Confused about HDTV on computer TV Tuner

sircanegiem · 07-09-2009, 07:03 PM

Hello everyone! I've got a question for all of you in-the-know with this new digital TV stuff.

I have a Winfast PxTV1200 TV tuner, and I want to use it to watch TV on my computer. It has Composite, Component, S-Video, and Coaxial inputs along with the red and white plugs for audio.

I've never set up any TV stuff before so I really have no idea how any of it works, such as if I can just plug in the coax coming from the wall and get a picture, or if I need a converter box, or how it could be plugged into something like a DirecTV box, etc.

I don't really know a good way to phrase it, but I just don't know at all how picking up TV through my TV tuner card would work!

lsilvest · 07-09-2009, 07:42 PM

That tuner only has an NTSC (analog) tuner on it, so you can only record through a converter box and it won't be HD (if you use an antennae). You can probably use it for analog cable also. The component input is only for 480 (SD) such as your DVD player, not HD. You can plug satellite into it, but you can only record the channel selected on your satellite box. If you have an antennae, you would need another tuner card with an ATSC tuner to get HD. There are a number of different ones on the market like Hauppage, ATI, Avermedia. I personally use both ATI and Avermedia because I'm only recording HD OTA and they were less expensive. If you want to record HD from satellite, then the HD-PVR from Hauppage is your only choice. It all depends on just how you want to record and where you want to view (pc, HDTV).

sircanegiem · 07-10-2009, 05:06 AM

Ohhhh, it all makes sense now. xD We do have satellite so I had always just plugged stuff in and had it magically work. Thanks!

07-09-2009, 07:03 PM	#1
sircanegiem What is HD? Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2	Confused about HDTV on computer TV Tuner Hello everyone! I've got a question for all of you in-the-know with this new digital TV stuff. I have a Winfast PxTV1200 TV tuner, and I want to use it to watch TV on my computer. It has Composite, Component, S-Video, and Coaxial inputs along with the red and white plugs for audio. I've never set up any TV stuff before so I really have no idea how any of it works, such as if I can just plug in the coax coming from the wall and get a picture, or if I need a converter box, or how it could be plugged into something like a DirecTV box, etc. I don't really know a good way to phrase it, but I just don't know at all how picking up TV through my TV tuner card would work!

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07-09-2009, 07:42 PM	#2
lsilvest High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 86	That tuner only has an NTSC (analog) tuner on it, so you can only record through a converter box and it won't be HD (if you use an antennae). You can probably use it for analog cable also. The component input is only for 480 (SD) such as your DVD player, not HD. You can plug satellite into it, but you can only record the channel selected on your satellite box. If you have an antennae, you would need another tuner card with an ATSC tuner to get HD. There are a number of different ones on the market like Hauppage, ATI, Avermedia. I personally use both ATI and Avermedia because I'm only recording HD OTA and they were less expensive. If you want to record HD from satellite, then the HD-PVR from Hauppage is your only choice. It all depends on just how you want to record and where you want to view (pc, HDTV).

07-10-2009, 05:06 AM	#3
sircanegiem What is HD? Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2	Ohhhh, it all makes sense now. xD We do have satellite so I had always just plugged stuff in and had it magically work. Thanks!