TV Tuner: USB 2.0 or CardBus?

Hello

I would like to watch TV on my laptop and there are 2 different types of TV tuners available: CardBus and USB 2.0. Wich ones would perform the best. I have Windows MCE and if possible, I would like to witch channels with the remonte that came with my laptop. I've found 2 nice products up to now:
AVerTV Cardbus MCE
http://www.aver.com/2005home/product/tvtuner/cardbus/cardbusmce/cardbusmce.shtml

and

ATI TV WONDER USB 2.0
http://www.ati.com/products/tvwonderusb20/index.html

Please let me know about the difference between CardBus performance and USB 2.0. If you have other products to suggest me, please feel free to do so.
Thank you.

 

I have the ati tuner and love it. You can't play games (PS2/XBOX) on it though because of the lag. Nice pvr.

 

In general, if you want the equipment to be usable on both laptops and desktops, USB is your only option. If you are prepared to limit the usage to laptops only, PCMCIA (Cardbus) is generally preferred. It's at least partially internal, whereas USB is completely external, thus suffering from more potential lags and glitches.

 

I have the basic AverTV carbus tv tuner. After looking at the specifications the only difference is that the basic version has an older PVR program and lacks and included antenna in the package. Anyway, this tuner works fairly well, it has a small lag when using the coaxial cable and has a slightly smaller lag through the s-video and composite cables. The one problem I have had is that the video I record with it can only be played back using PowerDVD on my laptop, the included viewing program, winamp, WMP, and any other programs I use to watch what I have recorded stop playing after a few seconds. Besides this my only warning would be that in 2009 all analog tv broadcasts will be shut down so that would make the TV tuner ability to be useless. Unfortunately the PCMCIA card readers on non-PCIe laptops cannot transfer data fast enough to be used in Digital tv tuners, ergo the expresscard slots on newer laptops.

 

Hello
Thanks people for your advices.
Mrbeef, please correct me if i misunderstood what you wrote but if I use a CardBus TV Tuner in a ExpressCard Slot, that would improve its overall performance? Are these 2 formats compatible? (I'm a newbie in notebook hardware...).
Are there ExpressCard TV tuners available right-now? I know that Aver made one but it's B/O every where I saw it. Hp also has one but I can't buy it from their website since i'm living in Canada.
And about your warning, will analog broadcasting stop in Canada in 2009?

By the way, my notebook is an HP Dv5040 with an ATI 200M chipset. Is it a PCIe laptop?

Thank you very much!

 

I have the ATI Tv Tuner. Several comments. First, the tuner works pretty well. I use the software that it came with, though I did try others (InterVideo Home Theater), with which I was able to get the video but not the sound. The ATI software is OK, but with the Hometheater I was able to play X-Box on the computer. It worked really well with Splinter Cell, Acceptably with Halo 2, and a little worse with PGR. That was with the basic setup, on an older laptop. I can't record on it with the built in software, but other programs record, and from S-Vido the picture is really nice. I am getting the new ASUS W3j in a month, and my bet is this thing will rock a lot more on it, between the better processor (I have one of the original centrinos, and it is on a dying motherboard) and the better video card (I have a 32MB mobility 9000, going to a 256Mb x1600). I would reccomend the ATI, it works, but I have also heard that the cardbus versions don't.

 

Unfortunately, cardbus and expresscard are not compatable with eachother. So cardbus cards will not work on expresscard hardware.
As for Canadian digital vs. analog tv broadcasts, I have absolutly no idea as to if they ever plan to switch over to total digital broadcasts.

 

I remember back in the late 90s or so analog broadcasts were supposed to stop in 2006. 2006 is here and we see no indication of that.

besides, HD coverage will have to grow first. we still get no HD channels over air where I live.

 

I think it is 2007 before HD is everything. Is that what the government is saying?

 

I believe its all digital for 2007, not HD.

 

One nice thing about the USB tuners is there is only one (USB) cable going to the laptop. With a cardbus tuner you need at least a piece of Coax (RG-6) and maybe A/V cables too. Cardbus also sticks out of the side about an inch. Since you need a signal source (TV Cable or antenna) you might as well leave that stuff hooked up to the USB box. The downside of USB is most of them require yet another 'Wall Wart' (power supply). I have a Hauppauge USB2 PVR and I like it.

 

The GameBridgeTV USB TV Tuner is a nice, small tuner that doesn't require a seperate power outlet, and produces no lag if you ever decide to play console games with it.

 

Thanks all for your help

So, am I right if I conclude that USB devices are more versatile and more reliable while CardBus devices perform a little better?

 

Versatile, yes (a lot more options), but I don't think that USB is more reliable than, well, anything.

 

Hello

I just found out that CarBus slots could be used to add a few USB 2.0 ports... So, in theory, CardBus video tuners should then peform better than USB devices right?

 

Well, cardbus, I think, is further up the chain than usb with communication with the north/south bridge controller. It makes sense, but I am not for sure if that is correct.

 

There are a number of digital tv and Hybrid pcmcia that receive very good reviews so I dont understand why you say they dont work, Maybe they cant do HD tv but im sure they would do SD fine.

 

I had to check that out; looks pretty cool. 125channel tv tuner PVR with remote for $100...it's on my wishlist now.