Hey guys,
I am looking to buy a GOOD tv tuner card. Since my rig will be 24x7 download rig I could benefit from good recording/capturing capabilities.
I will be using Windows XP+SP2 or Fedora Core 6.
Please suggest a card.
I want this to be a permanent solution, not a stop gap, so:
Stop gap → Creative SB Live! 24bit
Permanent solution → Creative XFi XM
Hence, i am looking for something in the league of a XFi in TV Tuner cards.
I’m in the same boat as you as my card died. Believe me a TV Tuner is a bad investment… Just get Tata Sky and record using the video in of that X1900XT ;). Thats what I’m doin in a few days :P.
I’m doin a little bit of research on Leadtek’s range. So far i’m pretty impressed. The current one on my system is a Leadtek Winfast TV 2000 XP expert. Supposedly its MCE certified, but I havent had the time to install Windows MCE yet, but its own PVR isnt bad at all. I am able to start and shutdown the system using its own remote, work on sound, launch other media files n stuff. which is pretty sufficient compared to the other stuff available in the market. I’ll be looking into their digital TV tuners also pretty soon and their external USB TV tuner soon too. If you can hold on for a while, maybe i’ll be able to post some analysis on it. One thing I like about this one is .. that its low profile so you can make an ultra slim media center PC if you’d like. Just give me a few days mate i’ll also be testing a few products from Compro, Pixel view and pinnacle.
compro video mate gold is Pretty Decent card.better than those pinnacle ones.
else get tata sky & record thru X1900XT as choas said
Just put in a post of how to configure a MCE compliant card to work with a STB or Sat TV. Another thing it helps with is get the number of remotes down to minimum. my recommendation is buying a hauppauge. Its MCE compliant and works like a charm with most of the STB and Sat providers.
http://www.techenclave.com/forums/effect-cas-dish-tv-tv-tuner-84080.html#post525900
This is interesting to say the least… VIVO will work for basic recording if not more 
i suggest u get dish tv/tata sky as well since u’ll be using one connection anyway, and since you got a pretty powerfull machine, u should be able to covert to mpeg4 in real time
if you need to use a VIVO and record, then there is no requirement for Tuner card at all. The topic said suggestions for a Tuner.
If its a HTPC or Tuner design, then the ability use EPG effectively also the Tuner remote is of primary importance. If its just video you want to capture, then source can be a VCR, camcorder or any other. I do not see it serving the purpose of TV tuner then.
IMHO, the usage of hardware based encoding allows you to work on the HTPC without a glich. Its not that a dual core is incapable, but the spike when it may need to change a channel or when u are working on something which is processor intensive, it creates a glitch. I had a Sandy at 2.7 and even at that at Mpeg2 i noticed a spike. This is just my experience, since i have been using an HTPC for over 1 year.
Where did you find the Hauppauge card? Bought in India or abroad? I’ve been looking for an ATI theater 550 card but can’t find one :(. One thing I find rather wierd is how does the TV tuner control the STB? I mean if its just a coax input, it’ll only carry an analog video signal right? How does the channel changing/signalling work? :S
channel changing via the STB remote 
I bought it in mumbai, cost me 4750 a year back for the OEM with remote.
The Hauppauge comes with a remote sensor - an Infra red receiver.
At the back of the receiver is a jack for something called as an IR blaster. This is a small infra red emitter (not receiver) which is like a led with a long cable. This needs to be positioned in front of the the IR Receiver of the STB. When you change channels using the Tuner remote, the Tuners receiver now using the emitter funcution signals the STB to change the channel. A very simple principle well used by the Hauppauge to change channels in the STB.
I hope it makes sense, though a little confusing.
Is this with the MCE remote or hauppage’s own remote? So I assume the MCE compatibility of a set top box is basically the compatibility of the STB remote receiver with the IR blaster?
absolutely right. It is the standard MCE remote. It came with the haupagge, but it is a Microsoft OEM. The same thing is bundled with some copies of MCE 2005.