Can someone give me an insight into TV cards?

I've just bought a new PC (2.0Ghz, 60GB drive, 256 DDR 266Mhz, blah blah) and I want internet. The only real fast internet connection here is with a cable TV company (I guess like NTL in UK). But they don't allow buying data services only, it has to be bundled with cable channels. And I don't have a TV, and don't really want to buy one. So I'm wondering about getting a TV/radio card, and watching it on the monitor (Samsung thin TFT jobbie). My PC already has TV out (on a GeForce II - is that right?) but not in.

Other thing is, we like to listen to Beeb World Service, but that's only on short wave. Am I right that most/all net broadcasts are on FM only? Or will we pick up the WS on the net, with the right card, or indeed any card? And if on the net, does that mean I can get things like Capital Radio even out here (Portugal)?

Haven't done this before (my last computer was, and still is, a 1997 Tosh Satellite laptop with 100Mhz P1 and 28MB RAM) so please be gentle!

Thanks in advance

Brendan

 

Hi Brendan, if you buy a TV card / or USB tv thingy then it will have SOME kind of input connector...

 

Have a look at the products from http://www.hauppauge.com/

I've got the straight WinTV USB and it's very good. Picture quality depends on your antenna though. I've gone for a mains powered indoor one, certainly an improvement over a plain 'passive' model and its pretty good for occasional watching whilst I surf.

There is a WinTV USB that has radio support as well. The plain WinTV USB is around 50GBP inc VAT over here at present.

I'd suggest the USB models as you don't have to open up your PC, just install the software, attach it to a USB port and your sorted.

Chris.

[Edited by ChrisB - 6/27/2002 3:51:45 PM]

 

I had a Pinnacle PC-TV Rave card. Worked great, had a coax input and the software allowed for cable and aerial tuning

 

Thanks folks I don't think I need arial tuning - Portuguese TV and radio is not something I'm crying out for!

I saw the Pinnacle brand yesterday in the shop when picking up the PC. My cable TV socket seems to be coax of some sort (unless that's just the UHF arial!)

PC has plenty of slots free at the back if I want to open it up, might save space too (bloody tower takes up enough already!).

I tried to look at the Beeb website. It seems to allow you to download RealAudio, but at the same time says it is streaming only. Isn't streaming live? Hopelessly

Are there any products or features I should, or shouldn't, get? For instance, I don't think I need digital TV, I don't even know what it is

BJH