USB TV Tuner Card - Watch out!!

Solomon_abx · 07-10-2001, 12:33 AM

I recently purchased an ATI TV Wonder USB tuner card and had some problems. The picture quality was poor and the sound was choppy. Sometimes I would get a USB bandwidth warning. Installed USB devices include a cable modem (bandwith hog!) and an explorer mouse. Also the card was mono, not stereo. I had to send the card back.

I then purchased a Hauppauge (model 401) WinTV stereo PCI card with FM radio. Outstanding video and audio quality!

Just a heads up for those looking for a TV tuner card.

Manuel Gomes · 07-10-2001, 05:39 AM

I sort of have a similar problem with a Pinnacle Studio USB TV, the image quality is awful. Do you know why this happens? Does it have to do with USB bandwidth?
USB devices: Logitech mouse, HP scanner, Nokia 447Xs monitor USB hub and Studio USB TV.
Don't use the scanner much, so only the others could influence, specially the mouse.
Used to have a Miro Video PCI card that did a much better job, but had no FM radio or stereo sound.

JeffMD · 07-10-2001, 10:52 AM

yea, the video needs to be compressed on the device and sent along the limited bandwidth of the usb cable. the cable modem makes this a much bigger problem, cant download files at a high bitrate and watch tv at the same time.

Also the compression used would be a real crappy one that dosnt require much cpu power on the device to keep cost down, so image quality suffers.

Manuel Gomes · 07-12-2001, 12:02 PM

I sort of solved the problem uninstalling the drivers and re-installing back again. The image is much better now but you can always tell that the quality is not great, and the response is slow, whenever you open a window, move your mouse or something you can see it almost stop for a while.

JeffMD · 07-12-2001, 12:40 PM

whats your computer speed? sounds like either your vid drivers arnt so great or your cpu is pegged at maxed decompressing the video image that it chokes when other apps and the OS grab some cpu time..

Solomon_abx · 07-12-2001, 01:28 PM

The best application for the USB TV card is a portable laptop where you don't have an extra PCI slot.
I think the USB bandwidth can't deal with the sound and the video of the TV card very efficiently, maybe USB 2.0 would help?
I've got a fairly fast computer and even with nothing else running USB but the mouse, the picture and audio was not that great.
Basically, these TV cards use the same overlay technology so it has to be the drivers or the USB bandwidth. The Hauppauge PCI card is vastly superior in video and audio to the USB.
Anyone else have a USB TV card?

Manuel Gomes · 07-12-2001, 01:31 PM

This one is in an old MSI BX board with a P2@400 with 128Mb RAM. Of course may main rig is an CUSL2-C with P3@733

07-10-2001, 12:33 AM	#1
Solomon_abx Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: USA Posts: 1,634	USB TV Tuner Card - Watch out!! I recently purchased an ATI TV Wonder USB tuner card and had some problems. The picture quality was poor and the sound was choppy. Sometimes I would get a USB bandwidth warning. Installed USB devices include a cable modem (bandwith hog!) and an explorer mouse. Also the card was mono, not stereo. I had to send the card back. I then purchased a Hauppauge (model 401) WinTV stereo PCI card with FM radio. Outstanding video and audio quality! Just a heads up for those looking for a TV tuner card.
(Offline)

07-10-2001, 05:39 AM	#2
Manuel Gomes Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Aveiro, Portugal Posts: 256	USB TV I sort of have a similar problem with a Pinnacle Studio USB TV, the image quality is awful. Do you know why this happens? Does it have to do with USB bandwidth? USB devices: Logitech mouse, HP scanner, Nokia 447Xs monitor USB hub and Studio USB TV. Don't use the scanner much, so only the others could influence, specially the mouse. Used to have a Miro Video PCI card that did a much better job, but had no FM radio or stereo sound.
(Offline)

07-10-2001, 10:52 AM	#3
JeffMD Otaku Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 739	yea, the video needs to be compressed on the device and sent along the limited bandwidth of the usb cable. the cable modem makes this a much bigger problem, cant download files at a high bitrate and watch tv at the same time. Also the compression used would be a real crappy one that dosnt require much cpu power on the device to keep cost down, so image quality suffers.
(Offline)

07-12-2001, 12:02 PM	#4
Manuel Gomes Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Aveiro, Portugal Posts: 256	done it I sort of solved the problem uninstalling the drivers and re-installing back again. The image is much better now but you can always tell that the quality is not great, and the response is slow, whenever you open a window, move your mouse or something you can see it almost stop for a while.
(Offline)

07-12-2001, 12:40 PM	#5
JeffMD Otaku Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 739	whats your computer speed? sounds like either your vid drivers arnt so great or your cpu is pegged at maxed decompressing the video image that it chokes when other apps and the OS grab some cpu time..
(Offline)

07-12-2001, 01:28 PM	#6
Solomon_abx Registered User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: USA Posts: 1,634	The best application for the USB TV card is a portable laptop where you don't have an extra PCI slot. I think the USB bandwidth can't deal with the sound and the video of the TV card very efficiently, maybe USB 2.0 would help? I've got a fairly fast computer and even with nothing else running USB but the mouse, the picture and audio was not that great. Basically, these TV cards use the same overlay technology so it has to be the drivers or the USB bandwidth. The Hauppauge PCI card is vastly superior in video and audio to the USB. Anyone else have a USB TV card?
(Offline)

07-12-2001, 01:31 PM	#7
Manuel Gomes Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Aveiro, Portugal Posts: 256	tv tuner This one is in an old MSI BX board with a P2@400 with 128Mb RAM. Of course may main rig is an CUSL2-C with P3@733
(Offline)

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