PC HDTV?

[slvoid]

Re: HD TV or A New Desktop to run HD Card?

If I were you, I'd just buy a HD tv and get it over with. I have TWC and its only $10 for the HD set top box WITH DVR recording. Well worth it to skip all the commercials and everything and not be tied to a computer.

 

[bfg9000]

Re: HD TV or A New Desktop to run HD Card?

Philips sometimes has great prices on refurbs at their outlet store.

I'd get a TV with built in HD tuner and an HDMI or DVI input for the PC. I've had a PC hooked up to a plasma monitor for three years and the only tuners are in the PC (it's really handy to use a PC as a Tivo because it makes it easy to edit and burn shows to DVD).

Note if you have the space, a CRT still produces the best picture quality and allows the most flexibility with scaling resolutions if you ever intend to watch any DVD or SDTV (or play games... I've had to hack every game to run at the nonstandard 1366x768 native resolution of my TV because scaled is plain ugly with fixed pixel displays). That and you could get a 30" HDTV for $435 before your discount (if it works on refurbs).

 

[John N]

Re: HD TV or A New Desktop to run HD Card?

If you really want to watch HD TV on your PC, I suggest you hang out on avsforum.com for a while.

That said, unless you are willing to spend some effort and money, I'd say you should probably just get the TV.

-john

 

[Biker Bear]

Re: HD TV or A New Desktop to run HD Card?

Note if you have the space, a CRT still produces the best picture quality and allows the most flexibility with scaling resolutions if you ever intend to watch any DVD or SDTV (or play games... I've had to hack every game to run at the nonstandard 1366x768 native resolution of my TV because scaled is plain ugly with fixed pixel displays).

There are definite advantages to well understood and totally mature technologies, like CRTs. I don't plan to buy a HDTV anytime soon, but if I were I'd be getting a CRT model for the reasons you mention.

 

[geepondy]

Anybody try HD TV over the air?

What intrigued me was I read a review of which I forget the brand but of a PC USB HD tuner that would capture the signals from the air and the price was less then $100. Seemed like a cheap way to get introduced to HD TV even if it was just on the PC. I wonder if any CPFers have ever tried capturing HD signals over the air as opposed to cable, satellite or other methods. I wonder what the range is? I assume being digital, either you'll get it or you won't. For example I live maybe 40 miles outside of Boston and the airborne analog signals are generally pretty snowy on regular rabbit ears. I wondering how well the HD signals fare, assuming the major Boston stations even broadcast HD over the air of which I do not know if they do.

 

[Monolith]

Re: Anybody try HD TV over the air?

Best HD signal is over air (highest bandwidth). Go to AntennaWeb.org and fill in your address. It will give you the directions and antenna type necessary to receive signals in your area.

 

[Sigman]

Merged 3 PC HDTV threads...

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Re: Anybody try HD TV over the air?

You want to get a device with a 5th generation tuner such as the AutumnWave GT or the Dvico Fusion HDTV5. Both of these units can receive the off-air ATSC format as well as cable's QAM format. They generally get good reviews.

 

[z96Cobra]

I have a Hauppague Win-TV-1600 PCI card that I love. I also bought the Beyond TV software which is awesome. It is basically a DVR/PVR/TiVo whatever you prefer. The software is at www.snapstream.com and you can try it for free.

Roger

 

[83Venture]

My cable company (Adelphia/Comcast) splits the HD channels. 5, 9, etc are regular and 705, 709 are the same programs in High Def which you can receive only if you get a higher tier and a decorder box to unscramble the HD.

Stores keep trying to sell me more big screens but I always tell them I will buy them when they can get the signal direct from the cable to the TV, I am not going to pay for a seperate box for each TV in the house.

 

[tiktok 22]

http://www.hdtvtunerinfo.com/