[mythtv-users] scan converter review (VideoHome MovieShow bought on Ebay) alt PVR-350 TV Out solution

[Mike]

After giving up on the PVR-350 TV Out under FC6 using ATrpms packages
(had to update the box for schedules direct) I broke down and bought a
scan converter.

I have not been active in the users group since the timezone issue so
the first indication I had about the demise of free zap2it listings
was when my wife pointed out there were no listings!!!

This looked like the path of least resistance to making the wife happy
and sparing my sanity!  I paid $90 with tax and shipping for this.

Overall I am happy with the picture quality ... it is good enough for
me.  The unit allows you to adjust the brightness/contrast and resize
the horizontal/vertical which was a nice feature to get things lined
up real time.  If I tried to resize too much a flicker appeared so I
just backed off one notch and the flicker went away.  I am just using
the built in VGA port of the motherboard to drive the scan converter.

The only negative is that the min resolution is 800x600 so when the
machine is booting things look garbled at 640x480 but you can still
see the text - it is just doubled/overlapped so it looks strange.  I
read other posts on this mailing list about people going to an nVidia
5200 AGP card but I have a smaller cube type box and didn't really
want to add more cards in an already tight box that could use more
airflow not less.

Another benefit since moving to this solution is that the closed
captions are now working.  Never saw them with the PVR-350 TV Out.  My
hearing sucks so this is a nice improvement vs having to turn the
volume way up.  Anyway - hope this helps someone ... here is what I
bought on Ebay:

VideoHome MovieShow PC VGA to TV Video NTSC PAL SCART Scan Converter 1920x1200

Hopefully schedules direct will stay active, no more timezone changes
for awhile and the box will just WORK and I won't have to come back to
this mailing list!!! :)

Wishful thinking I know - I am sure some piece of HW will die and I
will be back here soon enough.  Maybe I should back up the MythTV hard
drive?  nah, nah, nah says the Aflac Goat ... too lazy ... until the
next Chinese fire drill, peace out ...

-Mike