At 07:52 PM 11/20/2002, Leander Haffner wrote:
>I want to install a TV tuner card in my computer. I am wondering if I do this can I copy
>a vcr tape to my hard drive and then burn it to a dvd with a dvd burner.If this is not
>possible can you tell me what I have to do to do this.


Yes, this is one function of a TV card.  You can also copy a VCR
tape directly to a DVD disc.  Now this applies to tapes you have
recorded, remember that commercial VCR tapes have all sorts of
copy protection schemes and they rarely can be overcome using
a computer in this manner.

The secret here is the software.  Not all DVD or CD recording software
is equal, so you can always buy a different disk writer software program... but,
you are stuck with what ever software came with your TV card,
so be sure you get a top end card, the cheap ones often have issues
with buffer overruns when trying to create large video captures.  Also
be sure that your TV card mates well with your existing video card...   typically
it is best if they are the same brand.   Another option is to go with a card
like ATI's All-in-Wonder cards that have all the functions on one card, (I
recommend the newer cards...  64mg card or better, vs the older ones).

Of the six computers on my home network, three of them have TV cards.
I purchased a generic card about five years ago and it was terrible.  I replaced
it with a STB PCI TV card, (I still have this one).  Then, I purchased a Matrox
Rainbox Runner card mated to a Matrox Millennium card.  I never could get
this card to work well and sold it.  About two years ago I opted for an ATI
All-in-Wonder 128 Pro card when I built the PC that runs our home entertainment
system.  This has been a very good card working initially in Windows98 and
now in WindowsXP Pro.   The last TV card I bought was a Hauppauge WinTV-Go
card for my son's PC.  This card is in a PC with a generic 64mg nVidia GeForce2
card and works flawlessly for him in WindowsME.

So my recommendation would be to go with either a Hauppauge card or
the newer ATI All-in-Wonder card.

Also, if you have purchased a DVD player for your home entertainment
center that supports VCD and/or SVCD, you can copy your VCR tapes
and make copies with your CD Writer, with the proper CD Writer software
such as Nero v5.  It takes twice as many CD disks, but it works just as
well as writing to a DVD.

    Bob Wright
The NoSpin Group
http://freepctech.com

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