Is this any good: AVerTV Hybrid TV Speed PCI-e TV

[time_lord]

Hi, I'm new to GBPVR and am about to build a new HTPC (or at least new PC with a DVB-T card).

I saw a review of the AVerTV Hybrid TV Speed PCI-e TV card (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=7804) and was impressed by the CPU dropping from 85% to 15% once running GBPVR - cool!

Has anyone got any experience with the above card, and any issues? One possible problem - I want a card capable of decoding 1080p and it looks like this only does 1080i. Are there any cards that do 1080p?
I'm in Wellington (New Zealand) and want to decode the Freeview DVB-T signal. If I understand correctly the highest res broadcast currently is 1080i, but I'm hoping that they'll go to 1080p eventually.
I'm also quite keen to have a hybrid card so that I can still get the analog stations that are not yet on (or will not be made available on) freeview. Failing that, can GBPVR also control my old analog TView99 (BT 848/878? chipset)? And alongside a DVB-T card?

Thanks in advance, Phil

[sub]

I saw a review of the AVerTV Hybrid TV Speed PCI-e TV card (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=7804) and was impressed by the CPU dropping from 85% to 15% once running GBPVR - cool!

The CPU drop they were referring to was related to using the Cyberlink decoder with an H.264 capable video card (nvidia 8500). This CPU drop was not related to this AverTV card.

If you want a capture card that is also capable of analog, then this card isnt a good choice. It lacks the required hardware MPEG2 encoder so isnt usable for analog in GB-PVR. A better choice would be a card like the Hauppauge HVR2200.

[stustunz]

decoding video refers to playback of the recording not saving
so you need a video card when you are talking about been able to handle 1080i decoding etc
ie nvidia 8500 or above or a ati 2600 and above (2400 would work aswell but they are crap)

[gfkBill]

Forget 1080p - I'd be very surprised if you find a card that does it, and it will be many years before you see it broadcast. Films broadcast at 1080i can be pulled down to 1080p anyway.

[time_lord]

The CPU drop they were referring to was related to using the Cyberlink decoder with an H.264 capable video card (nvidia 8500). This CPU drop was not related to this AverTV card.

Ok, thanks Sub, see what you mean... thanks for the tip on the other card.

This is probably a question you get all the time (sorry in advance!) - if money were no object and I were giving Ascent a blank cheque, what would be your recommendation for capture & video cards? An HVR2200 (because it has dual tuners and can get analog?) and an Nvidia 8500?

Thanks, Phil

[time_lord]

decoding video refers to playback of the recording not saving so you need a video card when you are talking about been able to handle 1080i decoding etc

Ok, so you are saying the capture card isn't that important because it's actually the video card that does all the work during playback. (Makes sense that the saved data is the encoded and/or compressed stream.) So as long as the capture card can handle receiving the H.264 (or MPEG2) stream, I'll be right?
Does the capture card actually pre-process the H.264 stream in some way before it is saved (or decoded if watching in real-time), in which case some capture cards will be better at this than others?

Thanks, Phil

[time_lord]

Actually, looking (via Ascents website) at the 'AVerMedia AverTV Hybrid Speedy' it says "max size 1920x1080", but if it is simply capturing the data, is this actually relevant? (The HVR2200 makes no similar claim re. 'max size'.)
So is the "max size 1920x1080" of any relevance or is that just marketing bs?

[stustunz]

it depends on the broadcaster when it comes to digital as to what you get if they send you h264 then thats what you save
analog is encoded by the card hence the reason sub said get the hvr2200 it has 2xdvb-t and 2xanalog with encoding and they are cheap (if you can find one)

stick with hauppauge cards
buy a card for what been broadcast today by the time we have 1080p in NZ you will need a new pc anyway
even the HD stuff they are broadcasting now is just upscaled SD half the time anyway so its a waste of time
if its not recorded in HD from the beginning then there is no real advantage

[time_lord]

stick with hauppauge cards
buy a card for what been broadcast today by the time we have 1080p in NZ you will need a new pc anyway

Ok, thanks for the tips. Was just trying to future-proof myself a bit... I used to get a buzz building a new, well-spec'd PC every 2-3 years, but the novelty has worn off... now I just find it a hassle and a general drag. I'd like to build an HTPC that'll have more distance than that.
Cheers

[time_lord]

Oh - was just about to order the HVR2200 (dual tuners - good)... but it doesn't have a remote - bad!