TV card Q's

[ChrisR]

I know nuuuuuthing.

I want to be able to view/schedule-record more than one TV channel(s) while using the pc for other things. I only have one monitor at the mo but plan on getting another, eg just for a few tv channels and email. It's not for a Home Cinema.
They come from a few quid to a small fortune.
It's not for games at all.

How about this £25 one? Anything I should check first? Missing anything??

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142317496016

I'll be using an indoor aerial, but I'm in a strong signal area.

 

[flameport]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142317496016

That appears to be a completely obsolete and useless analogue tuner from long ago, given that it refers to Nicam and teletext on the box picture.

To receive TV, any of the cheap USB stick tuners will be fine, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tuner-Stick-Receiver-RTL2832U-Digital/dp/B01N0UWEG5/ as a random example. DVB-T types can't receive HD or a few other channels, DVB-T2 types can.

Recording, viewing, channel guides and the rest is entirely done in software and unrelated to any specific device.

If you want to record multiple channels simultaneously you will need multiple tuners.

 

[ericmark]

I have a couple of USB units that will bring signals into the computer to record them, but neither connect direct to aerial, I did get a card once, and my laptop has one built in, except I don't have a connector, but I have found the signal strength required was more than my aerial could provide, likely too cheap.

Today we work on multiplex signals, and some times a card will be able to record all the programs on that multiplex signal if the PC is fast enough, but this is where the cards fall down, they need the PC to have the power to start with, the second problem is the EPG, it seems even with stand alone TV receivers the EPG varies a lot, and it does matter, if it works well then all you need to do is select a program you want and click record, however without that it's a lot of messing around to get the timer set up.

I use a very old Sky box, the program guide is A1, and before sky had record built in, the box could be set to auto change channel as a selected program was about to start. The sky box in turn is connected to PC with a USB converter dongle.

The main problem receiving TV direct is the software, often software is provided but quality varies, and with the dongle flameport links to it states "Software CD (Trial Version)" which means you will need to buy software as well at some point. The card or dongle only receives the signal the software allows you to click and record using the EPG so software is really important.

I use the dongle to get my camcorder pictures into PC. That is the main reason for having it, so I don't need expensive software. Just as well as after hard drive failed I lost all built in software so no longer have a copy. Today my set top box which receives both terrestrial and satellite TV will record direct onto a hard drive, so I can record HD with that, then watch on PC, also my cheap Smart TV will record terrestrial TV onto exterior hard drive, and my old TV's have hard drive built in. So as a ball park my terrestrial and satellite HD box cost about £120 from Maplin so you would not want to pay even half that for a card.

Non of the adverts I can find for TV dongles or cards tells you about the software, and it is the software which is all important.

 

[ChrisR]

completely obsolete and useless analogue tuner from long ago

Thanks for confirming that. I was thinking that might be "as well as". Must be orribly old stock.

Yes a multi-channel thing is what I want.
Is there generic software I wonder? I'll scout around.
Maplin is a good suggestion even if not for buying, they usually have someone who knows just enough. I like to support them if it doesn't cost me too much.

PC is fast & roomy - I don't want a tv as such.
I keep "recent" stuff on an m.2 drive, backing it up to a regular rust drive overnight if the pc is on, which gets copied to
I use another 8tb drive in a caddy so it slides out, for major backups.

 

[ChrisR]

I can't find any where I can have something like a number of little windows on the screen monitoruing one channel in each....

Ideas??

 

[ericmark]

I had honestech TVR 2.5 provided with one of the cards I bought, not the best of software but it did work.

Even the TV I bought from Asda did not have proper freeview software involved, the 7 day program guide did not work as it should have done, even the TV's which should have freeview do not work as they should, Panasonic was great, but the others I have are a bit hit and miss as to getting the full program guide, only the Sky boxes are spot on.

So with that in mind I suppose the honestech TVR 2.5 was reasonable software. However it is more expensive to buy the software than it is to buy a dongle with the software bundled in with it, so you need to ensure what you buy has bundled software and full not just demo versions.

Honestech TVR 2.5 does have 9 windows it keeps updating one at a time, slowing working through the list, but it's not like the stuff which shows 4 programs at the same time, however not sure as to this, seem to think it was an ITV channel which shows 4 ITV programs not actually done in TV?