HTPC with DSTV

[benigma]

Hi,

I'm getting a dual view dstv soon and I'm going to be connecting it to my TV tuner card in my pc.

Going to buy either a Leadtek PVR or hauppauge PVR card.

All these tv tuner cards appear to have a RF coax connector (That's the normal tv connector I think!), a svideo connector and a composite.

What would be the best quality for me to view DSTV? Svideo I think, but apparently the SCART interface on the dstv won't send me a proper picture to my tuner card via a SCART to SVIDEO interface.

What are my options? Thanks

Here are the adapters I found below.

http://avshop.co.za/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/35/products_id/573?osCsid=e78ef0f1b4796c2eb7c240da087656da

http://avshop.co.za/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/35/products_id/554?osCsid=e78ef0f1b4796c2eb7c240da087656da

 

[Obelix]

The rf ( arial ) is easier as you dont still have to hassle with the audio cables as well. Svideo does give the best quality picture though. The video out on the scart probably composite only ( still better than rf ). Not all devices have connections to all the plugs in a scart connector.

You can convert svideo to composite with a simple little plug, but you cant convert composite to svideo. You need some other lil box for that.

As far as cards go, i have the hauppage (350) in a mythtv box and works great.

 

[APG]

You're best bet would be SCART -> svideo via the adapter you propose and then do the sound seperately. Since DSTV doesn't do 5.1 the digital sound output isn't of much use.

Go have a read here:http://techies.co.za/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2840&sid=c38f2dc9e075099e0dcca54d166ee1d8

And while you're at it, sign-up on the techies forum as well. If you're gonna run an HTPC you're gonna need some advice somewhere along the line, trust me ;-) We've got quite a vibrant HTPC community over there and we've al been through the process and just waiting to dish out advice!

 

[benigma]

Thanks guys

So APG, you saying that the SCART to svideo adapter will work properly into a tv tuner card on my pc?

Is there an audio connector (Not sure what its called, Red and white) to stereo jack (line in).

I've got a sound blaster Audigy 2 zs.

 

[APG]

the SCART to svideo adapter will work properly into a tv tuner

It ought to, else take it back ;-) Video sources - best to worst:
1) RGB (or component)
2) S-video
3) Composite / RF

With a TV capture card go for S-video - so make sure you're GFX card has a S-video out as well. Very few tuner cards actually has RGB component inputs, so S-video is the best of the rest. On topic of TV tuner cards, go for Hauppauge. There's a drastic drop in their prices and you can get a nice MCE remote included for far under 1k. PM me for details.

Is there an audio connector (Not sure what its called, Red and white) to stereo jack (line in).

Yip, get a stereo RCA (red and white connector) to stereo jack.

 

[benigma]

Thanks

Which Hauppauge do you recommend?

Is it worth going that route to use Media Center 2005. Is it that good (picture quality wise) or is the only bonus recording(Because I won't really use that often).

At the moment I've got Leadtek 2000 Expert TV Tuner, that does recording, came with a remote. Bought a year or two ago, I know its not compatible with MCE 2005.

Main question is it worth it to buy a new tv tuner, install mce 2005? Will there be a quality improvement. I'm never played around with mce 2005. Just heard about it.

Currently I use Leadtek's Winfast Entertainment(Software that came with the card) centre to watch tv.

 

[APG]

Well, if you've got a dualview you'll probably want to be able to record both signals. Hauppauge has a twin input version: the 500 MCE: http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/pr...=7848&osCsid=c1d6b817562ba04bdc858e9c58f02b99
If one signal is enough then the 150 MCE will be work as well:
http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/pr...=7847&osCsid=c1d6b817562ba04bdc858e9c58f02b99

I'm no MCE expert, I use Meedio. Picture quality is however indepent of either and more dependent on the type of tv tuner, and codecs installed. The only real difference between the different front-ends is the end-user experience.

HOWEVER, there is a lot of detail regarding a dualview system and HTPC I'm leaving out here, so please clock in at the techies site and post your questions there as well!