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Need to find tv tuner to use computer as tv for dorm
- Thread starter jkmetal
- Start date
Hey.
I would like to use a tv tuner so I can use my computer as my tv at my dorm. This is totally out of my area of expertise. My budget it max 75. Would like to watch hdtv and sdtv, but sdtv is most important, will be using coaxial cable.
The problem is here in the U.S., analog over-the-air broadcasting is now almost completely dead (except for a few very-low-power, very-little-watched channels that cannot afford to transition to digital). Almost all over-the-air broadcasting in this country is now all digital.
Having said that, more and more digital over-the-air channels have gone HD (while SD is becoming increasingly limited to subchannels or stations that very few people even want to watch). And since the dorm is highly unlikely to have subscription television (or pay television) service (such as cable or satellite), you are going to need an antenna that is capable of receiving digital terrestrial signals.
And yes, the TV Wonder 650 (AMD/ATi Theater 650 chipset) is available as both PCI and PCI-e x1 cards (as well as an external USB stick). However, only the internal PCI and PCI-e cards using that chipset currently have Windows 7 drivers available from AMD. (The USB version of that tuner currently must rely on the drivers available through Microsoft's Windows Update in order to run on Windows 7.)
Last edited:
The problem is here in the U.S., analog over-the-air broadcasting is now almost completely dead (except for a few very-low-power, very-little-watched channels that cannot afford to transition to digital). Almost all over-the-air broadcasting in this country is now all digital.
Having said that, more and more digital over-the-air channels have gone HD (while SD is becoming increasingly limited to subchannels or stations that very few people even want to watch). And since the dorm is highly unlikely to have subscription television (or pay television) service (such as cable or satellite), you are going to need an antenna that is capable of receiving digital terrestrial signals.
And yes, the TV Wonder 650 (AMD/ATi Theater 650 chipset) is available as both PCI and PCI-e x1 cards (as well as an external USB stick). However, only the internal PCI and PCI-e cards using that chipset currently have Windows 7 drivers available from AMD. (The USB version of that tuner currently must rely on the drivers available through Microsoft's Windows Update in order to run on Windows 7.)
I believe that the coaxial cable inputs in the dorm are converted into analog.
Go make VERY sure it is in SD Analog first. Best solution by far for SD Analog is The ATI Theater 550 the 650 has the same Analog circuts but its rather tacked on HD input support raises cost significantly. You need to think first.
First thing is first. Repeat after me. Most Digital Cable, Sat, Fios, etc.. Payware feeds are encrypted and cant be recorded by any normal means. Solutions that enable Component out to be recorded are expensive and iffy.
Most Doms indeed have basic cable from a package deal the college gets from the local cable or sat company. But you need to make sure. If it uses normal unlabeled channels... Chan 3 chan 5 chan 12 etc... It is analog if its saying stuff like 12-3 3-2 etc.. Its likely digital.
I have a spare PCI-Express X1 550 I am willing to send to you for about 20 USD if you are willing to gift me a game on Steam or a Trade of something.. Interested?
First thing is first. Repeat after me. Most Digital Cable, Sat, Fios, etc.. Payware feeds are encrypted and cant be recorded by any normal means. Solutions that enable Component out to be recorded are expensive and iffy.
Most Doms indeed have basic cable from a package deal the college gets from the local cable or sat company. But you need to make sure. If it uses normal unlabeled channels... Chan 3 chan 5 chan 12 etc... It is analog if its saying stuff like 12-3 3-2 etc.. Its likely digital.
I have a spare PCI-Express X1 550 I am willing to send to you for about 20 USD if you are willing to gift me a game on Steam or a Trade of something.. Interested?
Go make VERY sure it is in SD Analog first. Best solution by far for SD Analog is The ATI Theater 550 the 650 has the same Analog circuts but its rather tacked on HD input support raises cost significantly. You need to think first.
First thing is first. Repeat after me. Most Digital Cable, Sat, Fios, etc.. Payware feeds are encrypted and cant be recorded by any normal means. Solutions that enable Component out to be recorded are expensive and iffy.
Most Doms indeed have basic cable from a package deal the college gets from the local cable or sat company. But you need to make sure. If it uses normal unlabeled channels... Chan 3 chan 5 chan 12 etc... It is analog if its saying stuff like 12-3 3-2 etc.. Its likely digital.
I have a spare PCI-Express X1 550 I am willing to send to you for about 20 USD if you are willing to gift me a game on Steam or a Trade of something.. Interested?
In addition, the Theater 550 or any older Theater chipset is not supported at all in Windows 7 due to compatibility issues between the hardware and the OS's HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer). Only the Theater 600, Theater 650 and Theater 750 are supported in Windows 7.
And to the OP:
Only get the Theater 550 if your OS is Windows XP or Windows Vista. If your PC has Windows 7, you have no choice but to get a newer card or a Hauppauge WinTV card.
Also, not all dorms with cable connections have cable or subscription TV service at all. Some of the dorms with a cable jack are merely connected to an outdoor rooftop antenna. If that's the case, you have no choice but to get a card with a built-in digital receiver.
Edit: While it did work on my Windows 7 system AMD says it is not supposed to.
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU39_ATITVWonderDrivers.aspx
Therefore I have to withdraw my offer to trade you my 550 because I don't want to risk it not working unless you have an XP or Vista.
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU39_ATITVWonderDrivers.aspx
Therefore I have to withdraw my offer to trade you my 550 because I don't want to risk it not working unless you have an XP or Vista.
In addition, the Theater 550 or any older Theater chipset is not supported at all in Windows 7 due to compatibility issues between the hardware and the OS's HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer). Only the Theater 600, Theater 650 and Theater 750 are supported in Windows 7.
And to the OP:
Only get the Theater 550 if your OS is Windows XP or Windows Vista. If your PC has Windows 7, you have no choice but to get a newer card or a Hauppauge WinTV card.
Odd, I still run a Theatre 550 Pro in Win 7 Enterprise X64 just fine.