Whats needed for video, tv, etc

  • Thread starter Thread starter sofasurfer
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sofasurfer

My system...
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-7VTXE
Processor - AMD Duron 1200 mhz
RAM - 383 mb
Harddrive - 120 gigs
Soundcard - Creative SoundBlaster PC512
Video Card - NVidia GeForce4 MX440

Now I want to be able to watch and record DVDs, download movies and
watch tv. If I am able to do other things (and I don't know what other
things there are to do) that would be an added bonus.

My question is, what do I need to buy? I want to get by cheaply. I am
willing to buy off ebay and possibly get used equipment. Don't care,
just wanna watch video with my pc after all these years.

I hear words like "video capture" and "video memory" along with "DVD"
and "Video Card" but I don't know whats required and whats optional.

Sure could use some advice. Thanks...
 
Check out www.newegg.com. You'll need a video/tv card and a DVDROM/burner.
I've used a Leadtek card for years. It is a software card but it performs
well in my system, it has been reliable and the latest software is pretty
decent. I think you can get the Leadtek w/o FM for around $30 and you should
be able to get a DVD burner for around $40. You'll also need software for
the DVD burner. An OEM DVDROM that I purchased from Newegg came with the
software to play DVDs but this isn't always the case with OEM hardware.
However, you can usually get older versions of popular DVD software for a
few bucks.

With your system you probably won't be able to do the tivo like function but
you should be able to capture TV okay. The Hauppauge cards are hardware
cards and much of the function is done by the card instead of your cpu but
these cards are much more expensive. I have a old model Hauppauge card in
another machine that we use strictly for TV viewing and VCR input at our
summer home. I prefer the Leadtek card.

Wayne
 
My system...
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-7VTXE
Processor - AMD Duron 1200 mhz
RAM - 383 mb
Harddrive - 120 gigs
Soundcard - Creative SoundBlaster PC512
Video Card - NVidia GeForce4 MX440

Now I want to be able to watch and record DVDs,
Click to expand...

What do you mean by record DVDs?

To watch DVDs, you need a DVD player.
download movies
Click to expand...

Cable or DSL modem.
and watch tv.
Click to expand...

A video/TV capture card.

But I don't understand why. A television, a large picture tube made
for watching TV, is better.
If I am able to do other things (and I don't know what other
things there are to do) that would be an added bonus.
Click to expand...

With your system, you probably won't be authoring DVDs.
My question is, what do I need to buy? I want to get by cheaply. I
am willing to buy off ebay and possibly get used equipment. Don't
care, just wanna watch video
Click to expand...

Watching video is no big deal. High-end games and media editing is
another subject.
with my pc after all these years.

I hear words like "video capture" and "video memory" along with
"DVD" and "Video Card" but I don't know whats required and whats
optional.
Click to expand...

You don't know what a "video card" is?

Have fun.
 
It is further alleged that on or about 27 Dec 2005 19:30:27 -0800, in
alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt, the queezy keyboard of
(e-mail address removed) spewed the following:

|>You'll need a video/tv card and a DVDROM/burner.
|>I've used a Leadtek card for years
|
|So are you saying my Nvidia GeForce card is inadequete?

Leadtek manufactures Nvidia cards as do a couple of dozen other
companies.
--

-nos1eep

Scaling up the heights of folly.
non est ponenda pluritas sine necessitate
 
I'm not familiar with the video card you have, but a video card may or may
not have a TV tuner incorporated on the card. The only such cards I'm
familiar with are the ATI All-in-One cards.

You need both video and tv tuner to watch, capture, time shift, etc. TV.

Wayne
 
What you need is a multimedia card to do what you seem to want to do. A
video card is usually just for your display. As I mentioned in the previous
post there are cards that combine video and multimedia functions but that
isn't what you have. Check out the leadtek site: www.leadtek.com to see the
difference between video and multimedia cards. Leadtek makes both.

Wayne
 
Tv tuner card or ATI All In Wonder video card
DVD-RW ROM
DVD player software (usually comes with the burner/rom)
 
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