PVR Card Recommendation....

sm100378

sm100378

New Member
Hi,

I am thinking about getting a PVR video card. I already have a video card, but want the PVR capability. I see Newegg sells a few at 150g and 300g.

Does anyone have one and does it work okay? Most of the reviews for the cards on newegg dont even have four stars, and the average highest rating is less than 70%. I was curious if there is an "all around problem" with them?

Brands? Size? Best bang for buck?


Thank you.
 
AVerMedia's ULTRA TV is here on a model PCI350 that has worked well for a few years since the model came out. It simply drops right into an open slot and you connect your input source directly to it. This will not only use vcr software but also includes video capture and dvd burning software.

Video cards with a PVR usually run a bit higher then meny even new models out. An alternative to see performance as well as a lower overall cost for the use of an added pci or usb device can be reviewed at http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,101780,00.asp
 
If you want a TRUE PVR, you need a card with onboard compression. Some of the best I've seen for the best price are the WinTV PVRs. I have a WinTV PVR 150 and it's been great. I've captured stuff and burnt it right to a DVD with practically zero quality loss(I know I couldn't see any! Same goes when using SageTV and rewinding live TV...

One BIG thing to look out for is that most capture cards advertise "REALTIME" MPEG1 MEPG2 and MEPG4 encodeing. This is total crap as it's all software based. In other words, your computer does all the work, and even with a monster computer, they can't keep up with decent frame rates while capturing...
 
When you say you have the WINTV PVR 150, are you talking about:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815116625
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815116620


Also, in regards to overall reliability, quality, etc, is a USB or a PCI the best route to go, and why?


THX.






The_Other_One said:
If you want a TRUE PVR, you need a card with onboard compression. Some of the best I've seen for the best price are the WinTV PVRs. I have a WinTV PVR 150 and it's been great. I've captured stuff and burnt it right to a DVD with practically zero quality loss(I know I couldn't see any! Same goes when using SageTV and rewinding live TV...

One BIG thing to look out for is that most capture cards advertise "REALTIME" MPEG1 MEPG2 and MEPG4 encodeing. This is total crap as it's all software based. In other words, your computer does all the work, and even with a monster computer, they can't keep up with decent frame rates while capturing...
Click to expand...
 
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I personally have the MCE edition. I beleive the two cards are basically identical, just the first one doesn't have the RCA connections on the back(you'd need a converter) and it also doesn't seem to have a FM radio. That 2nd one is a DARN good deal, too! Though it seems you don't get a remote...if you even wanted one...
 
The_Other_One said:
If you want a TRUE PVR, you need a card with onboard compression. Some of the best I've seen for the best price are the WinTV PVRs. I have a WinTV PVR 150 and it's been great. I've captured stuff and burnt it right to a DVD with practically zero quality loss(I know I couldn't see any! Same goes when using SageTV and rewinding live TV...

One BIG thing to look out for is that most capture cards advertise "REALTIME" MPEG1 MEPG2 and MEPG4 encodeing. This is total crap as it's all software based. In other words, your computer does all the work, and even with a monster computer, they can't keep up with decent frame rates while capturing...
Click to expand...
So it isn't really possible to watch, high quality, live tv? You just have to save whatever you want, and watch it later?
 
What? No! Of course you can watch live TV, you even see it while capturing. Just the computer can't keep up with a decent compression rate/resolution unless it has the assistance of an onboard compressor.
 
That will depend on the system resources as well as the capture device there. I can watch what is on cable just by simply opening the Ultra TV to full screen with a double click. The capture on this PCI series however is limited to a smaller window like having a 4 1/2" viewable added into your monitor. The two things though are hardware and input source. You can have the best hardware but get crap due to a lousey input source. Make sure all of the connections are good and shielded to see the best results.
 
PC eye said:
The capture on this PCI series however is limited to a smaller window like having a 4 1/2" viewable added into your monitor.
Click to expand...

What the hell are you talking about. Video overlay is video overlay. Unless you're using some anchient machine, you can stretch it whatever size you want. If you're refering to the WinTV PVR, here's a screenshot of it running full screen with SageTV's guide overtop it(it was an example for my boss a while back)

Neato.jpg
 
What I was referring to was a PCI capture device where live tv can be watched when cable is connected to the 75ohm input. The NEODVD 4.0 when used to capture video looks like this. On the ULTRA TV by AVerMedia you would see this provided printscreen works as good with Screen Hunter.
Well it didn't show what was actually onscreen while capturing the entire desktop. Remember this was done with a live screen going where the capture process only gets the desktop itself. So that was removed after seeing just a large black square instead of even a slight outline of a desktop.
 
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Again, video overylay is video overlay. It seems you have some pretty crappy software, and the card isn't too swift either. Quality looks fairly low, and if you have to use the sound card, that's not a "true" PVR. I know the WinTV-PVR 150(at least the MCE as I have) has no connection to the sound card. All audio is done though the card.
 
Don't forget this is an older 98/2K orientated type of PCI capture card. The model just before this one didn't even offer the Ultra tv that goes out full screen on a double click and has a vcr program for capturing mpeg II files from whatever station it is set for on a timer.

The patch for the picture seen there does lack quite a bit due to being a splice inline with the regular tv to see if a capture of the desktop could catch that as well. It does patch into the sound card with a jumper to the line in.

The software for those two cards was written inbetween 2001-02 roughly there. The card in now has been in for about three years now even though it's currently outdated by a long shot. Hopefully this one will last until the next build where some newer hardwares will be looked over. Yet I may still go for one of the newer modeld at AVerMedia. The software has never been the problem as you can see here the incoming picture was raspy.

With a strong signal you get some excellent results at times even with this old card. It certainly has plenty of milage on it. The full screen capture is one I am ready to go back and edit out due to the lack of any utility to show you what it even looks like unless it is reduced to a window like the ones here.
 
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