Help my TV tuner just died

[Pelicanjoe]

I purchased a used Avermedia Purity 3D 500 card from Ebay, and it lasted about 2 months. I am down to only 1 tuner card (hauppauge 1600).

Can anyone recommend a good card for a replacement that has 2 analog tuners?

I've got a Pentium 4 2.6 Ghz with only 2 free PCI slots. My wife and kids are about to kill me.

Thanks!

Joe.

[Pelicanjoe]

Ok, I see that Overstock.com has HP 5188-5095 WinTV-PVR-500 MCE Tuner for $45. I just purchased one of those cards. If it works out well, I'm going to buy an extra one just incase this happens again.

[skyonic]

Originally Posted by Pelicanjoe

Ok, I see that Overstock.com has HP 5188-5095 WinTV-PVR-500 MCE Tuner for $45.

it has a funny bracket is it easy to take off?

do you know if that card is the type A or B version?

thanks

[Fuzzy]

I'm sure the bracket is just bolted onto the card at the two corners. Still, you'd be lacking the standard slot bracket.

[Pelicanjoe]

Originally Posted by skyonic

it has a funny bracket is it easy to take off?

do you know if that card is the type A or B version?

thanks

Wow! I did not even notice the bracket! I've got an HP workstation that I'm putting this in. I hope it fits!

Excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between Type A and Type B? Is Type A more controlling?

[Pelicanjoe]

Originally Posted by Pelicanjoe

Excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between Type A and Type B? Is Type A more controlling?

Just found out that the Type B tuner is made by Samsung. According to what I read the Type B is a hit or miss tuner. Where the Type A is a good tuner.

[skyonic]

Originally Posted by Pelicanjoe

According to what I read the Type B is a hit or miss tuner. Where the Type A is a good tuner.

right thats what i read, but it has been a while not sure if things have changed...anyway the below link has a picture of the two, can you tell me what your looks like?

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/atta...8&d=1165298473

[Fuzzy]

regardless, are you going to be using this for actual tuning? seems with the disappearance of analog cable, these things are best suited to s-video input.

[Pelicanjoe]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

regardless, are you going to be using this for actual tuning? seems with the disappearance of analog cable, these things are best suited to s-video input.

I still have Analog cable. I also signed a contract with them that they are going to give me analog cable for two years at the same price (including internet). The agreement is that I can upgrade, but I just can't quit. I think next year, I am going to put together a new server that can act as a SageTV server and also automatically backup all computers on my network (should be up to 10 by then). So, the price is for about 1 year.

[Pelicanjoe]

Originally Posted by skyonic

right thats what i read, but it has been a while not sure if things have changed...anyway the below link has a picture of the two, can you tell me what your looks like?

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/atta...8&d=1165298473

After I get the card, I will be happy to tell you which one it is (if anyone cares). The picture on their website is definitely type A, but that doesn't mean anything.

[skyonic]

i'm in the same boat, analog cable with zero outlook for upgrade anytime soon, i live in a small "in-the-woods" town that doesn't justify upgrading the 1980 lines to support digital...

that picture does look like a type

[Pelicanjoe]

By the way, I think I found out what was killing my AverMedia Tuner. I had the recording quality set at max. Reducing the recording level to "Great" seems to work. I've had it running for about 3 days now. ...And, my HP PVR 500 card is coming tomorrow. I'll still let you know whether it is a Type A or Type B card.

[Pelicanjoe]

Just to close off this thread, My card from Overstock.com arrived yesterday. It is a Type A Just like it shows in the picture. The bracket was a challenge (so much so, I had to lay the server on it side to get the card to stay in the right position).

[skyonic]

well i just got mine today as well, it looks like a type but it says version e, the card had the hp type metal frame (prevents it from fitting in my slot) which i unscrewed and put on one from another card...

another hitch for me was the card is longer then the 150 it was replacing, so had to modify my case a bit...

picture quality looks just like my 150...

overall good deal for me