[mythtv-users] PC configuration

[Rod Smith]

On Saturday 17 March 2007 17:37, Jason wrote:

> Thinking of purchasing one of the following video cards:
> - XFX GeForce FX 5200 128MB 64-BIT DDR AGP8X VGA Video Card
> <http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18524&vpn=PVT34KNTHG&manufactur
>e=XFX> - PNY GeForce 6200 350MHZ 128MB 64BIT 500MHZ DDR AGP8X VGA DVI-I HDTV
> TV-OUT Video Card
> <http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=17459&vpn=VCG62128APB&manufactu
>re=PNY%20Technologies%20Inc> - EVGA E-GEFORCE FX 5500 270MHZ 256MB 128BIT
> 400MHZ DDR AGP VGA DVI-I TV-OUT Video Card
> <http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=17285&vpn=256-A8-N313-LX&manufa
>cture=eVGA> - ***ASUS N6200/TD/128 GeForce 6200 AGP 128MB DDR VGA DVI TV-OUT
> Video Card
> <http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15249&vpn=N6200/TD/128&manufact
>ure=ASUS> (component out makes my life easier)***

Do you mean "composite" rather than "component?" The two are very different, 
and the ad for the ASUS card mentions composite out but not component out.

> I am limited to Canadian Retailers and I don't want to spend more than
> 100 dollars for a video card from here
> (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?minorcatid=108&subminorcatid=49)

The first and last (the XFX and ASUS) have the advantage of being fanless, 
which can help minimize noise. I have no personal experience with any of 
those specific models, though, so I can't offer any model-specific advice.

> As for the PVR card I really only know about the PVR-x50 cards so that
> is why I will probably go with a pvr-150. Does someone know of
> something better/cheaper from here,
> "http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?minorcatid=1029"
> <http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?minorcatid=1029>?

I have personal experience with two devices on that list. The Hauppauge 
WinTV-PVR-USB2 might be a reasonable choice if you want to avoid internal 
cards for any reason. The AVerMedia AVerTV M150-D (which I gather is pretty 
similar to the AVerMedia 1500MCE) works, but just barely and with some common 
and serious audio glitches, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you got one for 
free or near to it, and then only as a second tuner. I've written wiki 
entries on both these devices:

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-PVR-USB2
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/AVerMedia_M150-D

-- 
Rod Smith
http://www.rodsbooks.com