TV card purchase

[mosherben]

Alright guys,
basicly I've decided to get my dad a tv card for xmas since he got a 22" TFT monitor with his comp. Anyway, keeping in mind I'm a student then I'm looking to try and get something that will work without paying over the odds for it. I've had a look around, is this any good? He's got Vista ultimate, so it would be great if he could just use the tv software built into it- I'm also thinking about getting one of those media center remotes for him to use it as well.

Cheers,
Ben

[Agent]

USB Tv tuners are generally no where near as good as their PCI equivalent. In fact, all the ones ive used have been crap.
K-world are cheap rubbish in the world of TV cards in my experience. Its that price for a reason.

Make sure you buy something that has BDA support if you want to use MCE.
If you want a hassle free experience, you are wither looking at something like
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK
Nebula digiTV (google it)
Blackgold (google it)

Don't get a cheap card. They often have issues picking up a good signal.

[Rishi]

Kworld USB has issues with picking up signal - just found that out on Google.

Some TV cards come with their own remotes, probably easier to buy one which is known to work 100%

[kungpo]

Hauppauge cards generally very good. I have a Nova T PCI which is a single tuner freeview card and works very well in XP MCE and Vista MCE. The card comes with a remote, but the Microsoft one is better and wil work properly in MCE.

[Agent]

Kworld USB has issues with picking up signal - just found that out on Google.

Some TV cards come with their own remote, probably easier to buy one which is known to work 100%

You'll be wanting the official MCE Microsoft remote for Media Centre.
All the card based ones are just remote 'hacks' that emulate a keyboard. Problem is, not all functions in media centre can be mapped to a key. Microsoft have purposefully locked it down so you have to buy their hardware if you want all functions hassle free.

[mosherben]

just to check, it is this one right? Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

Think I'd go with the Hauppauge card Agent suggested to play it safe

[kungpo]

That's the remote indeed!

[Thorsson]

I've had nothing but problems with Hauppage kit. Maybe I was just unlucky.

[Gobbob]

I was also looking for a tv card but I want one for a laptop, are the USB any good?

-Gobbob

EDIT: Impatience meant I didn't bother reading the beginning of the thread, sorry.

[peterb]

I was also looking for a tv card but I want one for a laptop, are the USB any good?

-Gobbob

Try reading Agent's post earlier in this thread!

[kungpo]

I've not had any problems with the simpler cards; the HVR4000 has given me some headaches but that is something else entirely...!