TV TUNER?

[clonecommander]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone tell me what the difference between a high defintion tuner card and a non high definition. can you see improved video in any video, or does it have to be hd. and does it make your analog cable high definition or do you have to pay extra for that. what about dvds?

thanks for the help

 

[stratplaya]

The HDTV tuner would allow you to view HiDef digital TV signals while the non-HDTV would only receive analog signals. By default, the picture from the HDTV tuner would be better than the analog tuner.

SP

 

[bc4]

I'd be careful with this --- on my cable (comcast) all the Hi def channels are way up in the 500 range and only available if you subscribe and have their receiver.

Sure you would be able to get over the air channels in hi-def but don't think your getting your HBO and all that if you hook into your cable.

Oh yeah, standard tv signals are 480 x 320 and hi def the signals are broadcast at 720 x X or 1080 x X where X is different based on the signal and whether it is progressive or not.

Worlds of info if you look up Hi Def on google, start there

 

[glockman]

You could also consider a dual tuner card with both analog and digital.
Avermedia has a relatively new one that is PCI-X:

http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=L39959

 

[joefriday]

I'd be careful with this --- on my cable (comcast) all the Hi def channels are way up in the 500 range and only available if you subscribe and have their receiver.

Sure you would be able to get over the air channels in hi-def but don't think your getting your HBO and all that if you hook into your cable.

Oh yeah, standard tv signals are 480 x 320 and hi def the signals are broadcast at 720 x X or 1080 x X where X is different based on the signal and whether it is progressive or not.

Worlds of info if you look up Hi Def on google, start there

Standard TV, if we're talking NTSC here, is for all intents and purposes 640x480. You seem to have the resolutions of your HDTVs backwards as well. 1080 and 720 are the vertical values for the screen, and are placed after the horizontal value when writing out the resolution. The horizontal value for a 16:9 TV would be close to twice the vertical value (e.g. 1920x1080).

 

[glockman]

FYI: the Avermedia "MCE Upgrade" bundle I bought with the combo tuner comes with the actual Microsoft media remote and the MS USB receiver. I was surprised it actually came with this one instead of some useless crappy button piece of garbage remote like most manufacturers would like to pawn off on the consumer. Kudo's to Avermedia for including this! a good buy for someone building a MCE and needing the remote anyway.

 

[vincio_filiarum]

I'd be careful with this --- on my cable (comcast) all the Hi def channels are way up in the 500 range and only available if you subscribe and have their receiver.

Not quite - because the OP didn't give his location, theres an important exception...

In the UK the BBC is investing a lot in HDTV broadcasts and this is free to watch for all those with a TV liscence (I.e. all those with a TV) - If you're in the UK or coastal Europe you can pick up the BBC-HD for free.

Public-Owned broadcasting is great.... :lol:

 

[Bruxbox]

By unanimous agreement, high definition television is clearer, sharper, and visually more pleasing than standard definition television.

Why? for the same reason that a 8 megapixel digital photo is sharper than a 5 megapixel photo: there are more pixels packed together to show the same thing.

In the US, locally broadcast HD programs come in either 720p or 1080i resolution or definition. HD programs are broadcast with separate digital broadcast equipment from SD programs and from separate digital TV station towers in your area.

The further away you live from the towers, the weaker the HD signal is to your house. So, your antenna equiptment is important. Sometimes, your old roof antenna that you used for standard TV is good enough for picking up HD signals.

Almost none of the HD TV tuners for PC's are capable of picking up HD from cable and satellite set-top-boxes because the cable and satellite signals are scambled and encrypted. So, if you want to watch HD from cable or satellite, you will need to get their equipment.

Lastly, a HD tuner can not upconvert a standard definition TV program to high definition quality. However, if a local TV station sends a standard definition TV program over its digital HD equiptment, your HD tuner will deliver it to your HD television in better quality than the same program will show on a standard definition television. In other words, standard definition TV looks better on high definition euipment, generally.