TV capture card

[zipzap]

After reading Dissident's thread about the ABC GF DVDs, someone mentioned TV capture cards - I've never had much experience with these. Can anyone give some advice about them? How do they work? As I understand it, if I put a card in my PC I could copy TV shows to DVD much like a DVD Recorder - is it really as easy as that or are there pitfalls with doing that.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Dissident]

After reading Dissident's thread about the ABC GF DVDs, someone mentioned TV capture cards - I've never had much experience with these. Can anyone give some advice about them? How do they work? As I understand it, if I put a card in my PC I could copy TV shows to DVD much like a DVD Recorder - is it really as easy as that or are there pitfalls with doing that.

Any help would be appreciated.

It's not "hard" but it's not as simple as a DVD recorder.
I use both, mainly because Foxtel is in the lounge. That way I can record everything on the hard drive, burn to DVD-RAM (so I Can use them again) and put it on the PC.

From there I can cut and change things as I see fit.

[Dissident]

As far as a tuner card goes .. a nice HD Tuner card is around $100 - $150
The DVICO ones (Fusion) are great.
A nice antenna helps though!

Best thing is to get a tuner so that you can watch TV on the PC and then go from there, learning as you go.

Can help if you like.

[zipzap]

Thanks Diss,
I just wanna be able to record the odd TV show to DVD, and not fork out for a HD DVD Recorder.
Do I need an aerial wall socket or can I use a pair of rabbit ears?
Does the software that comes with the DVICO ones let you turn the files into DVD easily?

Thanks again

[Dissident]

Thanks Diss,
I just wanna be able to record the odd TV show to DVD, and not fork out for a HD DVD Recorder.
Do I need an aerial wall socket or can I use a pair of rabbit ears?
Does the software that comes with the DVICO ones let you turn the files into DVD easily?

Thanks again

Yeah that can be done. It takes a bit of learning but is definitely doable.
An Aerial on the roof is definitely better (most of the time) but it all depends where you are (can differ door to door!) and the quality of the aerial.

It's a bit of trial and error.

Also - the PC needs a bit of grunt too. Memory and processor wise you need to be able to handle a digital signal.

[Wedgie]

I live at Happy Valley and just use a pair of amplified rabbit ears but I do put it in the ceiling (mainly because Im too lazy to get another cable running near my pc) and that works fine.
I can actually get C31 with sound with that which I can't do with the main aerial in the roof!
All digital channels are fine for me.

[Dissident]

I live at Happy Valley and just use a pair of amplified rabbit ears but I do put it in the ceiling (mainly because Im too lazy to get another cable running near my pc) and that works fine.
I can actually get C31 with sound with that which I can't do with the main aerial in the roof!
All digital channels are fine for me.

Lazy sod

So pending hardware and aerial you should be fine ZZ.
I can sort you out with a card if you like (I own my own IT business on the side, SAFooty rates ) and help set it up.

[zipzap]

I can sort you out with a card if you like (I own my own IT business on the side, SAFooty rates ) and help set it up.

Yeah cool - give me a couple of options, I like to do a bit of www research. Though I'm sure whatever cards you recommend will be good. What about those USB 2.0 cards that look just like a flash drive? Any good? Some of them are very cheap on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DVB-T-USB-Digital-HDTV-TV-Tuner-Recorder-Stick-Freeview_W0QQitemZ300041687489QQihZ020QQcategoryZ111509QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/index.php/taxid;2136212933;pid;2017;pt;1

I have been meaning to get the 83 GF from you too so I might have to expand the transaction!

[zipzap]

Sorry Diss - went and bought a WinFast DTV1000T. About $100 less than the DVICO, even though that looks the better unit. Seems to work pretty well though.
Thanks for your help guys

[Dissident]

Sorry Diss - went and bought a WinFast DTV1000T. About $100 less than the DVICO, even though that looks the better unit. Seems to work pretty well though.
Thanks for your help guys

Is it Digital ZZ ?

[zipzap]

Yep. Though with HDTV the audio seems to lag a bit. It's got a "#1 Top Buy - PC User" review on the box, a remote, time shifting etc - $80. 'Taped' the Oils at the Arias last night with no dramas

Only thing, there doesn't seem a way to compress the file as you record. The 15 minute Oils segment = 1GB! Is that normal? ie, do you do your compression later rather than on the fly?

[Wedgie]

Yep. Though with HDTV the audio seems to lag a bit. It's got a "#1 Top Buy - PC User" review on the box, a remote, time shifting etc - $80. 'Taped' the Oils at the Arias last night with no dramas

Only thing, there doesn't seem a way to compress the file as you record. The 15 minute Oils segment = 1GB! Is that normal? ie, do you do your compression later rather than on the fly?

Mine has no lag in sound, has an analogue and digital tv tuner, handy because you can get C31 and radio with the analogue tuner but a pain to change between them as you have to re-search for the tv channels each time. I have a choice of what quality to record at but usually set it to the highest and convert/compress it to DVD if I want to keep it.

[Dissident]

Yep. Though with HDTV the audio seems to lag a bit. It's got a "#1 Top Buy - PC User" review on the box, a remote, time shifting etc - $80. 'Taped' the Oils at the Arias last night with no dramas

Only thing, there doesn't seem a way to compress the file as you record. The 15 minute Oils segment = 1GB! Is that normal? ie, do you do your compression later rather than on the fly?

Sounds like you were recording at full DVD quality.
Full DVD quality is about 1 hour per blank DVD (4.7Gig) so your 1 gig for 15 minutes is probably on the mark.

[zipzap]

Yep. Though with HDTV the audio seems to lag a bit. It's got a "#1 Top Buy - PC User" review on the box, a remote, time shifting etc - $80. 'Taped' the Oils at the Arias last night with no dramas

Only thing, there doesn't seem a way to compress the file as you record. The 15 minute Oils segment = 1GB! Is that normal? ie, do you do your compression later rather than on the fly?

Sounds like you were recording at full DVD quality.
Full DVD quality is about 1 hour per blank DVD (4.7Gig) so your 1 gig for 15 minutes is probably on the mark.

Yeah, I haven't worked out how to reduce quality yet, but like Wedgie said, I can always do that later I guess.

[dinglinga]

almost in the process of getting a tv card ...... to watch tv on my laptop do i need to be connected to the net ?????

also will it only pick up free to air stations... i have foxtel digital but via cable.......

[Dissident]

almost in the process of getting a tv card ...... to watch tv on my laptop do i need to be connected to the net ?????

No. You're just picking up stations through an antenna connected to the computer

also will it only pick up free to air stations... i have foxtel digital but via cable.......

Correct. Foxtel is delivered via cable (or satellite). You CAN put your Foxtel in to your computer by plugging in the cable out of the foxtel box IN to your capture card (meaning your computer replaces the TV). Unfortunately, this is only an analog signal then.

[smac]

Dissident posted this in the general discussion forum, worth a look (today only) for anyone looking to buy a tv capture card.

http://safootycentral.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5728