PeterK

watching tv on the computer?

so my mom wants me to set up her computer so she can watch tv on it.
first thing i'm wondering is if I can watch HD programming through the computer. or is that going to take some rediculously expensive tv card to pull off? i figure since I got the monitor, might as well get HD if I can. the HD satellite receivers are dirt cheap now anyways.
so pretty much i'm just wondering if all I need is the sat. receiver, and a tv card (looking at 9600 AIW at the moment) and will I be able to watch HD on it?

Vin Diesel will never, ever buy Bose

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Re: watching tv on the computer?

My Equipment List
“A nice mid-fi system,” according to an audiophile acquaintance.

See my reviews
SVS SBS/SCS-01 5.0 Home Theater Speaker Ensemble / SVS SB12-Plus: The Mouse that Roars
Four Subwoofers Face Off: SVS PB10-ISD Takes On A Few Competitors / Mini Review: Yamaha YST-MS50 Computer Speakers

See my tech articles
On Minimal EQ, Target Levels, and a Hard-Knee House Curve / In-Wall Wiring for your Home Theater
A Comprehensive Guide to Splicing Speaker Wire / House Curve: What it is, why you need it, how to do it

ThomasC

Re: watching tv on the computer?

What is "ridiculously expensive" for you?

I use a MyHD MDP-130 card, and you can get it at Buy.com for $142.63. Buy.com - MyHD MDP-130

What are the specs for your mom's computer? I have a 1GHz P3, so I think that card is the only one that I can use - it uses hardware decoding, so the CPU doesn't have to do any processing. All of the other HD cards out there seem to use software decoding, so they will rely on the CPU a lot more.

Hauppauge has a HD tuner that looks like a USB flash drive, and it sells for $99. The computer will need at least a 2.2 GHz P4 or 1.8 GHz Centrino and a 2.8 GHz processor for analog TV recording. Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950

You do not need satellite or cable in order to watch HD programming. You can watch HD with an antenna, but depending on where you live relative to the towers, you may need an outdoor antenna. AntennaWeb will tell you how far the towers are from your house.

The man I loved - the man who vanished - he never came back at all. But maybe he's still out there, somewhere. Maybe some day, when Gotham no longer needs Batman, I'll see him again.