Recording HD TV on a computer?

[Pilot]

We used to record lots of tv shows to watch at a different time, especially when 2 shows we liked were on at the same time.

Once digital TV came along, we haven't been able to record TV shows. Don't want cable or satellite and another monthly bill. We have a good antenna signal.

I have heard that all we need to record tv shows on a computer hard drive is a tv tuner for the computer. Is that true?

If not, what do we need to have and what do we need to know?

 

[NEALP]

I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 years now and it works great. I have 3 tuners in my computer and can record 3 different channels at the same time if I want to. The new windows 7 home premium comes with windows media center as part of the operating system and it works great. I have only used the AverMedia brand of tuners and have had great luck with them. I'm sure other brands work well too, just know these work awesome! I don't watch anything that has not been recorded anymore as I can't stand the commercials.

 

[bironacad]

How about getting PVR HD to the computer?

 

[NEALP]

I have the HD antenna feed coming into the tuner in the computer and coming out through a DVI output on video card into a DVI input on my LCD tv. Newer computers video cards also have HDMI outputs.

 

[bironacad]

I have the HD antenna feed coming into the tuner in the computer and coming out through a DVI output on video card into a DVI input on my LCD tv. Newer computers video cards also have HDMI outputs.

I will have to take a trip to the store.:thumbsup:

 

[mostly_gas]

I have an analog tuner in my computer so no HD. I am using XP media center and it takes 3.5 gig per hour at the highest quality setting so it will hog disk space.

 

[OKnewguy]

One other option might be this.
Magnavox 320GB DVR and DVD Recorder, MDR513H/F7 - Walmart.com
I have one, that was not digital ready. It worked great for years and would record the cable stuff no problem, up until a few months ago when something happened with the software that controls it.
Anyway, these units are pretty simple, the hdd recorder that I had used
TVGOS, or TV Guide on Screen, it worked great, you could search for shows, and set up recordings. This allowed you to not have to program by time like the old vcr's. TVGOS screen is free and pretty cool, but some area's have not been carry the signal since the change to digital.
Good luck, Dave

 

[NEALP]

It does take a lot of disk space, but hard drives are cheap now days. I actually have two internal hard drives and one external. I added a 1 TB internal and 1 TB external (1 for picture storeage and 1 for TV recording) and Media Center takes care of the rest.

 

[dcyrilc]

I went a different route with an internal 2TB HD and am slowly converting my DVD collection to hard drive so that we can stream it to any computer or TV in the house. I've been thinking about doing TV too, but I think that will end up waiting until I upgrade the computer later.

 

[boggen]

HD on computer can slow the computer down some pretty good more so the cheap little 50 or less HD tv things for computers.

now if ya got a add on card for computer that had built in video compression right on the card itself. vs tossing all the computing onto the CPU then you have pretty good time.

 

[Pilot]

What we would record on is a laptop that has been replaced with a newer model, so right now it is just sitting around.

Are TV tuners gadgets that go internally (so they wouldn't work for laptops) or are there external tuners?

 

[boggen]

What we would record on is a laptop that has been replaced with a newer model, so right now it is just sitting around.

Are TV tuners gadgets that go internally (so they wouldn't work for laptops) or are there external tuners?

tv tuners is what you most likely will be getting if for a laptop. range any were from 5 bucks to 80 bucks at newegg.com

you need a descent new computer in last few years to record HD. and then to View HD. older computers will just "bog" down. to a point were just moving a mouse takes a few seconds.

if you obtained an older tv tuner, before (digital) or used the RCA connector for like a vcr, and then went with a digital converter box. for (old tv's) so the resolution is smaller. old computers can work. the video will look poorer. but the computer will respond and work.

i would like to give better details, but been out of PC tech support for so long. that actual CPU speeds, and like i just don't know any more, for rough guess statements of if laptop could handle HD descently or not.

 

[dmccarty]

What we would record on is a laptop that has been replaced with a newer model, so right now it is just sitting around.

Are TV tuners gadgets that go internally (so they wouldn't work for laptops) or are there external tuners?

There are internal and external tuners. I have not used an external tuner since mine is in an internal one. The external tuners I have see have been USB based.

Later,
Dan