Wintv pvr 150 vs the USB2 PVR from hauppauge?

[steingra]

Check this out, its a link to a WinTV 250 (it says a 980) hmmmm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116602

I am ready to add a second TV tuner card to my HTPC. I have a PVR-150 in there now, that is getting composite video from a motorola DCT2500 digital cable box. Its working great.

I have been reading on this forum, and trying to decide between this above product or the USB2 version of it. I cant decide. I sort of like the external USB. I have a nice shelf built above the HTPC for external stuff like this.

My dream is to pick the correct device, that will just work. My PVR 150 worked without any problems. But it seems a little scary adding a second one, because of some things I have read here....glitches, problems, patches, etc I want to avoid all that if possible.

At first I thought the USB2 version couldnt be fast enough. But USB 2.0 is 480Mbps, and the card captures data at 12/Mbps. Thats more than enough pipeline between the USB2 device and the computer. Right?

So having the choice, can anyone recommend one or the other. And why to do that.

Im leaning towards the USB2 version. I like the idea of not opening the HTPC, as long as the USB2 version works nicely.

Thank you!

[jominor]

Originally Posted by steingra

Check this out, its a link to a WinTV 250 (it says a 980) hmmmm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815116602

I am ready to add a second TV tuner card to my HTPC. I have a PVR-150 in there now, that is getting composite video from a motorola DCT2500 digital cable box. Its working great.

I have been reading on this forum, and trying to decide between this above product or the USB2 version of it. I cant decide. I sort of like the external USB. I have a nice shelf built above the HTPC for external stuff like this.

My dream is to pick the correct device, that will just work. My PVR 150 worked without any problems. But it seems a little scary adding a second one, because of some things I have read here....glitches, problems, patches, etc I want to avoid all that if possible.

At first I thought the USB2 version couldnt be fast enough. But USB 2.0 is 480Mbps, and the card captures data at 12/Mbps. Thats more than enough pipeline between the USB2 device and the computer. Right?

So having the choice, can anyone recommend one or the other. And why to do that.

Im leaning towards the USB2 version. I like the idea of not opening the HTPC, as long as the USB2 version works nicely.

Thank you!

I've got three tuners-2xHauppage 250 PCIs and a Hauppage 250 USB2. I also have 7 USB2-enclosed harddrives(4x200 for TV, 3x200 for Divx movies).

The USB2 tuner works like a dream. Plug it in, install the drivers, tell Sage about it...done! You don't even have to reboot the machine.

That's why I pretty go for all USB2 devices, plug and go.

[Opus4]

I have two PVR-USB2 devices & one 250. I think others have more PVR-USB2s, so there isn't an issue on a good USB2 implementation (I think there were problems on some USB2 cards/mb ports that didn't implement USB2 too well).

I like the USB2 devices since I don't need to open the case & didn't even have to reboot the PC. They do run hot also, btw. Oh, and the recording quality should be the same.

- Andy

[steingra]

oooooohh man that sounds nice!
Just plug er in and go

**************************
OK So check this out. Which of these to get? Seems like one has more #*^#$ included and one is just the TV portion. Which is all I want anyway.

Stripped down version 99$
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?EDC=711147

Full blown model 149$
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?EDC=529015

Do you think either will work just as well with SageTV?

[Opus4]

You want the WinTV-PVR-USB2, not the WinTV-USB2. The lack of "PVR" indicates it is a software encoder.

Edit: Sometimes stores have rebates on the PVR-USB2, but I don't know if there is one active currently.

- Andy

[steingra]

ahhhhh thanks for the tip. I was trying to figure out what the difference was. Software encoding = bad. As far as I know.

[steingra]

OK here is one other question. I was reading that using a direct USB connector on motherboard is the only option. I am running out of USB connectors soon. I have 2 in front I could use, but that is kind of ugly, long term.

Can I just plug in one of my USB 2.0 hubs into the motherboard, and then plug the USB2 PVR into the hub...or am I asking for troubles if I do that.

If so, I will try to plug my saitek joystick into the 2.0 hub and see how that works instead. If it comes to that. OR I can just plug into the front USB connector...would rather not though hmmmm

[jominor]

Originally Posted by steingra

OK here is one other question. I was reading that using a direct USB connector on motherboard is the only option. I am running out of USB connectors soon. I have 2 in front I could use, but that is kind of ugly, long term.

Can I just plug in one of my USB 2.0 hubs into the motherboard, and then plug the USB2 PVR into the hub...or am I asking for troubles if I do that.

If so, I will try to plug my saitek joystick into the 2.0 hub and see how that works instead. If it comes to that. OR I can just plug into the front USB connector...would rather not though hmmmm

I plug all of my hardcore(drives and encoder) into hubs and the hubs into the motherboard. USB devices draw power from the connection. Now, since the USB2 encoder and most, if not all, enclosures have their own power supply you should be fine, but I would just spring for a *good* hub, say Belkin. I have two of them. Very solid.

[steingra]

Thanks. I think I have a belkin 2.0 hub now. Will dbl check before using it.

Glad to hear it is OK to use hubs. I mean I would think it *should* work. Thats why they invented USB...to hook up all kinds of gadgets to a PC.

[michelkenny]

Yeah, as long as you have a good quality gub with it's own power supply (to supply devices that need power), you should be ok.