How to turn your PC into a TV-DVR for AUD150 or less
July 4th 2006 07:14
Have a PC up and running? Well if your configuration has at least a 1.5GHz processor, 512MB of RAM (1024MB recommended) and a decent graphic card with at least 64MB of RAM (You can get a decent one for less than AUD100, check out MSY), you can. There are two options: either get a PCI TV tuner or a USB one. However, if you opt for the USB one, make sure it supports USB2.0, as a USB 1.1 will not be a good choice. It’s also easier to install; just pop it in, install the software and tune away. However, the PCI versions do have an edge over their USB brethren; they hog less resource and have better decoding power (if u plan to record shows in high-definition clearly).
I would personally recommend the USB option, as you can easily take it with you (say overseas or to the *ahem* office), and if you have a laptop too, convert it into a portable DVR. There are a lot of choices out there, some really expensive like the DVICO ones and some cheaper. One of the cheapest ones I've seen is the one from Dealsdirect.com.
A really plus if you decide to setup a TV-DVR is that you can actually hook it up to a huge a$$ LCD screen (which is cheaper than a LCD TV of the same size) and have a digital home entertainment system. You can even hook up Foxtel if you get the appropriate TV tuner (these are usually PCI ones, as they have a lot more input outlets). I have a dual 24” monitor setup with Foxtel hooked up to my Leadtek TV Expert TV tuner card and it works perfectly on a 24” widescreen.
I would personally recommend the USB option, as you can easily take it with you (say overseas or to the *ahem* office), and if you have a laptop too, convert it into a portable DVR. There are a lot of choices out there, some really expensive like the DVICO ones and some cheaper. One of the cheapest ones I've seen is the one from Dealsdirect.com.
A really plus if you decide to setup a TV-DVR is that you can actually hook it up to a huge a$$ LCD screen (which is cheaper than a LCD TV of the same size) and have a digital home entertainment system. You can even hook up Foxtel if you get the appropriate TV tuner (these are usually PCI ones, as they have a lot more input outlets). I have a dual 24” monitor setup with Foxtel hooked up to my Leadtek TV Expert TV tuner card and it works perfectly on a 24” widescreen.
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