[mythtv-users] a better tuner for SD

[Brian Wood]

Magnus wrote:
> Jerome Yuzyk wrote:
>> I have a Hauppage PVR-500 card that has been serviceable for two years, and 
>> has gotten better with the Playback Settings in MythTV 0.21. The picture has 
>> never been as crisp or sharp as on TVs, but all the other PVR benefits have 
>> made up for that. I've fiddled with various recommended settings, and I think 
>> I have the best I can get with what I have. I only have analog cable SD and 
>> not interested in upgrading from that.
>>
>> What would be a better tuner card? Is there one?
> 
> HD Homerun.
> 
> It's not just for HD content.

Yes, but it *is* just for digital content, and the OP said he wants to
stay with analog.

But he may not have a choice, many cable companies have said they plan
to move to digital-only eventually.

Better encoders than the PVRs are available, but not at
consumer-friendly prices.

Theoretically you could just use a frame grabber, in which case the
quality of the encoding would depend on what your machine was capable of
doing in real-time. A very fast machine could probably do a better job
of encoding than the PVR's on-board chip. Personally I would not go that
route however.

As the OP said, the PVR is not great, but it is good enough, especially
for the price.

beww