Help me pick out some htpc components

[0o0]

Starting off with the TV tuner, I've got the following 2 in mind though I'm open to any suggestions as long as it's roughly within this price-range. Which of the following two would you guys recommend, or should I choose something completely different? Thanks.
WinTV-HVR-1250 Product overview for $40 used
or
TVW650PCIE|ATI TV Wonder HD 650 Combo|TVW650 at diamondmm.com $65 new, comes with this remote control thingy

Thanks

[lowfat]

Who is your TV provider? Are you using non digital cable? Or a STB (set top box)?

[0o0]

right now, my provider is rogers, though that's probably about to change to a satillite provider next month (not sure specifically which one yet), though it is highly likely that I'll also get a antenna for OTA. I believe the service is digital. if the stb refers to that box that has an input for cable ans outputs enchanced signals, then yes I've got one of those too ;)

[lowfat]

Then AFAIK you can't use any tuner then. You need a capture card. Especially w/ satellite. Satellite providers in Canada do not allow the use of a satellite card either. You may be able to use tuner card w/ rogers but I have my doubts on that. AFAIK they don't use Clear QAM.

Now as far as TV Tuners. Must suck. Badly. I can't recommend any. Especially for the price range you are looking at.

[headsh0t]

You could still just output using RCA jacks from the settop box to the TV tuner card, could you not? You'd have to change channels with the settop remote and it would still change channels on the settop box, but you could still record right?

[lowfat]

Originally Posted by headsh0t

You could still just output using RCA jacks from the settop box to the TV tuner card, could you not? You'd have to change channels with the settop remote and it would still change channels on the settop box, but you could still record right?

The cards don't have RCA. They have S-Video. However no audio. Meaning you need to record from your sound card. It isn't easy.

[headsh0t]

Well this WinTV-PVR-150 I have sitting in front of me has RCA in. I've never used it though I just bought it cause it was cheap. Thought I'd use it eventually but never did. I've now got an actual PVR to record TV. You don't need an HD tuner card because you won't be able to record HD from your provider anyways, with those specific tuners. Those tuners are for recording over-the-air (OTA) HD channels which I'm not sure how many are in the Toronto area, maybe a few? I'm guessing like CBC, CBS, NBC, FOX and channels like that. So if that's what you want to do then ya those are the tuners you need, but if you're wanting to recording from a cable/satellite box then an HD tuner is not needed, unless you can find one with component-in or hdmi-in if they even exist or are at a reasonable price.

[Arinoth]

I believe the only route you can go with a 'tv tuner' will have to be an ATI all-in-wonder card as they can handle must if not all different input types (at least RCA but i believe component and probably hdmi by now).