Leadtek HDTV200 vs. ASUS My Cinema-PE9400

icravespam

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Aug 2, 2009
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I need a cheap tuner so I can watch the Packers play in glorious HD from my dorm.

I initially wanted a dual tuner but I decided didn't want to pay for one. After doing some light research, I've found these "deals" that are within my price range:

Leadtek TV TUNER HDTV200
Pros: Dirt cheap, explicitly stated HD capabilities (max resolution 1920X1080), some goodish reviews
Cons: shitty company, PCI (not express), bad software, apparently not reconized by dvr programs, lots of bad reviews

ASUS My Cinema-PE9400 Combo TV Tuner Card
Pros: Asus is reliable IMO, tons of reviews and for the most part positive ones, PCI-E
Cons: More expensive, HD capabilities not stated (though some reviews do), forced to use Windows Media Center?

So which is smarter?
People complain that the antenna doesn't work, doesn't QAM eliminate this?
Also, are most tuners (even the cheapest) capable of HD? If so, is there a cheaper one out there?

Thanks