tv tuner card

[Swearwolf]

basically, i've got a high end system etc and was wondering, what tv tuner card thingy would I need to watch tv/record whatever via media centre? using windows 7, pref something on ebuyer :) was thinking this

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145064

but need something i can plug the standard analogue aerial into, could i watch freeview on too?

+rep thx

[GommeInc]

The reviews don't seem all that positive... Hauppauge are another TV tuner card company that you should steer clear of. Other than that, not sure what to suggest as I am in the same boat :)

[Jordy]

The reviews don't seem all that positive... Hauppauge are another TV tuner card company that you should steer clear of. Other than that, not sure what to suggest as I am in the same boat :)Hauppauge are the only company you should buy a TV Tuner from. Easily the most well known company in the TV Tuner business, people always have difficulties with them and compatibility hence the bad reviews but they're easily the most established TV Tuners.

Pretty much all TV Tuners work with Windows Media Centre (Although they usually come with their own software too), if it works with Windows Vista then there should be no problems with Windows 7 :)

[GommeInc]

Hauppauge are the only company you should buy a TV Tuner from. Easily the most well known company in the TV Tuner business, people always have difficulties with them and compatibility hence the bad reviews but they're easily the most established TV Tuners.

Pretty much all TV Tuners work with Windows Media Centre (Although they usually come with their own software too), if it works with Windows Vista then there should be no problems with Windows 7 :)
Mine didn't :( And Win TV in the past was a bit shady for me. The only TV cards I've seen to work are the ones you get preinstalled on some computers. Any added afterwards tend to die! But this was from PC World, which maybe the problem :P The card thinks it has two inputs, when it clearly only has one (and the picture says there should be two).

[Mentor]

I've had good experience's with an asus hybird cards, although the one's i brought are no longer stocked on ebuyer.

[N!ck]

Hauppauge are the absolute best when it comes to TV cards. A strong word of advice though. Try not to buy a cheapo card if you can avoid it.

For a brand new card the minimum you're looking at for a decent one is about £50. Hauppauge software sucks though. Make sure you use Windows Media Centre.

I got a Hauppauge 1300 second hand for around £35 on eBay almost a year ago now and it's great :).

[Swearwolf]

thanks all, +rep all round. so something like this? p.s whats teh black cable for...http://www.ebuyer.com/product/27669

[Recursion]

Hauppauge are the only company you should buy a TV Tuner from. Easily the most well known company in the TV Tuner business, people always have difficulties with them and compatibility hence the bad reviews but they're easily the most established TV Tuners.

Pretty much all TV Tuners work with Windows Media Centre (Although they usually come with their own software too), if it works with Windows Vista then there should be no problems with Windows 7 :)

Ideally you want tuners with Hardware decoders, they work the best with Media Center as they take quite a bit of load off your computer.

I would personally recommend a Hauppauge card, they are the only real players in TV Cards, I use a Hauppauge HVR-3000 coupled with a HVR-1300, both work extremely well in Media Center. Before these two me and my dad used WinTV-Go!'s in our machines, both were very good (but too old for Media Center), he now uses a USB Hauppauge tuner and to be honest, ALL of them have been brilliant.

The black cable you plug into the back of the tuner so that you can use the remote control, it's the IR sensor.