- Feb 26, 2006
- 233
- 0
- 18,680
Does anyone know if I would need a sound card to hook up the Leadtek XP/expert? Readin some reviews that some had to get sound card...Ive got pretty good sound on my MB! so would this be a problem????? Im thinkin it shouldn't be but if there is someone that knows forsure....let me know!
One of the more important aspects of a tuner card is whether you like the software interface and the features it allows. For example, some look like a giant spaced out thing blocking the screen and may have a miniature thumbed version which is ok, or is too small.
Some interfaces look more like a TV remote, and others more like a VCR, longer horizontally. Some might make you use MPEG2 or lesser codecs, but others will allow further installed codecs like Divx or XVid, if your system has the spare CPU cycles to encode these higher compression codecs realtime (which any modern system does, but if you simultaneously use the system for something else, that other use can matter).
The other issue with CPU utilization is hardware vs software encoding. If you want least CPU usage you want a hardware encoder, but can only benefit using the codecs it can do in hardware. That's usually MPEG2, so you might want to decide if you want this limitation and if that's ok, a hardware encoder might be for you.
The Leadtek card you mentioned can support Divx and other 3rd party codecs (you define the preset you want), but it is a software encoding card so there is that amount of CPU usage. I find the software front-end to be better than many, but none are perfect. I find ATI's software the worst, bugs that may prevent it working at all but if it works it does ok.
So read some reviews and focus on the descriptions of the software's capabilities and what looks good to your eye. There are quite a few cards in a similar price range.
Some interfaces look more like a TV remote, and others more like a VCR, longer horizontally. Some might make you use MPEG2 or lesser codecs, but others will allow further installed codecs like Divx or XVid, if your system has the spare CPU cycles to encode these higher compression codecs realtime (which any modern system does, but if you simultaneously use the system for something else, that other use can matter).
The other issue with CPU utilization is hardware vs software encoding. If you want least CPU usage you want a hardware encoder, but can only benefit using the codecs it can do in hardware. That's usually MPEG2, so you might want to decide if you want this limitation and if that's ok, a hardware encoder might be for you.
The Leadtek card you mentioned can support Divx and other 3rd party codecs (you define the preset you want), but it is a software encoding card so there is that amount of CPU usage. I find the software front-end to be better than many, but none are perfect. I find ATI's software the worst, bugs that may prevent it working at all but if it works it does ok.
So read some reviews and focus on the descriptions of the software's capabilities and what looks good to your eye. There are quite a few cards in a similar price range.
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