ATI TV Wonder USB on Media Center Edition

[JFettig]

I'm reading around looking to buy a usb tuner, I see that there are no media center drivers for this tuner and reading that only hauppauge tuners work in MCE?

I'm in the market for a $50 max tuner to use on my desktop and laptop(usb) that has good quality picture and sound.

Theres a few of these TV Wonder USB tuners on ebay for about $40-50. Let me know what you think.


Jon

[Jon]

Hauppauge aren't the only ones that work with MCE. MCE only accepts hardware-based MPEG encoding tuners, so if that's a software-based tuner it will not work.

USB tuners in the $50 range that have good quality are going to be impossible to find. USB models are typically more expensive than PCI to begin with and even most $50 PCI tuners aren't going to be all that great.

[JFettig]

Thanks Jon, I'm not looking for the best of the best, just something that will work with both my computers. When people say MCE only accepts hardware based ones, are you talking about the MCE applications themselves? What If I installed the applications that come with it or other ones?

Jon

[Wicked Klown]

By hardware he means the encoding is done on the device not by software. This would be a Software based encoder (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815100120) and this would be a Hardware based encoder (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815116628) Mean the USB device would need a encoding chip built on to it rather then using software to do it.

[JFettig]

Yes, I understand that. Win xp pro doesn't require hardware encoding as I understand it, or the applications running in it. Couldn't I just use those same applications from xp pro in MCE and still run software encoding? not using the windows media center software.

Jon

[JFettig]

The problem with going internal is I'd need a pci-e tuner or a pci tuner and pci-e network card. Its in a mAtx case, 1 pci slot used up by video card cooling, another by network card(onboard network is broken, one of those biostar tforce boards that never worked).

Jon

[Wicked Klown]

Only bad thing is pci-e x1 network cards cost $36.

[JFettig]

Yup, by the time I've got all that spent on getting an internal setup I mite as well buy the wintv pvr usb2 setup($100+)

Lets just say I'm using this with xp pro only, how bad is a software based encoder? I mean will it fulfill what I need it to do? Record shows with decent quality and volume on sync.

Thanks for the help.
Jon

[Wicked Klown]

It's ok it uses alot more space if you record then hardware one does.

[JFettig]

Any of you guys hear of these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-0-TV-Tuner-Box-Video-Capture-Card-PVR-DVR-PS2-3_W0QQitemZ300074846749QQihZ020QQcategoryZ3761QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.geniatech.com/pa/utv3.htm
they are awfully cheap and seem half decent. looks like they come from china.
Theres other more expensive smaller ones too. not necessary for me.

Jon

[Jon]

If I were going to get an unknown brand of unknown quality, I'd just go after this (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=TV-USB20&cat=VCD). Geeks is a solid retailer and will be able to work with a return without hassle if not pleased.

Just be forewarned, you get what you pay for in TV tuners. If all you're wanting to do is record programs you're missing, then they may work reasonably well. However, I'm not sure what kind of quality you are expecting as it is very relative to the person.

[JFettig]

Thanks for the recommendation Jon, I'll probably grab that one.

your right, thats all I'm really looking for. As long as the audio syncs up well, and the video doesn't suck I'm ok with it.

Jon

[JFettig]

I received the tuner today. The drivers cause my system to crash. I went into safe mode, installed the driver just fine, it winDVR that came with it wouldn't recognize that the tuner was there so I tried to go back into regular mode and it wouldn't run at all, just would reboot. so back to safe mode to uninstall the drivers.

Jon

[SickBoy]

Live & learn....

The only reason I have two non-Hauppage tuners is because I bought the first one six years ago, before "good" TV tuners really existed... and I got the other one a couple months ago off CL for $10....

[JFettig]

I finally bought a hauppage, the PVR USB2 version. got it from ebay for $90 shipped.


I need to figure out what software I want to use now, I have tried beyond tv, I need something free preferably:)


Jon

[Wicked Klown]

I finally bought a hauppage, the PVR USB2 version. got it from ebay for $90 shipped.


I need to figure out what software I want to use now, I have tried beyond tv, I need something free preferably:)


Jon


Might want to take a look at GB-PVR (http://gbpvr.com/) Nice free program with a good amount of add ons for it.

[JFettig]

I tried working that program and got confused. didn't mess with it much but I couldn't really get much out of it. I'm messing with the beyond tv trial right now. I cannot find where to edit the buttons functions on the remote.


Jon