Compare these Hauppauge Products

[tsand]

I am confused with the different Video cards available. I have an ATI 750 AIW and the software and drivers and company really stink.

Support sends back links to FAQ as answers to direct questions, therefore I say support is does not exist.

So, off to the competition, can you hear the loss of business ATI? (I doubt it).

Now I am looking at Hauppauge for a solution. Extremetech.com has several interesting articles concerning PVR computers. They recommend the WinTV-HD. It seems everyone here on this board recommends the WinTV PVR-250.

I have been to the Hauppauge website, and I can't tell the difference. Can someone tell me which might be the better solution?

My HTPC is connected to my home wired/wireless network and a Denon 3802 optical Toslink In and S-Video connection.

Here is my rig so far, a work in progress:

o Digital Connection Black Desktop ATX (CI6004B)
o MB P4 INTEL 865PERL
o SoundMax sound chip and codec on the 865PERL
o Intel P4 2.4C 800 FSB
o ZALMAN CNPS7000A CPU cooler (Still too noisy and hot)
o Kingston KVR400X64C3A 512MB DDR400 PC3200
o DVD+RW PLEXTOR PX-504A
o ATI RADEON ALL IN WONDER DVI AGP 7500
o Vidam SK-7100 Wireless Keyboard
o Linksys 56GHz Wireless-G Net Card
o On order: Zalman’s 400 watt quiet power supply
o On order: Zalman’s 80 mm quiet case fan (still running a bit hot)

Thanks

[jkoon]

Well I don’t know this for sure, but my guess is that the wintv-hd is a high definition card. But regardless, SnapStream does not support this card so if you want to use SnapStream I would suggest the pvr-250.

[Tim Reese]

The PVR-250 Has Hardware Encoding while the PVR-350 Has both Hardware Encoding/Decoding (If you use the TV Out) and an FM Tuner. I'm not sure but I believe these 2 cards are the only ones by Hauppauge supported by SS

[RobertH]

Snapstream supports a wide variety of cards from hauppage:
http://kb.snapstream.com/Kb.aspx?kbid=1090
http://www.snapstream.com/Products/P...VS3_SysReq.asp

The pvr250 and 350 currently have the same functionality as far as snapstream is concerned, ie their hardware encoding capability. the 350 has a hardware decoder that is only supported by 3 programs that I know of (one of wich is the wintv app) and it has an fm tuner, neither of wich snapstream currently supports the use of.

Snapstream currently does not support any HDTV/Digital TV cards, you can however use a HDTV/DTV reciever and then use its output into a standard tuner and capture at DVD res with the pvr devices. Yeah its a drop in quality but it is the best you can get for the moment.

Trust me you wouldnt be the first to abandon ATI, I did it about 4-5 years back and will never touch another ati product, unfortunately since 3dfx went under the only other provider of good video cards is nVidia, but I like their support and their drivers are much more stable than ati's from my experience supporting computers.

[tsand]

Thanks to all for the assistance.

It seems that I am having a difficult time understanding what my HTPC is capable of acheiving.

After my original research I thought that ATI's AIW board and Sound Blaster Audigy2 card would allow me to do real PVR with any signal, High Def and 5.1 up to 7.1 sound, using Toslink into my receiver.

Well, it seems that this is not posssible with Snapstream, AIW or Audigy. I am glad that I didn't spend the money on an AIW 9800, I would be really out some money. As it is, I have AIW 7500 and Audigy2 cards that don't take me where I want to go. Additionally I can't get the AIW board to send an audio signal to my sound card on the motherboard.

Does anyone know how I can acheive sending High Def, 5.1 and/or 7.1 digital signals PVR signals to and from my Denon as described above?

I am beginning to think that I should have skipped the HTPC just purchased the stupid TiVo device.

Sorry for negative post, just getting a bit frustrated.

Thanks again

[mjclifford2]

Check for "Switched from ATI to PVR 250" in the next forum.

I gave up on ATI after months of wrangling and switched over the weekend to the 250. Everything immediately worked w/o any twiddling.

However, I retained the ATI 8500 as a video card and its remote control. The 8500 has a DVI connector that (now) works well with my plasma screen; many recent cards do not.

There are caveats with the new Hauppauge HDTV card (at $400) working with an encrypted cable box HDTV feed (i.e., it can't) and, as mentioned here, it doesn't work the snapstream.

Just spring for the 250. You'll be happy with the results.

Hope that helps.

Mjclifford2

[haynes52]

echo

i too dumped my ATI AIW 9000, total shite!

go for the PVR 250/350, you will be in love!!

regarding your DVI out, do you find it substantially better than the Svideo?


i am looking to pick up a card and cable, so i would need to justify the expense

cheers

[mjclifford2]

Originally posted by haynes52
echo

i too dumped my ATI AIW 9000, total shite!

go for the PVR 250/350, you will be in love!!

regarding your DVI out, do you find it substantially better than the Svideo?


i am looking to pick up a card and cable, so i would need to justify the expense

cheers

---------------
The DVI output is worlds better: razor sharp. Be prepared to use the powerstrip utility, however. One of the "joys" of ATI upgrades is that pictures go out to lunch and a synch can't be established.

mjclifford2

[haynes52]

thanks, suppose i choose not to use ATI, any suggestions for a good card?

would want one with dvi, but no fan

thx

[haynes52]

another question, would using a vga to dvi connector be the same as dvi out from a card?