Looking to Buy TV Tuner Card, please give Suggestions!! (urgent)

[howdid]

I am looking to buy a TV tuner card so i can watch TV on one of my three COmputer Monitors while working, or just record TV.

I tried to do searches over the internet but there are just too too TOO many brands and models out there and too little written reviews about these things

so i thought i had tried here since i am at Toronto Canada

Basically what i want the TV tuner card to do is the following

- Uses a PCI-Express Slot (the only slot i have left on my Mobo)
- Can watch Rogers Digital TVs (the more channals the better)
- Can get Rogers HDTV
- Can hopefully decrypt Rogers TV so i can watch all the channals for free
- Work with Vista Home premium 64bit
- Record TV
- Has its own software or work with Windows Media Center

Please
if any of you are using a TV tuner card here in Canada and has Rogers TV lemmi know what works and what doesnt
thanks
im looking to buy one b4 store closes today in 2 hrs!!!

[Gav]

I would probably go with this one.
Canadian Prices: MSI Computer - MSI TV-TUNER CARD,THEATER 650 PRO, PCI-E, RETAIL - THEATER650PRO

It's PCI-E and should come with it's own software and also works with Windows MCE.

AFAIK you are not going to be able to find anything that can do any of the following:

- Can watch Rogers Digital TVs (the more channals the better)
- Can get Rogers HDTV
- Can hopefully decrypt Rogers TV so i can watch all the channals for free

[howdid]

So if i get a TV tuner
do i still need a Rogers Digital TV box to decrypt their signal?

[Gav]

Yes, you need a the digital box to get the digital channels, but even at that, the tuner will not pickup the digital ones as they are encrypted.

[CMetaphor]

You can actually watch/record your rogers TV, you'll just need to buy one extra thing : an IR blaster (and remote if you want as well). In MCE you can figure your tv tuner card to record the incoming s-video signal with the audio but use the IR blaster to change the channels on your box that sends those signals to your tuner. That way, your computer will be able to turn on your rogers box, change the channel to the one you want to record/watch, and even turn it off again once your done. I would know, im using an ATI theater 650 pro (PCI version though) in my HTPC right now and can everything I just mentioned with my Videotron Illico HD settop box. Hope the info helps!

[howdid]

So what does the IR blaster do exactly?
does it just recieve signals from the remote??
lol sorry im a bit confused as im new to this stuff

or does the IR blaster somehow decrypts Rogers digital signals?

[CMetaphor]

Q. So what does the IR blaster do exactly?
A. It acts like a regular remote infrared reception firstly, but it also has two jacks on it for "repeaters". These little guys you stick onto the front of your Rogers settop box where ITS IR receptor is. In this way, when you plug in the IR blaster/receiver to your computer (via USB), the computer can send direct IR signals to your settop box.

Q. does it just recieve signals from the remote??
A. Nope. See the previous answer.

Q. does the IR blaster somehow decrypts Rogers digital signals?
Not at all. Your Rogers settop box (as well as most settop boxes) have two video outputs, one digital and one analog. In the case of my systems Illico HD box, I use HDMI out to go to my TV (to watch HD stuff with the best quality) then use the S-video and standard audio to go to my TV Tuner in my HTPC. The Rogers box still does all the decoding, its just that now your HTPC can control it and record from it.

Also note that in my experience even when watching an HD Tv station, the settop box will offer a down-coverted version via S-video thats still superior quality to that of regular digital or analog channels.

[sswilson]

If you want a solution that doesn't involve using the Rogers set-top box your only choice is to run analog cable which will give you all of the standard channels (up to channel 80 or so). This is basically the same as using a TV, but your TV card will then be able to change channels and record those stations without any fancy footwork.

As far as cards which will decode goes... they are available in the US, but to date I've yet to hear of any cable company offering them for use in Canada.

[b1lk1]

If you are in Toronto there are some free HD channels that are OTA (over the air) but they are not going to be the premium channels. There is no way to intercept and descramble ANY companies signals without some form of a modified receiver and they are quite illlegal.

[DK2]

I got a Hauppauge WinTV USB tuner for about $50.
meh, it does what it says, but don't expect high quality.
All I wanted was cheap anyways.... not really into it......