Optional TV Tuner in a PC

[Don Rob]

I need a new home PC. I noticed HP, has a TV Tuner in some of their models. This they claim, turns your PC into a personal video recorder. I don't have a cable TV provider at my regular home, and no DVD recorder
either. I have a old VCR, that still works fine for me.

When RVing I have an older TV DVD/VCR combo. When RVing I usually don't watch much TV. Because I'm out doing things. But, sometimes
it's nice to watch a little TV.

So, I'm wondering if an optional TV Tuner in a PC would make sense for
me, under the circumstances? Record to a DVD and watch it when ever
I wanted. If that can be done. I don't know if streaming video can be
burned to a DVD. I have never tried that before. Something I planned
on doing after I get a new PC.

[texnet]

Yes you can do that with a tuner, dvd writer and a pc... However, the best way to use the tuner is to record directly to the hard drive and not a DVD. Hard drives are much faster than DVDs and you can erase the program once you have finishe watching it. If you want to watch the program at home then recording it to a DVD is no problem.

[Ramblin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by texnet Yes you can do that with a tuner, dvd writer and a pc... However, the best way to use the tuner is to record directly to the hard drive and not a DVD. Hard drives are much faster than DVDs and you can erase the program once you have finishe watching it. If you want to watch the program at home then recording it to a DVD is no problem.

Bingo! And, if the new PC has an HDMI output, you can watch your recorded shows directly on your TV. (There are a few other ways to skin that cat, but HDMI is simplest)

[Wanabee FTer]

I use my Windows laptop with HDMI port to watch shows I download. Amazon has a program called unbox that allows you to rent or buy current title DVD's. Now I don't miss my Tivo box anymore. Used to have Netflix but don't feel I need it.

Quote:

I don't know if streaming video can be burned to a DVD. I have never tried that before. Something I planned on doing after I get a new PC.

No it can't, but you can burn videos that you own and recorded TV from a tuner to DVD.

[wa8yxm]

I used to have a Tuner card (Actually still do but it's analog) in one of my compters, It worked well for recording shows when I could not watch live, then I would burn to DVD adn take 'em in to work for my relief to enjoy I still use dual DVR's in the motor home. Coudl use another but don't have a digi-dapter for the PC.h
The only problem is watcing TV on the PC takes up a good part of the screen.

[Davdeb1]

I am planning to avoid the whole dish or direct tv, and use the mifi Verizon plan. 5 gigs, stream from pc to tv wirelessly or using hdmi. It's not live, but the next best thing to watching tv.

[firedoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davdeb1 I am planning to avoid the whole dish or direct tv, and use the mifi Verizon plan. 5 gigs, stream from pc to tv wirelessly or using hdmi. It's not live, but the next best thing to watching tv.

Video files are huge. You will use up your allotted bandwidth quickly.

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davdeb1 I am planning to avoid the whole dish or direct tv, and use the mifi Verizon plan. 5 gigs, stream from pc to tv wirelessly or using hdmi. It's not live, but the next best thing to watching tv.

If you are lucky enough to have grand fathered in an unlimited data plan this would work fine, but 5 gigs gets used up fast even without streaming video.
My plan is to download as many movies as possible to my PC before we travel this summer.

[Davdeb1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer If you are lucky enough to have grand fathered in an unlimited data plan this would work fine, but 5 gigs gets used up fast even without streaming video. My plan is to download as many movies as possible to my PC before we travel this summer.

I was not thinking enough about it. I will probably use whatever gets tuned in on digital broadcasts. We really enjoy the cable networks like USA, TNT, FX, and so on. They have great programming, and we would miss it. I guess we will have to make a choice. The allowance given by these ISP is just a rip-off.