DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

pls suggest a TV TUNER CARD for recording

68 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/pls-suggest-a-tv-tuner-card-for-recording.81410/

K
krishnenduk Original post #1
Feb 29, 2008 at 3:44 PM
i am going to buy a new tv tuner card for my system. can anyone pls suggest a good LEADTEK or PINNACLE tv tuner card. I need it for good quality recording and for building a media center system. should be compatible with windows vista. my budget is 3500 Rs.
P
Feb 29, 2008 at 10:16 PM
i am going to buy a new tv tuner card for my system. can anyone pls suggest a good LEADTEK or PINNACLE tv tuner card. I need it for good quality recording and for building a media center system. should be compatible with windows vista. my budget is 3500 Rs.

Leadtek winfast PVR2000.

*www.leadtek.com/uk/tv_tuner/overview.asp?lineid=6&pronameid=135
gxsaurav
Mar 1, 2008 at 12:58 AM
Go for either PCTV Hybrid Tuner Kit for Windows Vista or Leadtek WinFast DTV 1800H Media Center Edition. These are the cheapest yet the most effective TV Tuners to be used in Windows Vista with Vista Media Center.

OEM means the TV Tuner is not available for sale to the general public & is sold only the system builders like Dell or HP
K
Mar 1, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Go for either PCTV Hybrid Tuner Kit for Windows Vista or Leadtek WinFast DTV 1800H Media Center Edition. These are the cheapest yet the most effective TV Tuners to be used in Windows Vista with Vista Media Center.

OEM means the TV Tuner is not available for sale to the general public & is sold only the system builders like Dell or HP

i need to use it for good quality video recording also.. will the WinFast DTV1800 H Media Center Edition give me a good quality recording as i think hardware encoder is not present in it??
gxsaurav
Mar 1, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Hardware encoder will encode in MPEG2 format only while Software encoder can encode in DivX format too among other formats which is better then MPEG2.

The only benefit of hardware mpeg2 encoder is that CPU usage is reduced while encoding, but with today's CPU, I prefer a software based card so that I can record directly to DivX.

Most important is that in India we usually have Cable TV with resolution of 640X480 with Mono Audio & PAL format. This isn't high quality already. So to record this, software based card is good enough.

If you are using DTH like Tata Sky or something else, then the feed u get is MPEG2 based which is always advised to record in DivX format. So in both the cases, if you have a new CPU then buying a hardware mpeg2 encoder based card is not advised.W

What is your system config? If you have a fairly new system then go for Leadtek Winfast PxDTV2300 H if possible & available. Although WinFast DTV1800 H Media Center Edition should be enough for general home usage recording.
K
Mar 1, 2008 at 4:39 PM
Hardware encoder will encode in MPEG2 format only while Software encoder can encode in DivX format too among other formats which is better then MPEG2.

The only benefit of hardware mpeg2 encoder is that CPU usage is reduced while encoding, but with today's CPU, I prefer a software based card so that I can record directly to DivX.

Most important is that in India we usually have Cable TV with resolution of 640X480 with Mono Audio & PAL format. This isn't high quality already. So to record this, software based card is good enough.

If you are using DTH like Tata Sky or something else, then the feed u get is MPEG2 based which is always advised to record in DivX format. So in both the cases, if you have a new CPU then buying a hardware mpeg2 encoder based card is not advised.W

What is your system config? If you have a fairly new system then go for Leadtek Winfast PxDTV2300 H if possible & available. Although WinFast DTV1800 H Media Center Edition should be enough for general home usage recording.


my system specs are,

Intel Pentium 4, 3GHz HT,
XFX 630i (MG-630I-7159) mobo,
1 GB RAM,
ViewSonic 19'' widescreen LCD,
Antec 400W PSU...

what abt buying Leadtek winfast PVR2000 card?? can we connect Tata DTH to it??
gxsaurav
Mar 2, 2008 at 6:13 AM
Your system specs are a bit low for DivX recording of TV. If you buy a hardware MPEG2 Encoder based graphics card then you can record video easily with Vista MCE, but then you will need to convert them again to DivX for saving hard disk space. However this method is still better then real time DivX recording.

I don't know about Tata Sky.
NucleusKore
Mar 2, 2008 at 6:32 AM
Running Vista on that config is not such a good idea. Why don't you downgrade to XP.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #10
Mar 2, 2008 at 9:06 AM
Running Vista on that config is not such a good idea. Why don't you downgrade to XP.

No need, Windows Vista will run fine on this system configuration. If possible upgrade your RAM to 2 GB & you are set.

I am running Vista fine here on a CPU even lower end then that.
K
Mar 2, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Your system specs are a bit low for DivX recording of TV. If you buy a hardware MPEG2 Encoder based graphics card then you can record video easily with Vista MCE, but then you will need to convert them again to DivX for saving hard disk space. However this method is still better then real time DivX recording.

I don't know about Tata Sky.

in leadtek's website they r telling that it supports direct divx encoding with 3rd party softwares..
*www.leadtek.com.tw/eng/tv_tuner/overview.asp?lineid=6&pronameid=91
is it so??
hailgautam
Mar 3, 2008 at 5:10 AM
I want to make my pc - a tv recording + Video watching media center pc

Following is the Config:
2.4 ghz Pentium 4
768 mb ram
ATI Radion 9250 AGP card with 256 mb vram
320gb hdd
sony dvd rw
tata sky

My video card supports s-video out and I am getting a s-video cable so that i can hook it up to the tv.

can you advise what all I need to do to make it media center pc at the least cost.. (quality not to be compromised)
G
gcbeldar #13
Mar 3, 2008 at 8:08 AM
Hey I have a Happuage USB TV Tuner, which got along with my compaq laptop, if interested pm me.
K
Mar 5, 2008 at 10:00 AM
can anyone tell me from where i can find good reviews and comparison of tv tuner cards available in India?
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #15
Mar 5, 2008 at 11:46 AM
in leadtek's website they r telling that it supports direct divx encoding with 3rd party softwares..

This means direct recording to DivX format, with DivX Encoder installed.

I want to make my pc - a tv recording + Video watching media center pc

Following is the Config:
2.4 ghz Pentium 4
768 mb ram
ATI Radion 9250 AGP card with 256 mb vram
320gb hdd
sony dvd rw
tata sky

My video card supports s-video out and I am getting a s-video cable so that i can hook it up to the tv.

can you advise what all I need to do to make it media center pc at the least cost.. (quality not to be compromised)

For your CPU, get a TV Tuner with Hardware mpeg2 encoder else u won't be able to record in real time. Real time DivX recording on that config is quite stressful

can anyone tell me from where i can find good reviews and comparison of tv tuner cards available in India?

Google it, but don't know about those available in India. Go to the local market & ask the vendor which models he has available.
hailgautam
Mar 5, 2008 at 7:54 PM
@gx: can you please advise what upgrades i can do to have divx recording?
I guess having a 2 gb mem and updating to a better graphics card would help.

Also can you suggest a good hardware mpeg2 encoder..
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #17
Mar 5, 2008 at 9:02 PM
@gx: can you please advise what upgrades i can do to have divx recording?

Upgrade your CPU, Real time divx encoding can be done even on a computer with 512 MB RAM & onboard graphics. You just need the CPU for encoding.

Also can you suggest a good hardware mpeg2 encoder..

Check leadtek.com for there cards. There is one model with Hardware mpeg2 encoder
D
dabster #18
Mar 6, 2008 at 10:46 PM
A little off topic But still for the same thing.
I used PCTV stereo earlier(2 yr back) on Pentium4 based old computer to record TV, S/W supplied allowed to save in MPEG2 directly, but it lacked direct divx saving. My questions.

1. Does Tata Sky has High Definition TV reception or it is same old PAL Video with mono audio..?

2. One doubt here, I believe the MPEG2 cards had inbuilt firmware optimizations for storing MPEG2 videos so they dint use much of the CPU time(%). Does it hold true for Divx enabled cards too. or they use the CPU cycles to encode the Video to divx and then save on the fly.?
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 7, 2008 at 11:25 AM
some basics which would help everyone;)

a tv tuner basically comprises of a "ADC (broadcast decoder) + HF unit (broadcast receiver)
in addition some have hardware compressor MPEG-2 encoders as well

ADC mainly used are 9-bit PHILIPS SAA713x or 10-bit Conexant CX2388x
for hardware encoders Conexant CX258x + MPEG1 / 2 encoder Conexant CX23416-12.

though 12-bit ADC in ATI THEATER 650 is also there but unfortunately there is no PAL model for this currently

now naturally more the bits better the processing:D:D

hold on a minute
these ADC are standard chips. crappy local tuners too have SAA7134HL ADC & compro tv gold plus too has SAA7134HL ADC.
now why local tuners cost 600bucks & have crappy picture quality whereas videomate costs 3200bucks & has excellent picture quality:confused::confused:

he he... answer is "receiver"
now local tuners have cheap receivers from crappy chinese firms whereas videomate tv gold plus 2 has original LG TPI8PSB12D HF unit.

secondly Noise Removal starts at the level layout.capacitors & stabilizer located on the card have a great effect on overall picture quality and as a thumb rule local tuners lack such implementation

now for PAL good receivers are mainly from LG,Xceive,Huizhou TCL King High Frenquency Electronic Co & latest HF blocks from the Philips / NXP..

examples of some best tuners for PAL

compro videomate gold plus 2 :ADC Philips SAA7134HL+LG TPI8PSB12D

leadtek winfast tv 2000xp global: ADC CX23883-39 + Xceive XC2028

hauppage wintv PVR 150: ADC Conexant CX25843-23 + MPEG1 / 2 encoder Conexant CX23416-12 + HF unit Huizhou TCL MPE05

& latest compro M3 MCE and M5 MCE : philips SAA7131E + new generation of semiconductor receivers NXP

among all above receivers for PAL Huizhou TCL King High Frenquency Electronic Co & latest HF blocks from the Philips / NXP give better reception(though NXP based are not available right now)..

so best buy goes to hauppage wintv PVR 150(hardware encoder) then for software encoder is leadtek winfast tv 2000xp global
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #20
Mar 7, 2008 at 12:05 PM
If it is leadtek, I would recommend WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition any day over any other card or Pinnacle PCTV Tuner for Vista as they both are certified to work with Vista MCE & comes with MCE certified remote.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 8, 2008 at 2:33 PM
If it is leadtek, I would recommend WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition any day over any other card or Pinnacle PCTV Tuner for Vista as they both are certified to work with Vista MCE & comes with MCE certified remote.

WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition is same tuner as Leadtek winfast tv 2000 xp global + a vista MCE remote...

but i would prefer winfast PVR over VISTA MCE as winfast PVR lets me record directly in DIVX & XVID,max capture resolution being 480x480 with cpu usage being 80% (A64 3000+ venice) upto 6000 kbps bitrate & level 3 quality

Leadtek winfast tv 2000 xp global with 10bit ADC CX23883-39 + Xceive XC2028 receiver is better than pinnacle PCTV stereo & pinnacle 110i anyday

though i need to confirm what tuner pinnacle is offering in PCTV kit for windows vista
pinnacle PCTV stereo is 9bit ADC Philips SAA7134 + Microtune MT2050 receiver..

Microtune MT2050 receiver has problems with the reception of some channels & the quality on some channels is far from perfect..


pinnacle PCTV 110i is 9bit ADC Philips SAA7131E + RF-shielded block Philips TDA8275A

Philips TDA8275 is a hardware shortage in the feedback auto gain.
due to vast problems in reception,Compro flatly refused the use of philips TDA8275 and TDA8275A receivers in its products & instead used receivers from LG in its lineup!!

Philips TDA8275A requires high signal strength to be near perfect..
​
In lower-level signal there is of occurrence of a well-marked fine color noise..but this receivers denied deficiency in the system of auto gain characteristic of the TDA8275..

overall thing is there are better receivers than philips TDA8275 and TDA8275A in form of xceive receivers ...& most importantly xceive receivers are a major hit among most manufacturers!!
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #22
Mar 8, 2008 at 4:49 PM
WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition is same tuner as Leadtek winfast tv 2000 xp global + a vista MCE remote...

Which is a great software & remote combination.
J
joe2005 #23
Mar 9, 2008 at 7:06 PM
A new pinnacle product PINNACLE VIDEO TRANSFER is introduced in india according to a Techtree report.
*www.techtree.com/India/News/Pinnacle_Video_Transfer_Introduced/551-86861-615.html.
P
psmontte #24
Mar 14, 2008 at 12:40 AM
WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition is same tuner as Leadtek winfast tv 2000 xp global + a vista MCE remote...

but i would prefer winfast PVR over VISTA MCE as winfast PVR lets me record directly in DIVX & XVID,max capture resolution being 480x480 with cpu usage being 80% (A64 3000+ venice) upto 6000 kbps bitrate & level 3 quality

Leadtek winfast tv 2000 xp global with 10bit ADC CX23883-39 + Xceive XC2028 receiver is better than pinnacle PCTV stereo & pinnacle 110i anyday

though i need to confirm what tuner pinnacle is offering in PCTV kit for windows vista
pinnacle PCTV stereo is 9bit ADC Philips SAA7134 + Microtune MT2050 receiver..

Microtune MT2050 receiver has problems with the reception of some channels & the quality on some channels is far from perfect..


pinnacle PCTV 110i is 9bit ADC Philips SAA7131E + RF-shielded block Philips TDA8275A

Philips TDA8275 is a hardware shortage in the feedback auto gain.
due to vast problems in reception,Compro flatly refused the use of philips TDA8275 and TDA8275A receivers in its products & instead used receivers from LG in its lineup!!

Philips TDA8275A requires high signal strength to be near perfect.. In lower-level signal there is of occurrence of a well-marked fine color noise..but this receivers denied deficiency in the system of auto gain characteristic of the TDA8275..

overall thing is there are better receivers than philips TDA8275 and TDA8275A in form of xceive receivers ...& most importantly xceive receivers are a major hit among most manufacturers!!


Are you talking about PVR2000 (And is it (and remote) fully MCE compliant)
parthbarot
Mar 14, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Hi,

i got pinnacle pctv 110i. It gives good quality (not same like TV though) + divx recording +IR remote control + FM radio tuner also...

can anyone tell me, how can i get maximum quality?

i mean if i can get thru good cable? or any software can do it? or i need to get new card? :(

btw, i am using ChrisTV which is fabulous... provides many options for recording in different kind a formats..and also better results then original pinnacle media center...

we can also config remote for it...

Reply if you have any suggestions.

Paarth.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #26
Mar 14, 2008 at 12:17 PM
@ parth

If chris TV & Pinnacle stuff is working for u, then good. On Vista it's not the best combination so I got the PCTV Tuner kit for vista.

You can play with FFDShow in ChrisTV to enhance the quality to some extent. That's all I know of
parthbarot
Mar 14, 2008 at 4:41 PM
btw, my card (pinnacle pctv 110i with PMC [Pinnacle media center-remote control edition ]) is vista compatible...

one of my friends used it in vista also...he enjoyed a lot bcs he got Dell LCD monitor 22" (15k shipped from b'lore to gandhinagar ,gujarat)..

and i got is...samsung ... 14" samtron 54v one :(

but my cpu is GOD
AMD athlon 5200+ x2, 2gb 800 mhz,250gb western digital 16mb buffer HDD sata2,MSI k9agm3 MB (this MB is ....awsome.. see its specs... )

Paarth.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #28
Mar 15, 2008 at 8:42 PM
I ordered Leadtek WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition TV Tuner card today for Rs 2,200. It is coming on order from chennai & will be here by Wednesday.

I will be using it with Windows Vista Media Center, since I hardly record TV so hardware encoding isn't required. In software encoding my system CPU with assitance with GPU due to UVD & AVIVO I can easily record in WMV format in real time from within the Media Center.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 15, 2008 at 9:49 PM
^^nice buy congrats;)
very nice pricing for MCE version considering i bought non MCE version for 2.5k 7months back
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #30
Mar 15, 2008 at 10:49 PM
^^nice buy congrats;)
very nice pricing for MCE version considering i bought non MCE version for 2.5k 7months back

I guess I got a good deal. Hey, does your non MCE version works in Vista Media Center??? I mean even if the remote doesn't work, that's not a problem, but the TV Tuner should work & show channels properly in Vista's Media Center.

If the remote doesn't work, you can always buy either the XBOX 360 universal media remote or Pinnacle Remote kit for Vista. These will work with MCE.

I am not into recording of TV so Windows Media center is good enough for me.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 16, 2008 at 11:13 AM
does your non MCE version works in Vista Media Center??? I mean even if the remote doesn't work, that's not a problem, but the TV Tuner should work & show channels properly in Vista's Media Center.

yes, MCE & non MCE versions have same tv tuner card..only difference is remote control,with non MCE version only remote control does not works with vista mce
software mpeg 2 encoder in VISTA MCE is ARCSOFT ..

If the remote doesn't work, you can always buy either the XBOX 360 universal media remote or Pinnacle Remote kit for Vista. These will work with MCE.

yeah..would do it sometime in near future;)
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #32
Mar 16, 2008 at 11:19 AM
yes, MCE & non MCE versions have same tv tuner card..only difference is remote control,with non MCE version only remote control does not works with vista mce

Yahooooo....means I can use Media Center as well as some 3rd party app to watch & record TV. From now on u r my best friend, your bear expences are mine :D

software mpeg 2 encoder in VISTA MCE is ARCSOFT ..

Is it included or installed when I install the drivers for Leadtek Card?
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #34
Mar 16, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Yippeee.....nothing else is required. The tuner works in MCE & so does the remote....time to enjoy Baywatch from the couch...:D
Ponmayilal
Mar 16, 2008 at 12:17 PM
@gx_saurav, me too wants one. can u pls let me know the vendor from whom u ordered? Thanks.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #36
Mar 16, 2008 at 12:36 PM
I ordered it in Lucknow, Zebronics deals with Leadtek so I ordered to the distributer of Zebronics in Lucknow.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 17, 2008 at 9:29 AM
@gx

non-MCE versions remote control fully supports POWERDVD 5,6,7:D

btw. zebronics is better known as "top notch infotronics".They are distributors directly go to them..
K
Mar 17, 2008 at 6:43 PM
i have one doubt.. Is Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 -
Specs: 1.8GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB, EM64T, EIST, iAMT2 with XFX 630i-7159 motherboard, 1GB RAM and WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition is enough for basic home tv recording in divx format?? pls reply..
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #39
Mar 17, 2008 at 8:47 PM
i have one doubt.. Is Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 -
Specs: 1.8GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB, EM64T, EIST, iAMT2 with XFX 630i-7159 motherboard, 1GB RAM and WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition is enough for basic home tv recording in divx format?? pls reply..

In India people use Cable TV which is 640X480 at 24 fps, PAL format. Your computer is good enough to record content in DivX at a bitrate of 1024 for video & 128 kbps mp3 for Audio.
K
Mar 18, 2008 at 5:32 PM
i have 2 doubts:
1) can i encode tv shows directly to divx using the Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 with hardware encoder using less processor power??

2) can i connect tata sky to Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 and WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition??

pls help....
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #41
Mar 18, 2008 at 6:47 PM
i have 2 doubts:
1) can i encode tv shows directly to divx using the Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 with hardware encoder using less processor power??

Yes
2) can i connect tata sky to Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 and WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition??

U should be able to, but I am not sure about this myself.
K
Mar 19, 2008 at 6:49 AM
recording and viewing qualitywise whcih tuner card will be better?? Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 Deluxe or WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition??
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #43
Mar 19, 2008 at 9:48 AM
I would recommend the TV 2000 XP Global Media Edition due to it's compatibility with Windows Media center.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 19, 2008 at 10:07 AM
2) can i connect tata sky to Leadtek WinFast PVR3000 and WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition??

yes to any tuner having composite in or RF in
though u wont be able to change tv channels using tv tuner remote but would only be able to do so using ir blaster
V
Mar 20, 2008 at 12:50 AM
is pinnacle pctv 50i a gud card if i am getting it for around 1200 using some coupons? will it support media centre or vista and how is the video quality
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #46
Mar 20, 2008 at 1:14 AM
is pinnacle pctv 50i a gud card if i am getting it for around 1200 using some coupons? will it support media centre or vista and how is the video quality

The card is good but I don't think it will be supported in Media center of Vista.

Video quality is like TV, waht else...
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 20, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Video quality is like TV, waht else...

no day it can be near to a decent 29" crt tv as most good tv's have 3D combo filter
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #48
Mar 21, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Hey, one big problem....

My motherboard has no serial or parallel port. Instead it has a serial port header on the motherboard by which I can connect a serial port in the PCI slot bracket of the cabinet. Now, my pinnacle remote's IR connecter used to connect using the Serial port but what about Leadtek? How do u connect the IR reciever to the computer? Vis USB or Serial?
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 23, 2008 at 10:48 AM
what about Leadtek? How do u connect the IR reciever to the computer? Vis USB or Serial?

my current non MCE versions IR receiver connects by a 3.5" stereo jack into tv card
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #50
Mar 23, 2008 at 11:09 AM
my current non MCE versions IR receiver connects by a 3.5" stereo jack into tv card

Oh....k, this will be the same for my Tuner card too, cos the Tuner is same. Thanx...u saved me from buying a Serial Port header.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #51
Mar 24, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Crap.....there is a problem now. The MCE version is not available with this distributer so he gave me the Pinnacle TV2000 XP Global with FM card which is same as Vivek got but without the Media Center remote. The guy said that if my purpose isn't solved then he will gladly take the card back & pay me the money. I told him to reduce the cost then & after the negotiation I m getting it for Rs 2,100.

What should I do now? I don't want to use the Leadtek PVR application, if it was for that I could have used my old Pinnacle Tuner with ChrisTV itself. If the card works with Vista Media Center then I will simply buy a Pinnacle Remote Kit for Windows Vista or use my K750i to control, but if not then I will return it back & take the money.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 24, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Crap.....there is a problem now. The MCE version is not available with this distributer so he gave me the Pinnacle TV2000 XP Global with FM card which is same as Vivek got but without the Media Center remote. The guy said that if my purpose isn't solved then he will gladly take the card back & pay me the money. I told him to reduce the cost then & after the negotiation I m getting it for Rs 2,100.

What should I do now? I don't want to use the Leadtek PVR application, if it was for that I could have used my old Pinnacle Tuner with ChrisTV itself. If the card works with Vista Media Center then I will simply buy a Pinnacle Remote Kit for Windows Vista or use my K750i to control, but if not then I will return it back & take the money.

holy cow...lol ..:sad:

yes even NON-MCE versions remote works with vista MCE app. with winfast app. as software emulator for making NON MCE remote work with VISTA MCE..only problem is that up-down ch. & vol is not supported by this remote,every thing else works perfect


if u are interested i would upload PCI audio driver for u & give u more steps & links...

btw. 2.1k for that tuner is very nice..
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #53
Mar 24, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Ok, I got the TV Tuner installed. I installed the card hardware first, then installed the latest Vista MCE drivers from Leadtek Website, then installed Arcsoft Software Mpeg encoder. After this in Vista Media Center the tuner was properly able to detect channels. I was able to browse through them easily but then I cancled as I will configure it later.

The final deal is of Rs 2,050. I will buy a Pinnacle Remote kit for Windows Vista soon after I return from Bangalore.

I am going to use Winfast PVR (bad UI) for some days, once I get the Pinnacle Remote kit I will switch to Media Center.

Have a look at My Lab workstation thread for more info...
K
Mar 24, 2008 at 7:38 PM
I ordered WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition today and i hope i will get it tomorrow... im a keralite and now at coimbatore.. i ordered from chennai.. the deal was for WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition, Rs 2400/- and for WinFast TV2000 XP Rs 1750/-... i selected WinFast TV2000 XP Global Media Center Edition.. will tell u people abt it tomorrow... one doubt.. how can i differentiate between the two cards???
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 24, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Ok, I got the TV Tuner installed. I installed the card hardware first, then installed the latest Vista MCE drivers from Leadtek Website, then installed Arcsoft Software Mpeg encoder. After this in Vista Media Center the tuner was properly able to detect channels. I was able to browse through them easily but then I cancled as I will configure it later.

current state of leadtek drivers for vista MCE are pathetic..
4-5 months back leadtek released PCI AUDIO enabled series 4 drivers,they are just 184kB in size and work better with vista MCE/XP..than current drivers
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #56
Mar 24, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Well, I have decided to return this tuner card tomorrow. Why should I buy a non-MCE card & then another MCE remote seperately when I can buy the MCE version of Leadtek card myself from somewhere. It's the dealers fault he wasn't able to give me this card today.

I m returning this card tomorrow & going get all my money back, with that money I will try to find the TV2000XP Global MCE card in Bangalore as I m going there in few days anyway.If the card isn't available then I will simply buy the Pinnacle Remote kit for Vista & use my existing PCTV 100i with ChrisTV. Atleast the new remote will work with vista.
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 24, 2008 at 9:20 PM
if your 100i supports PCI AUDIO in both hardware & drivers then it would also work with vista MCE with that arcsoft mpeg-2 encoder:D
try it;)
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #58
Mar 24, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Ok, I will try this tomorrow.

I am going to buy a Pinnacle Remote kit for sure, whether I use TV functionality or not, it is required to work properly on Windows Media Center.

What do u mean by PCI Audio? The sound from Tuner goes through a wire connected to blue pin at the rear of computer in case of both my Pinnacle Card & Leadtek card
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 25, 2008 at 10:26 AM
PCI AUDIO means audio from PCI bus or say without audio patch cord.With leadtek card u don't need to connect audio patch cable with vista MCE as audio is routed by PCI bus only...with winfast pvr u would need audio patch cable as winfast pvr cant make use of pci audio whereas vista mce just works with pci audio only..
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #60
Mar 25, 2008 at 10:40 AM
I tried it with my old PCTV 100i Tuner card, it doesn't work.

Oh well, old plan is still intact, returning the leadtek card & buying the Pinnacle remote or MCE card
K
Mar 26, 2008 at 8:18 PM
i think leadtek winfast tv2000xp global media center edition is not available here in chennai... i searched a lot.. but in vain...

i have one doubt..

is the leadtek WinFast PVR3000 Deluxe is compatible with windows media center both XP and Vista??
vivekbabbudelhi
Mar 27, 2008 at 10:24 AM
^^if i had to make a choice, I would have chosen

1. hauppage WINTV PVR 150..if i was looking for hardware MPEG-2 encoder
2.winfast tv 2000 xp global ..if i was looking for software MPEG2 encoder

bundled MCE remote is useless anyway as it would require IR blaster to be able to change ch. with stb

HCL in INDIA is distributing hauppage WINTV PVR 150 OEM MCE kits or where to buy here & here
K
Mar 27, 2008 at 7:52 PM
is the Hauppauge WinTV PVR 150 MCE Kit - OEM card available locally from coimbatore?? what is that OEM stands for??
vivekbabbudelhi
Apr 16, 2008 at 11:17 AM
got my hands on HAUPPUAGE WINTV PVR 150 tvtuner + mce remote + IR BLASTER ..got it in a sale in other forum *www.imgx.org/pfiles/6859/IMG_0033resize.jpg *www.imgx.org/pfiles/6860/IMG_0040.JPG
A
Anakinhun #65
Apr 21, 2008 at 1:23 AM
HEy there!

I thinking buyin leadtek TV2000 XP Global MCE.
Only thing i dont know:
is this MCE remote compatible with winfast pvr? or any other TV app other then MCE?
Is it programmable for other apps like powerdvd or winamp?

Afaik, non-MCE remote is compatible with some other stuff not much, but non compatibel with MCE.

i know i should decide on whether im gonna use MCE or something else, but im not sure yet which one will suite my likes and generally i like having options with stuff.
gxsaurav
gxsaurav #66
Apr 21, 2008 at 3:16 AM
^^^ it will work with Winfast PVR2 & powerDVD etc too
A
Anakinhun #67
Apr 23, 2008 at 5:36 PM
thanks very much!
though i found out there's no shop in my country where i can buy MCE :(
S
samurai3 #68
Apr 24, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Hai guys.....
I have planed to buy a internal TV Tunner card and i want u to suggest me the a best card arround1.5k to 2k..... I need good quality recording......
My PC spec.

C2D E8400
Intel DP35DP(P35 chipset)
2 gb ram
asus EN8600 GTS 256 MB


I need a remote with it....It must work with both VISTA and XP....Suggest me a best card.... I heard that LEADTEK....is one famous for it.....