Thanks.

So last question, can the Avermedia be bought locally anywhere here in the Lower Mainland?

I didn't buy mine locally and haven't looked domestically. If you have trouble finding it, send me a private message.

FYI, I did use the AverMedia via my MCE 2005 box to watch/record a couple of the HD hockey games from the local CBC ATSC broadcast. My biggest problem is that I have an indoor (Terk) antenna and hence, the signal can be finicky.

Also, have some decent storage available - HD can be as high as 10GB/hour and you need a decent graphics card to process it - I use nVidia 66xx.

Ted

FYI, I did use the AverMedia via my MCE 2005 box to watch/record a couple of the HD hockey games from the local CBC ATSC broadcast. My biggest problem is that I have an indoor (Terk) antenna and hence, the signal can be finicky.

Also, have some decent storage available - HD can be as high as 10GB/hour and you need a decent graphics card to process it - I use nVidia 66xx.

Ted

Thanks for the info. PM Sent.

I recently just upgraded my entire computer, so storage is not a issue (I have 300g, 120g, 60g), but I'm not really looking at recording a whole lot, just viewing.

Regarding the graphics card, thats good to note. I just bought a Geforce 7600GS, but I'm going to have to sell it and upgrade that. Reason is because I'm just about to order a Apple Cinema 23" and my max res on this video card won't support the max res on that monitor. Any video cards you recommend, say in the under $350 range?

Hi everybody!

Only a few days ago I found out it is possible to receive HDTV OTA. It is awesome!
So, I am novice. Could you recommend me a PCI HDTV tuner (100-150CAD)?
I would like to watch channels from antenna and Rogers cable. FusionHDTV5 USB looks very well but,unfortunately it has only one RF input connector.

Dimas.

You do realize that you can only watch non-HD channels from Rogers cable on your PC right? And to do so you will need a card that accepts NTSC or an S-video input if you want to use a cable box. If you use a cable box then you will need an IR blaster as well.

The only HD channels you would be able to get is OTA channels which depends on where you live. You don't list your location so I am assuming you are in the GTA - if not then you are out of luck unless you are in Windsor.

I have the Kworld-ATSC110 card that is available at Tiger direct for $90 after rebates (see here (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1632017&CatId=1425). It has some bugs but works okay although I haven't used it too much.)

There is also the ATI HDTV wonder and Avermedia HD cards as well.

You will also likley need some software to watch TV - I have bought a copy of BeyondTV which also acts as a PVR. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have Canadian OTA-HD channels (unless they have changed that recently). Make sure that your software works with the card you get or vice-versa.

If you are in the GTA and want to receive Buffalo channels then you will likely need an outdoor antenna.

Could you recommend me a PCI HDTV tunerHi Dimas, what is your location (City, major street corner)?

Read through this thread from the beginning for better info about card options.

If you have an antenna and a Rogers cable box going into one input you will need to isolate them from each other with a physical switch. If you have a PC card with 2 inputs you are okay.

Also when you get your PC card information here you can then go to the OTA Forum here at DHC for more specific info about reception and antennas:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27994

Thank you for so quick answer guys!

First I am going to watch HDTV on my PC monitor.
I have only regular Rogers cable and I understand I will watch only non-HD channels but in digital format. In addition, I understand, I’ll get more than 10 HDTV channels from CN Tower and Buffalo (I live in GTA) if I am lucky and 0 channels if I am not (depends of antenna, neighbors buildings and etc.).

I’ve looked at Kworld HDTV and Avermedia HD tuners. But they have only one digital RF input. Does it mean I have to unplug and plug antenna or cable every time, when I want to watch OTA channels or clear QAM channels?

ATI HDTV has 2 input, but one of them is analog. Can I plug Rogers cable into analog RF input and get clear QAM channels?

Dimas.

FWIW.

I have used the pcHDTV 3000 and pcHDTV 5500 (www.pchdtv.com) ATSC tuners with great success in my Linux MythTV box. The OTA reception is very steady with both cards. (The 5500 seems to handle weaker signals a bit better with it's newer tuner chip.)

For folks considering a Linux based solution these are great cards as they are supported out the box with the latest kernels. Outside of copying a firmware file into a directory in Linux, they work with little effort. (By Linux standards.)

It should be noted the manufacturer only officially supports Linux with these cards. (A bit of a switch from the norm.) So Windows users may need to look elsewhere. (There are Windows drivers... but some folks have had mixed results with the 3000 at least. It is unknown if the 5500 willl work in Windows well either.) But for Linux users, these cards are a solid option.

The Kworld card does have separate analog and digital RF inputs and it also has s-video and composite inputs. Check out the link I posted a few posts back.

The Kworld card does have separate analog and digital RF inputs and it also has s-video and composite inputs. Check out the link I posted a few posts back.

Sorry, let me correct myself. Kworld card has 2 inputs, one of them is analog. I would like to repeat my question – can I plug into analog input Rogers cable and watch QAM channels? How it possible to watch OTA and QAM channels without switching cables?

Sorry, let me correct myself. Kworld card has 2 inputs, one of them is analog. I would like to repeat my question – can I plug into analog input Rogers cable and watch QAM channels? How it possible to watch OTA and QAM channels without switching cables?I believe Rogers encrypts all of the QAM channels with the possible exception of VoD channels. Therefore don't count on getting any digital cable channels with the tuning card even if the card can accept both QAM cable and ATSC.

I believe Rogers encrypts all of the QAM channels with the possible exception of VoD channels. Therefore don't count on getting any digital cable channels with the tuning card even if the card can accept both QAM cable and ATSC.


"It works on cable channel too. I got over 50 watchable digital channels from Rogers cable. Unfortunately they are all 480i programs (that's why they are free I guess)."

"When I use channel autoscan to scan "analog + digital" in rogers cable, I got three types of channels:
analog
digital encrypt 256Q
digital 256Q

The digital 256Q channel can be watch. They are:
D780 - D782 ROGERS SPORTSNET
D788 - D789 CBCNEWS
D799 ROGERS DIGITAL
D825 - D829 WWE SPORTS
D830 CTV
D840 - D851 MUSIC CHANNEL (AUDIO ONLY)
D862 - D867 WWE ON DEMANDS
D880 - D883 FOR KIDS
D901
D930
D931
D1003
D1011
D1050
D1060
D1140 - D1149 FOOD CHANNEL
D1200 - D1208
D1204 CITY TV
D1205 NTV
D1243 FRENCH CHANNEL
D2040
D8310
D8410 - D8443
D8445
D8510

They are all 480i and much clear than the analog channels."

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42094

I hope that channels still free.

The digital 256Q channel can be watch. They are...I stand corrected and I wish I bought a card that can tune the cable channels.

I wouldn't rush out to get a card to try to grab the digital channels.

I've tried tuning in Rogers digital channels with my Dvico FusionHDTV5 and get pretty much the same results.

BUT........

I picked up about 331 QAM256 digital channels, about 300 of them encrypted. I only get a handfull of 'real' channels that I could watch, such as Global, CityTV, CBC, Rogers preview and help channels. I did also pick up the digital audio channels, but they occasionally broke up.

The rest are the "on demand" feeds to various customers. So you get to watch them fast forward, pause, rewind, and the channel will drop when they stop the viewing.

I would guess Rogers probably doesn't bother encrypting the feeds you can normally get on the cheap or wouldn't want to pay for, since encrypting hardware costs money.

The digital receiving cards that also handle analog channels, I found, do not do a good job of receiving analog channels. So I ended up buying the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR analog TV tuner card, the quality is top notch for 480i.

Later,
SLam

I've bought MyHD 130 (I hope so). It picked up about 40 digital channels from Rogers cable despite my Rogers basic analog package, and only one :( OTA HD channel. I use indoor antenna Phillips with amplifier (WAL-MART $25) .

In device manager I see "MyHD-100" not 130 :eek: ! What does it means?

I've bought MyHD 130 (I hope so). It picked up about 40 digital channels from Rogers cable despite my Rogers basic analog package, and only one :( OTA HD channel. I use indoor antenna Phillips with amplifier (WAL-MART $25) . How many of those 40 channels are HD?

How many of those 40 channels are HD?
0 (zero)

I just need to find a place to by a OTA HDTV card locally?You could phone the pc parts places on Bridgeport Road because I've seen HDTV cards in some of their ads. I wish I could be more specific. As for CBC and CTV in DTV, you'll easily get them from where you are. :)

anyone have more info on where to get pc htdv ota cards in gvr?

pick up a hub magazine, there are a couple stores that sell the HDTV wonder.

try here (http://www.pricenetwork.ca/search.php?search=HDTV+wonder&location=Canada), it should point you in the right direction.