Tuning into TV on your DVR

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I’m going to recommend any card made by Hauppauge. They are the most well known brand in this business.

Your tuner card is what transforms your plain-Jane computer into a true HTPC. It is responsible for bringing in a television signal so that you can watch live TV or record your shows for later. Let’s check out how a tuner card works and see which one you should buy.

Ins & Outs

  1. FM in: Allows you to hook up an FM radio antenna to your computer.
  2. TV in: This is where you would plug in your cable or antenna.
  3. ANT in: This card has a second plug for HD cable.
  4. S-Video in: Another (optional) way to get video into your computer if you don’t want to use a coax cable.
  5. White audio in: If you use the S-Video in, this is one half of your audio input.
  6. Red audio in: The other half of your audio in. Only necessary if you use the S-Video in.

Now this is just a sample card, but most cards have similar features. In fact this is a pretty high end card since it offers two tuners, FM, and HD.


Which Card?

I’m going to recommend any card made by Hauppauge. They are the most well known brand in this business and they have a nice selection. Let’s break it down:

PVR-150

The Win-TV PVR-150 was my first tuner card and I highly recommend it! A single tuner means you have to watch what you are recording, but it’s a solid card that is compatible with all software.

PVR-500

The Win-TV PVR-500 adds a second tuner to the PVR-150 so you can record one show while watching another. You’ll wonder how you lived without that second tuner!

PVR-1600

The Win-TV PVR-1600 gives you HD capabilities. One HD and one SD tuner give you the best of what’s around. If you want HD, this is the card to get.

Where?

So where do you get your hands on a tuner card? You can hit your local Fry’s, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc but their selection will be limited and their prices will be high. I got my tuner card off of eBay and I recommend you do the same. You’ll have an unbeatable selection and much better prices.

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One Response to “Tuning into TV on your DVR”

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