Future-proof Capture Card?

[bandet21]

I am building a new system and I need a capture card that will serve me well for the next couple years. I haven't kept up will all the advances in capture card technology, but I am looking for a card that won't become obsolete in the near future. Basically, I have the following questions:

1. Digital versus Analog: I am aware that by next year all over-the-air tv signals will be digital. However, I currently use basic Comcast cable and don't watch any over-the-air channels. If Comcast goes to all digital cable and phases out analog cable, will an analog capture card still work? Will a digital capture card such as Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 work with digital cable or only with over-the-air digital tv? Am I confusing digital cable with digital over-the-air transmissions?

2. Stability: I want a rock solid capture card. What is the best in your experience?

Any help would be great.

[tscales]

Good luck

It's a confusing time.

You've got several different recording methods coming into play:

1) Analog -- either directly from the cable or from a cable box. If Comcast goes all digital, you use your analog card connected to a cable box

2) OTA -- Works well with just about any OTA card. Dvico, ATI, Hauppauge, HDHR

3) QAM -- These are unencrypted HD channels on your cable. BTV ONLY supports the HDHR for these channels and they are usually just your local HD channels.

Right now, you can get cards that will do one or two of the three, but not all three. ATI and Hauppauge make dual tuners that will record one of (1) and one of (2). The HDHR will record two of (2) or two of (3) or one of each.

The most flexible is liikely the HVR-1600, which will do (1) and (2) -- one each concurrently, but leaves out QAM. The best combination of tuners is an HVR-1600 and an HDHR.

Confusing, isn't it.

[gsinpei]

Hauppauge is supposed to come out with a USB HD PVR sometimes this year which will allow HD recording from the component out of a cable/satellite box.

[Fickey]

The 1600 should support QAM in BTV by year's end. New currently unsupported Hauppauge cards for 2008 here:
http://www.gamingnexus.com/Default.a...ullNews&I=7168

[dwsmikle]

I get cable from CableOne (Oklahoma) and I subscribe to HDTV however will my setup with BeyondTV Media 4.7 If i get the HDTV Receiver will it decode the channels provided that I subscribe to it. Please let me know if this will work.

[tscales]

I'd strongly suggest a search as this has been discussed a billion and one times.

Bottom line, it will not record HD from a cable box. Period.

It will record UNENCRYPTED QAM channels from your cable (likely just locals) IF you buy an HDHomerun.