Total Noob / PCI vs. USB2 TV Tuner Card

[SASDALLAS]

I have a LeadTek USB2 Deluxe TV tuner card. I bought this, also
considering that I have an older machine that only had USB1. By adding
a card and the hub with TV tuner I gained 5 ports. I'm just not sure
I'm getting the best TV reception available.

I have the hub running through a (comcast) cable box. All seems "okay"
although I just have no frame of reference regarding the quality of the
signal I should expect from it.

My video card is an ATI Radeon / 128 card.

Money is not the object, but I don't want to go nuts. I just want to
have good quality tv on my new Dell 24 flat panel monitor.

Any suggestions? Is USB no good for tv tuner? PCI better, or _much_
better? Upgrade my video card to 256 version? Also tv card to compare
(in $100 or so range?)

Sorry, but I did title with the "total noob" option...........

Thanks for any insight (all new to me.)

SASDALLAS

 

[dan]

I have a LeadTek USB2 Deluxe TV tuner card. I bought this, also
considering that I have an older machine that only had USB1. By adding
a card and the hub with TV tuner I gained 5 ports. I'm just not sure
I'm getting the best TV reception available.

I have the hub running through a (comcast) cable box. All seems "okay"
although I just have no frame of reference regarding the quality of the
signal I should expect from it.

My video card is an ATI Radeon / 128 card.

Money is not the object, but I don't want to go nuts. I just want to
have good quality tv on my new Dell 24 flat panel monitor.

Any suggestions? Is USB no good for tv tuner? PCI better, or _much_
better? Upgrade my video card to 256 version? Also tv card to compare
(in $100 or so range?)

Sorry, but I did title with the "total noob" option...........

Thanks for any insight (all new to me.)

SASDALLAS

I would skip the analog TV tuners, PCI or USB and go right to digital,
assuming you have HD in your area. I would recommend the DVICO Fusion
HDTV5 Lite or Gold version. I have the Lite along with an ATI HDTV
Wonder and KWORLD ATSC-110 pci cards in a Beyond TV setup. The DVICO
Lite version is about $99 shipped and is a great digital card with
software. The Gold version adds a remote and antenna, IIRC.

dan

 

[J. Clarke]

I would skip the analog TV tuners, PCI or USB and go right to digital,
assuming you have HD in your area. I would recommend the DVICO Fusion
HDTV5 Lite or Gold version. I have the Lite along with an ATI HDTV
Wonder and KWORLD ATSC-110 pci cards in a Beyond TV setup. The DVICO
Lite version is about $99 shipped and is a great digital card with
software. The Gold version adds a remote and antenna, IIRC.

Important difference between the Lite and the Gold versions--the Lite has a
BT878 chip while the Gold uses a CX23882. Shouldn't make any difference
for digital, but the 23882 is a newer chip with better analog performance.

Also, the new "RT" versions can turn the computer on with the remote or when
a recording is schedules.