Are all tv tuners the same? Please recommend a good capture card to capture

[yellow360f]

channels from my cox cable without the set top box. i like to record one channel while watching another using my popcorn nmt as the player and my pc as the source for storage.

Thanks a bunch

[sub]

A popular dual tuner card card is the Hauppauge HVR-2250, and would suit your needs.

[pduncan67]

I have a Hauppauge HVR-1600 - it comes w/ a remote. The card and remote are supported by GB-PVR. I am relatively new here also - but apparently most of the Hauppauge cards that you can buy will work.

[SLR_65]

I've not been overly happy with my hvr-1600. I finally got it working and just the other day it quit. If I unhook the cable input and plug it back in I will have signal, if I change channels it loses signal until I pull the antenna again. Hauppauge's support is very slow - I've been working with them over a week to get my card back working, emails take usually two days to get answered.

The basic problem is that they are very picky about their input signal, signals that work fine with other cards, qam tuner equipped tvs, etc. many times aren't good enough for the 1600.

From what I've read, the 1800 that uses a pci-e slot works better and is not so picky on it's signal.

All in all I don't recommend the 1600, though I don't have a specific recommendation beyond maybe trying the 1800 (which I think I'm going to do soon).

TTYL,

Steve

[mvallevand]

I think the question is sort of like "What is the best American car?" I think that there will be a lot of different experience based on specific example. My HVR 1600 is running fine now, I had a weak signal originally but my digital STB couldn't handle it either.

You do have to clarify if you need two digital or two analog channels. If you aren't sure what digital is available locally enter your zip code here http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels it is a great reference site. The HVR 2250 makes sense if you can get it from a store with a liberal exchange policy.

Martin

[yellow360f]

Why is everything these days complicated? I mentioned cox network, do they have analog signal or digital in orange county?
I put in the zipcode and i get this. Does that mean i need 2 digital and if so, will hvr2250 work. Who makes analog signal these days?
Digital Antenna: 61 programs for Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656
Digital Cable: 102 programs for Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656

[mvallevand]

You probably are just being overwhelmed with information and trying to learn GB-PVR select a card and install the PCH all at one is daunting. For PCH users I recommend doing the minimum amount of reading possible and start from the Dummies guide to do the install Then play around from the PCH a bit and search the forums on what card(s) to buy. Even if you already had purchased a card I'd say get this part done first.

You are incredibly fortunate you have the most free and legal digital stations available to you that I have ever seen and sub's original selection would be good as would the HD Homerun. You however will have another chunk of work to map all those stations to EPG (electronic program guide) data, but I'd wait until you have a card to tackle that step.

With that amount of choice you will could have an amazing PVR system.

Martin

[johnsonx42]

hehe, check out the 1st screen shot for 106-11....

anyhow, back to reality... yes, it is a bit complicated. as mvallevand said, you've got a great digital channel lineup. many are lucky to get local broadcast in digital, and you've got a lot more than that.

Some cable companies are dropping most analog signals; you may find you don't need analog at all. That opens up more choices of tuner cards. one the other hand, since you need to tune QAM instead of ATSC (ie, digital cable instead of digital antenna), that restricts your choices some again (QAM support is not completely standardized, and works on a subset of cards). It's hard to argue against the HVR-2250 though, regardless of whether you'll actually use the analog side; I often wish I'd just ponied up the extra cash for it in lieu of my HVR-1250 (which is not to say the HVR-1250 has been anything less than perfect so far).

One thing I found useful is to download and install GB-PVR on my regular PC, and then have a look at the BDA.INI file. It lists all the digital tuners with 'out-of-the-box' support. Those listed with (QAM) in the name support digital cable. Likewise, if you do need analog, you can look in the DIRECT.INI file.

[yellow360f]

Thanks for the info guys.

What i am not clear is that, someone here mentioned free and legal stations.

If i get an antenna, will I get all those channels for free? Meaning I can drop my cox cable?
If you guys are saying that I have a great deal of digital channels , were you talking about my cox cable?

I bought a HD antenna from amazon few months back, held it in the air in my balcony and moved it around while plugged in to my 19" LCD tv that i bought in 2003, and it was all snow. I got 1 channel with noise and snow. So i figured in my area (close to the beach) I can't get any reception. zipcode 92651, hence free over the air digital channels.

Are most of you guys running cable from cable company or using free HD channels from a HD antenna on your roof?

And johnson, you mentioned if I use the analog side of the card vs digital, can you explain if you are talking about my cox cable? are you saying that cox cable shows both analog and digital on the same coax?

[johnsonx42]

sorry, yes, I should have been more specific, my comments (and mvallevand's) were all in regards to your digital CABLE signal (the second group of channels shown on the silicondust website). Those are the channels being delivered by your cable company in an un-encrypted digital format (called ClearQAM). Most people do not get so many unencrypted channels.

If you get a good antenna, and point it in the right direction (generally towards LA, about 335 degrees or so), you'll receive most or all of the digital antenna signals listed in the top half of the silicondust list (the channels labeled '8VSB'). This is my setup, I do not have cable.