PVR question

[NeilC]

Thanks! Your post was spot-on. BTW what are some of the better TV capture cards? I suppose I would like a configuration where the captured signal gets recorded directly to the DVD. If I could get the same quality of recording directly I could forego a DVD recorder and simply use a DVD player. Am I right that you imply that a dedicated DVD player/recorder is still the best option?

I am picking up the modulator tomorrow.

[sensibull]

BTW what are some of the better TV capture cards?

See the very last line of my 2nd to last post.

I suppose I would like a configuration where the captured signal gets recorded directly to the DVD.

Not really possible with a computer to go directly onto a blank DVD, but you can record at DVD quality mpeg (720 x 480) and then use a burning program that does not re-encode during authoring (i'd have to look into which ones those are, but I think TMPGenc DVD Author is one). Even if your software re-encodes, the quality loss would be slight so long as you use the "DVD Quality" setting in your capture card.

Am I right that you imply that a dedicated DVD player/recorder is still the best option?

Well, yes and no. In your situation, with your process and your current gear, a DVD recorder would lessen the number of re-encoding steps, remove the potential for CPU hickups ruining a recording, and make for an overall easier setup process. It also looks better in the living room (Unless you go the extra mile and buy a really nice computer case). But it depends on your priorities, and how much into the computer stuff you want to get. If you want to be able to edit the files, a component DVD recorder doesn't offer that. There's also the cost of specialized blank media, which some component DVD recorders require. Personally, I will never buy a component DVD recorder because I think a computer is just so much more flexible. But then again, I don't archive my recorded tv on DVDs... I just save to my hard drive, watch, and delete. When I buy equipment, I usually base my decision on what can offer me the most uses and flexibility w/o rendering any of my current gear redundant. You already have the TV wonder and the PC. A PC burner will only be $40 more (or maybe you have one already?). A PC burner will also allow you to copy DVDs w/o any restrictions, create your own customized DVDs (assuming you even want to), archive data on DVD-ROMs, and they are on average $100 cheaper than component DVD burners. In fact, you could probably get a PC burner and component player for the same or less than the cost of a component buner. That would be the best of both worlds, IMO.

I am picking up the modulator tomorrow.

Just make sure it has an s-video input. Not all of them do.