?USB Tv Tuner, works with Vista Media Center

i have the Pinnacle PCTV Ultimate USB TV Tuner.... lets just say that the included software is just too buggy compared to Vista MEdia Center (i have a analog TV tuner for my desktop) and the Media Center doesnt detect the tuner properly.....

anyone can recommend(from experience/read from other people's reviews) that
1) USB TV Tuner, works perfectly with Vista Media Center x64.... no problems with detecting the tuner, no problems with changing channels, recording....

[i'm planning to use such a tuner with Over-The-Air Digital Channels.....]

2) [optional] ClearQam Support if possible, but not a must.

 

I don't know about x64, but the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-950 is AMAZING. The included WinTV 6 software is nice, simple and easy. You can run an exe to add Media Center integration. I have Media Center set up for cable so it can record TV shows, and I have WinTV set up for high-def OTA. I'm not a big fan of the WinTV recorder but it definately works. Great product! Let me know if there's any more info you need.

Supports ClearQam (I've never used it), NTSC, ATSC, Analog, and it even has an RCA (red, white and yellow) and S-Video input.

One more thing, it has an IR receiver on the actual unit that can be used to change chanels, record and etc. if you buy the remote (I think it's like $15).

 

so u'r 100% it works in Vista x86's Media Center... digital OTA signals get to MCE (recording always works without much CPU utilization in Media Center,... never a problem, thats why im insisting on using it)

think i might look at WinTV-HVR-950 Q, since it has ClearQAM.... but i can't find anyone selling it.... theres a reviewer @ amazon's HVR-950 page saying he has the Q version, but i cant find it anywhere


EDIT: from WinTV HVR 950Q's FAQ

what does this mean? does it mean i cannot schedule two recordings, one digital, one analog, and the tuner knows what to do?

 

Form my experience, if you set it up correctly (I'll have to remember how to so it) you can have both cable and high-def OTA chanels set up in WinTV. So you right click on the box where it tells you your current chanel and you see all your pre-configured chanels (NTSC AND ATSC) (the chanel suite lets you scan for chanels). That's how mine works, so if I don't care about recording I'll use WinTV, but if I want to record something (using the guide) I'll use Media Center.

NOTE: With MC, you can only set up either NTSC or ATSC (or just one source) at a time with the 950. To change sources you have to go through the whole set-up and guide download again, so it's only worth it to stick with one source for MC.

As for where to buy....
http://registration.hauppauge.com/webstore/hardware2.asp?product=hvr950q

I have had trouble occasionally gettin ASTC OTA signals to work with MC because it says it can't find guide listings so it doesn't see the chanels for some reason, but NTSC OTA works fine.

EDIT:
So to answer your question, you CAN schedule recordings using different sources but ONLY if they're both OTA. If you have to change the physical cable to switch from OTA to cable or w/e you want to do it obviously won't work.

 

okay, thanks for the info..

think i'll wait for the prices to go down first(<$80)... still have a month to decide

 

I found mine on a site where you can 'catch deals' (backwards). (I don't really know if I can talk about other sites and all, sorry). Look for deal sites and sales.

 

Strange, I have the same pinnacle USB tv tuner and it's always worked fine with my vista media center, though I am running 32 bit vista...

 

@Dan333SP

a) do u get ClearQAM on Vista Media Center?
b) does ur analog work?.... Vista MCE detects the digital part, but not the analog part... .... tested with my desktop Vista x86, no dice


besides, it took Pinnacle 6 months to get ClearQAM beta working..... dont think i'll buy any product from them again..

 

well you could just buy the media center remote...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880100851

 

its not the remote thing.... i have a set of that media center remote and an analog PCI card for my desktop...

its the software problem... lack of drivers/bad programming, lousy service/product

 

I found the Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick on sale so I picked one up. I am also running Visa MCE 64-bit.

On the Pinnacle website driver section there are drivers for the 32-bit MCE only. There is a Beta version of their own DVR application for 64-bit, but MCE can't see the device.

64-bit teething pains....