although this takes away a lot of stress from your cpu, it has some disadvantages. e.g. you can't play anything else but mpeg1/2-files through the tv out of a 350, because it's 'hardwired' to the hardware mpeg2-decoder.

Oh so I don't *have* to buy a 350 to view the tv/dvd's on the tv, I can just use the tv-out on my graphics card (I have a Radeon 9800 pro which I believe does have one) and buy a PVR 150.

if you do not have a pvr-350 or you want to use software decoding, you'll need a good graphic card with a tv-out.

Would you say a Radeon 9800 pro is good enough to do this?

i'm sure that your tv (if it is not an antique *g*) somewhere has a s-video in (a ps/2-like connector but only 4 pins). if not, you would have to use a graphic card with composite out (or the composite out of a pvr-350) and buy or build a composite-to-scart-adapter.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have this s-video connector (must be an antique). At the front it does have seperate audio-left, audio-right and video "jack" cables though. Maybe I can use those.

[stefan]

Oh so I don't *have* to buy a 350 to view the tv/dvd's on the tv, I can just use the tv-out on my graphics card (I have a Radeon 9800 pro which I believe does have one) and buy a PVR 150.

Exactly. The pvr-350 probably gives you a better quality picture than any graphics card, though. Plus the benefit of not having to use cpu cycles to view mpg. Downside is you can't view anything but mpg (no divx, avi, etc). You can't see the desktop either. However, you will be able to see gbpvr interface, since it's specially made for the pvr-350. Another downside is that the pvr-350's drivers are so-so, especially in combination with certain motherboards.

Would you say a Radeon 9800 pro is good enough to do this?

That depends on your demands I use the built in tv-out on the via epias motherboard, at first I thought it was unwatchable, but I got used to it. Plus I did some tweaking of the settings. But it can't compare to the tv-out of the 350, not even close. (But since my motherboard doesn't like the 350 - or vice versa - and I can't watch divx on it, I decided not to use the tv-out on it anymore).

[bluesxman]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have this s-video connector (must be an antique). At the front it does have seperate audio-left, audio-right and video "jack" cablesthough. Maybe I can use those.

You say earlier that your TV has scart sockets, you should be able to pick up an S-Video to Scart adapter pretty easily.

[reckoning]

In that case I now think i'm going to get the 350, at least if it doesn't work I can fall back on the tv-out on my graphics card.

One question though. What happens if you install another tv-card to have two tuners? I understand that both cards would need the arial plugging into them, but what about the output. Would I just need the one output from the 350?

[betlit]

At the front it does have seperate audio-left, audio-right and video "jack" cables though. Maybe I can use those.

jep. if the jack looks like this (http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/lifesty...eoJac.jpeg) it's a composite video in.

i'm not up to date with todays graphic gards. im still using an nvidia 9something (~2 years old) which has a tv out (and tv in) in both plug 'formats' s-video and composite.