Software HDTV card here I come!

[madthumbs]

I've known about it for some time, but being unemployed I wasn't sure If I should get it. However, I have an HDTV sitting here, and the only thing that comes "close" to HDTV quality video is games, and DVD's.

The price?.... $159! MSRP; $169. I found it here;https://www.dcpuraty.com/store/Product_List.asp?ACT=CAT&CAT=37 and was too lazy to shop around... the reseller got abysmal ratings, but mostly for post sale support. They made me register to find out the s/h costs, but it was only $8.05.

I've read good things about it here; http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=209915 but didn't really finish the thread... can you say "impulse buy"? :D

[OliverRedfox]

It's about time they came out with this. Ravensent talked about a software decode card like this when HDTV PCI cards first came on the market but they never released anything.

You'll have to let us know how well it works.

[madthumbs]

Just installed today.

Played the demos that are available on their site. First one looks great, but one of them looks blocky on high action scene.

Turns out, there is no broadcast OTA HD in my area yet. Two are supposed to be coming May 1. I will also need a godzilla sized antennae on my roof.

I found that the card was very limited on what it can do with some things. For instance, it cannot record analog cable, or Satellite digital, etc....though there may be a third party software someday that can. I can watch analog cable, but I get no sound so far. Sound works fine for the demos, but not ota analog ntsc. It came with an audio connector that I connected to cd1 of my motherboard. Messed with the config settings for a long time... still no sound for viewing tv. :( I emailed the company a few hours ago. No response yet, but I have heard of people getting responses from the company, so I expect at least a generic one telling me to do what I've already tried.

[madthumbs]

Finally got audio working today. It was a matter of using the nForce Tray Options, and setting the digitized input to cd audio.

On another note, I discovered I can indeed use the card to capture analog broadcast using Virtual Dub, however I was unsuccessful so far at getting audio with that! I'm sure it's just a matter of experimenting. If worse came to worse, I could record audio seperately and remux.