Author Topic: Share your HTPC Setup (Read 345879 times)

jpadua · « **Reply #150 on:** Sep 29, 2003 at 09:34 AM »

Quote from: jambam on Sep 27, 2003 at 09:45 PM

The Lian Li 9300 is very nice but , i just don't have the proper space for it . too long to fit on top of my RPTV and also on the table of my projector... It's Ideal if you have the right space for it w/c I don't have. I am thinking of selling it but it's a one of a kind case, and I put a lot of effort it getting it too..

Match sana siya sa Philips na Pixel Plus stand , kaso di ko tinuloy pagbili ng pixel + kasi naayos na ang toshiba RPTV ko.

I like AMD , since it's value for money that's why I choose the SN45G... also the soundstorm is so convinent for me. The SN61B ( Intel 865 PE) is also available but it would cost me at least a P25K adder, as this one is more expensive + 10K for the cpu + 7K for 400 fsb ddr ram, for that money I can get another SN45G w/c I might.

Also first choice ko talaga ito, it was the SN42G2 pa nga , but just could not get it from the local dealer, ayaw nila ipasok, this one looks better but a bit more expensive and also the built in video at higher resolutions is not very good.

Late ko na discover ang elektroniks depot.

Finish na setup ko ng SN45G , Tahimik siya ,magaan , and can fit in the places I would like to put it. sa top ng RPTV at table ng projector.

ayos ah.. how much would you sell it, I'm quite interested... need to setup another HTPC

jambam · « **Reply #151 on:** Sep 29, 2003 at 10:32 AM »

Jpadua, pare nadisplace siya ng Xbox ng anak ko kaya wala ng mapaglagyan.

I can only sell it at the price I got it, and it has to go w/ the motherboard I bought for it w/c is a redfox/Biostar M7NCG , NF2 din. The rest of the parts I put in the SN45G

You can text or call 09178422429

jpadua · « **Reply #152 on:** Sep 29, 2003 at 10:35 AM »

Quote from: jambam on Sep 29, 2003 at 10:32 AM

Jpadua, pare nadisplace siya ng Xbox ng anak ko kaya wala ng mapaglagyan.

I can only sell it at the price I got it, and it has to go w/ the motherboard I bought for it w/c is a redfox/Biostar M7NCG , NF2 din. The rest of the parts I put in the SN45G

You can text or call 09178422429

PM mo sakin ulit yung price I forgot na eh

jambam · « **Reply #153 on:** Sep 29, 2003 at 03:05 PM »

Quote

PM mo sakin ulit yung price I forgot na eh

ok may pm ka

jpadua · « **Reply #154 on:** Oct 29, 2003 at 10:01 AM »

Hey guys for HTPC Enthusiasts like ourselves, there is a new website specifically for us!

check out www.htpcnews.com (by the way I designed the site too)

Sign up narin kayo sa forums dun... maraming HTPC experts dun to give great advice.

aragorn · « **Reply #155 on:** Nov 11, 2003 at 01:36 AM »

Hey guys, I'm new here....

and here's what I have first .......

Pentium 200Mhz ( MMX )
ASUS TX-97e Socket 7 Mobo
64 MB SDRam
850MB HDD
4MB PCI Video Card
12Mb Voodoo 2 1000
USR 56K ISA modem
Creative DVD ROM
Creative SB16 ISA Sound Card
ATP3 Speaker ( 2.1 )
LG E700B ( 17" CRT Flat Monitor )

and.....the best of them all, my Creative DVD Decoder CARD.....inlay type ( connected inside to the Video Card, so u can watch at the same time on ur monitor and TV screen )

......video out ( RCA ) is incomparable to those video out that is integrated to the Video CARD....

I've already flashed the Creative DVD_ROM Drive so ......it's region free.....

if only u can hear and especially see the output....

tnx

jackryan · « **Reply #156 on:** Nov 11, 2003 at 07:13 AM »

Quote from: aragorn on Nov 11, 2003 at 01:36 AM

Hey guys, I'm new here....

and here's what I have first .......

Pentium 166Mhz ( MMX )
32 MB Ram
1.6 Gigabyte HDD
4MB PCI Video Card
Creative DVD ROM
Yamaha YXG Sound Card
Creative Soundworks Speaker ( 2.1 )

and.....the best of them all, my Creative DVD Decoder CARD.....inlay type ( connected inside to the Video Card, so u can watch at the same time on ur monitor and TV screen )

......video out ( RCA ) is incomparable to those video out that is integrated to the Video CARD....

I've already flushed the Creative DVD_ROM Drive so ......it's region free.....

this is what I got ....and still I'm using it....I've just change my HDD to 3.2 GB......the rest is still in perfect condition.......

if only u can hear and especially see the output....

tnx

Hi Aragorn !

Welcome to the board ! I think you meant "flashed" vs "flushed" ;-)

Cheers!

-jackryan

dge29 · « **Reply #157 on:** Dec 12, 2003 at 09:26 PM »

here's mine;

Duron 1.2ghz
Coolermaster HSF 5300rpm
Mainboard K7AMA2
2-Seagate 40GB HD
128MB DDR266 STAR RAM / 256MB DDR266 WINBOND
Sparkle GF4 MX420 64MB W/ TV-out
Leadtek Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe (TV/FM tuner w/remote)
Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Soundcard
Motorola internal modem
Cyberdrive CD-RW 40X/16X/48X
Liteon DVD ROM 16X
Chaintec Rounded IDE Cables (Yellow)
Mod Casing (Acrylic sidepanel)
CCFL (Blue)
2-80mm exhaust fans
1-92mm side intake fan
21" IYAMA Monitor
TG optical mouse
Altech Lansing ATP3 & 251
Zoltrix Headset w/ boom mic
500W AVR John & David
Intel Webcam USB III
Lexmark Z25 Printer
OS (win98 / WinXP pro sp1)

I would like to know how can I connect my pc to my tv. I tried connecting it once using an rca cable since its the only input of my tv. The problem is nothing comes out on the tv screen when i play dvd. help!!!!! Im not a techy person.

YrNeH · « **Reply #158 on:** Dec 13, 2003 at 05:27 AM »

Quote from: dge29 on Dec 12, 2003 at 09:26 PM

I would like to know how can I connect my pc to my tv. I tried connecting it once using an rca cable since its the only input of my tv. The problem is nothing comes out on the tv screen when i play dvd. help!!!!! Im not a techy person.

try this, shutdown pc or before booting, connect the rca cable to the video-out to the video-in of the tv then boot it up. see how it goes.

shalom

jpadua · « **Reply #159 on:** Dec 13, 2003 at 09:33 AM »

Quote from: dge29 on Dec 12, 2003 at 09:26 PM

I would like to know how can I connect my pc to my tv. I tried connecting it once using an rca cable since its the only input of my tv. The problem is nothing comes out on the tv screen when i play dvd. help!!!!! Im not a techy person.

Hi dge29,

You might have to access the advanced video settings.
Right click on your desktop and select properties, when the window comes up, click on the settings tab, then click the advanced button. You will find a new set of tabs, look for nview, or click on all the tabs till you find the page that shows a monitor. From there you can select your monitor and an option to use the video out to your TV. I'm guessing the TV output is not activated.

hope this helps

dge29 · « **Reply #160 on:** Dec 14, 2003 at 08:48 AM »

Quote from: jpadua on Dec 13, 2003 at 09:33 AM

Hi dge29,

You might have to access the advanced video settings.
Right click on your desktop and select properties, when the window comes up, click on the settings tab, then click the advanced button. You will find a new set of tabs, look for nview, or click on all the tabs till you find the page that shows a monitor. From there you can select your monitor and an option to use the video out to your TV. I'm guessing the TV output is not activated.
hope this helps

I tried it already. it works, I could see the desktop and everything elsw on my tv. But nothing comes out when Im playing DVD movies and other videos.

agmjr · « **Reply #161 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 08:07 AM »

sir jpadua,

i am quite interested in building my very own htpc...can u give me some barebone specs on what i need to have...i would like to keep the price at the minimum as it will be on experiment...ty po

jpadua · « **Reply #162 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 10:02 AM »

Quote from: agmjr on Dec 16, 2003 at 08:07 AM

sir jpadua,

i am quite interested in building my very own htpc...can u give me some barebone specs on what i need to have...i would like to keep the price at the minimum as it will be on experiment...ty po

Hi Agmjr,

There are so many brands out there, I guess it would be a matter of personal taste. Best I can do is give you a general idea of what kind of hardware you'll need, you can just canvas for the best deals

Processor - P4 1.8 or Athlon XP 2000 (for good measure both games and DVD movies)
Memory - 256MB to 512MB DDR (of course the higher the better)

If you want to save some cash, I suggest getting a motherboard that has built in Audio/Lan/USB2.0

For athlons try looking for an Nforce 2 board. Mini-ATX is ok because its cheaper than standard sized motherboards, you wont need much PCI slots since most of the functions would be built into your mother board (audio, lan, usb2.0 etc.)

In general, I would suggest looking for a mini-ATX board that has built in 6-channel audio (if you plan to use powered computer speakers like, creative 6.1, Logitech 5.1, creative Megaworks 6.1) If you plan to connect your HTPC to a Home Theater amplifier, make sure that the motherboard has a spdif output or digital audio output.

For video, you have several choices which again depends on the use of your machine (eg games, or just DVD)

Again things to look for in a video card; If you plan to connect your HTPC to a standard TV make sure that your video card has an s-video output connector. If you plan to connect it to an HDTV and do Hi Resolution DVD, then all you need is a male to male VGA cabe (a bit hard to find but I'm sure you can find that in HMR or S.O.S - these are surplus shops)

Personally I prefer ATI over Nvidia since ATI has been known to have the best DVD output, and has decent if not better than average 3D performance (depending on the video card model) All ATI Cards more or less share the same excellent DVD output across all their boards, price matters only in 3D performance.

Here are some Examples:

Ati Radeon 7000 - Cheapest but very good DVD output

ATI Radeon 9200 SE - Affordable, great DVD performance, 3D performance is higher than that of a Geforce FX 5600

ATI Radeon 9600/9600 pro - a bit on the pricy side but really fast 3D performance

Nvidia Geforce FX series - Good too, especially if you are into gaming. DVD is also good but I prefer ATI. Does not have the capability to display 1080i only 540p (ATI can do 1080i)

DVD-Rom (I use lite-on, but check reviews)

you can also opt for a combo drive which is now relatively cheaper nowadays

The sony combo drive is only about 3,500 to 4000 now.
Sony DVD/CD-RW combo drive

Hard drive is also a matter of preference when it comes to size, but I do suggest getting a 7200 RPM drive, 5400 RPM are way too slow. I have 2 Seagate Barraccuda 40GB drives.

To sumarize:
P4 1.8 or Athlon XP 2000 or higher
256-512mb DDR memory
Mini-ATX motherboard with built in 6-chan audio and Spdif output
ATI or Nvidia graphics card
DVD-rom drive or DVD/CD-RW combo drive
7200RPM Hard Disk Drive

I guess you can start canvasing for prices now

Good Luck!

jpadua · « **Reply #163 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 10:09 AM »

Quote from: dge29 on Dec 14, 2003 at 08:48 AM

I tried it already. it works, I could see the desktop and everything elsw on my tv. But nothing comes out when Im playing DVD movies and other videos.

hi dge29

hmm, I see... what are you using to play DVDs? I had that problem before with my laptop also. I found out that when I used Windows Media Player, it doesnt display on my TV, when I switched to a soft DVD player like PowerDVD or WinDVD it displays on the TV. I upgraded my windows media player to windows media player 9 and it finally displayed on my TV.

Try using a soft DVD player like PowerDVD, WinDVD or try upgrading your windows media player to version 9.

Hope this helps.

JPadua

slowhand · « **Reply #164 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 10:45 AM »

Am trying to update myself, though no plans yet. Sorry can't track the whole thread. Could I ask some questions...

Processor
------------
Doesn't Microsoft recommend a faster processor for WMP 9? Sabi nila - 2.53 GHz Intel or AMD Athlon XP 2200+ or higher processor for 720p and 3.0GHz or greater processor for 1080p?

Video Card
--------------
What can you say about ATI Radeon 9800 Pro series?
Does it have DVI? If not, which cards (w/DVI) would be good? And where to get DVI cables in Manila?

(I know that specs are avaiable online, but I'd like to know your experiences.)

Case
------
Were to get those cool horizontal, audio-component-looking cases?

Thanks!

jpadua · « **Reply #165 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 11:20 AM »

Quote from: slowhand on Dec 16, 2003 at 10:45 AM

Am trying to update myself, though no plans yet. Sorry can't track the whole thread. Could I ask some questions...

Processor
------------
Doesn't Microsoft recommend a faster processor for WMP 9? Sabi nila - 2.53 GHz Intel or AMD Athlon XP 2200+ or higher processor for 720p and 3.0GHz or greater processor for 1080p?

Video Card
--------------
What can you say about ATI Radeon 9800 Pro series?
Does it have DVI? If not, which cards (w/DVI) would be good? And where to get DVI cables in Manila?

Case
------
Were to get those cool horizontal, audio-component-looking cases?

Thanks!

Processor
If you plan to use a soft DVD player like WinDVD, PowerDVD or Theatertek, p4 1.8 will do or an athlonXP 2000. What microsoft was specifying is WMV9 HD video. You really need a power hungry processor. WMV9 HD is encoded in HD hence the high processing power needed to process 1080p. As of now, there are very very limited WMV9 titles, I have one.. Terminator 2 Extreme ed. But useless for me cause, you cant use Dolby digital on your amp. You have to have powered speakers directly connected to your soundcard.

If you are only going to be watching DVD's upscaled to HD, minimum I would say would be and athlon xp 2000, depending on what upscale you plan to use. I used to run it on a p3 1GHz and ran fine at 960x540. Now on my Athlon XP 2000, I watch DVD's at 1620x1080i on my HD TV. Sweet.

Video Card.

Any ATI card will do... even the Radeon 7000 has excellent DVD output. The higher end models will only be your concern if you have 3D performance in mind.

Cases

As of now, nobody is importing these beautiful cases simply because of lack of demand for it in the market...

only way is to buy it abroad, or build your own. (I made mine) heheh.

slowhand · « **Reply #166 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 01:35 PM »

Thanks jp. Mukhang matarik nga ang learning curve ano.

What do you mean by -- "you cant use Dolby digital on your amp. You have to have powered speakers directly connected to your soundcard." No digital out, analog out only?

How much to spend for a good HTPC?

jpadua · « **Reply #167 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 01:52 PM »

Quote from: slowhand on Dec 16, 2003 at 01:35 PM

Thanks jp. Mukhang matarik nga ang learning curve ano.

What do you mean by -- "you cant use Dolby digital on your amp. You have to have powered speakers directly connected to your soundcard." No digital out, analog out only?

How much to spend for a good HTPC?

heheh di naman, just takes a little patience to research. Anyway... what I mean by can't use Dolby Digital is that, WMV video is a single file, which has the encoded video and audio stream on the same file. WMV9 High Definition video is the same. In the case of a regular DVD, your dvd player decodes 2 things; the video file and audio file are separate. The audio file sent digitally to your amplifier to be decoded either in Dolby Digital or DTS (which ever applies). So when dealing with WMV9, the wmv file is being played by Windows Media Player 9 and the sound is output in analog. 5.1 sound is selected by changing the sound properties in the control panel. Since using a separate decoder uses digital out, WMV files can not be decoded by a standard amplifier.

I have seen some amplifiers on the web that has the capability to decode WMV digital stream. I dont think Ive seen one here. Anyway WMV9 HD movies are very scarce I doubt that they would be a standard, so there's no need to worry abou that

Jpadua

dge29 · « **Reply #168 on:** Dec 16, 2003 at 10:25 PM »

Quote from: jpadua on Dec 16, 2003 at 10:09 AM

hi dge29

hmm, I see... what are you using to play DVDs? I had that problem before with my laptop also. I found out that when I used Windows Media Player, it doesnt display on my TV, when I switched to a soft DVD player like PowerDVD or WinDVD it displays on the TV. I upgraded my windows media player to windows media player 9 and it finally displayed on my TV.

Try using a soft DVD player like PowerDVD, WinDVD or try upgrading your windows media player to version 9.

Hope this helps.

JPadua

Im using windows media palayer 9 and powerDVD

schlamm · « **Reply #169 on:** Jan 13, 2004 at 03:19 AM »

My HTPC:
AthlonXP 1800+ w/ Thermaltake Volcano 7+ HSF
Epox 8KHA+ VIA KT266A
1x 256MB Apacer DDR266
1x 512MB Elixer DDR400 (Generic)
17" ADI Microscan 5P
Inno3D GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB DVI
Leadtek Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe (TV w/ FM)
Audigy 1 SE (soon to be Audigy 2 ZS)
Creative Megaworks 550 5.1 THX Cert.
2x 80GB Seagate Baraccuda 7200RPM ATA100
Sony CD-RW 24/10/40
Sony DVDRom 16/40
G3 Casing w/ 4 fans
Enermax 300W PSU Dual Fan
Logitech MX700 mouse (cordless)
Logitech MOMO Force feedback wheel
Generic Boka keyboard
C-net 10/100mbps Lan card for broadband net

HT Softwares:
WinDVD 5 Platinum
Windows Media Player 9
Winamp 5 with *.mp4/*.aac/*.ac3/*.flac support
DirectX 9 as always...

jpadua · « **Reply #170 on:** Jan 13, 2004 at 08:24 AM »

Quote from: schlamm on Jan 13, 2004 at 03:19 AM

My HTPC:
AthlonXP 1800+ w/ Thermaltake Volcano 7+ HSF
Epox 8KHA+ VIA KT266A
1x 256MB Apacer DDR266
1x 512MB Elixer DDR400 (Generic)
17" ADI Microscan 5P
Inno3D GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB DVI
Leadtek Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe (TV w/ FM)
Audigy 1 SE (soon to be Audigy 2 ZS)
Creative Megaworks 550 5.1 THX Cert.
2x 80GB Seagate Baraccuda 7200RPM ATA100
Sony CD-RW 24/10/40
Sony DVDRom 16/40
G3 Casing w/ 4 fans
Enermax 300W PSU Dual Fan
Logitech MX700 mouse (cordless)
Logitech MOMO Force feedback wheel
Generic Boka keyboard
C-net 10/100mbps Lan card for broadband net

HT Softwares:
WinDVD 5 Platinum
Windows Media Player 9
Winamp 5 with *.mp4/*.aac/*.ac3/*.flac support
DirectX 9 as always...

Wow, nabuhay yung HTPC Thread!!!

Great setup, I heard the megaworks sound awsome! how much did you get it for, it used to be around 19k before.

By the way I'm setting up a new HTPC simple but, I'm really styling it to look like A/V equipment / Console

Athlon XP 2600+ 333fsb
ECS KM400-M Deluxe Mobo microATX
- 6.1 Audio
- USB 2.0
- Firewire
- Digital Audio Output
- 10/100 Lan
512MB 333ddr
Sony Combo Drive DVD/CD-RW
Custom Acrylic Desktop Case (by Tantric with my design spec of course:))

Thermaltake Silent Boost (CPU Cooler)
Zalman Videocard Heatpipe w/ opt Fan

Well thats the heart of it so far, will transfer some of my old peripherals:

Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro (o/c 486mhz clock, 333mhz memory speed)
Asus TV/FM TV-Capture card w/ remote

SVEC IR Keyboard
ASUS IR Remote w/ mouse control

Playstation to USB converter for PS2 Controllers
Generic PS2 Race Wheel w/ Foot Pedals
MS Sidewinder 3D Joystick
MS Sidewinder Gamepad

This will be sweet once I finish this!!!
Will post pics of the case when its finished.

schlamm · « **Reply #171 on:** Jan 13, 2004 at 12:08 PM »

i bought mine around 17K here in the Philippines, do you know where i could get the Gigaworks? the tweeters would really help improve the highs much better

Jett · « **Reply #172 on:** Jan 13, 2004 at 11:31 PM »

I just bought a Sapphire Radeon 9600XT. With my Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard I think I would like to give this a shot.

I have the LeadTek WinFast TV2000XP Tuner PCI card. Is there software out there that would allow me to use my PC as a PVR?

schlamm · « **Reply #173 on:** Jan 13, 2004 at 11:36 PM »

Quote from: Jett on Jan 13, 2004 at 11:31 PM

I just bought a Sapphire Radeon 9600XT. With my Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard I think I would like to give this a shot.

I have the LeadTek WinFast TV2000XP Tuner PCI card. Is there software out there that would allow me to use my PC as a PVR?

the software included in you Leadtek Winfast tv200xp should be included there, or you got this card as OEM? if you don't have the installer download one at leadtek's website they have that PVR program and is also updated

jpadua · « **Reply #174 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 09:41 AM »

Hey guys, I'm sure a lot of people are looking for TV style remote controls for their HTPC, usually you can only get this by getting it in a bundle from TV cards. There are remote like X10, ATI remotes wonder and the Nvidia remote (which comes with the Geforce CinemaFX) but its kinda hard to find here or they cost a lot.

I found another alternative, its actually a shuttle XPC accessory remote control. It comes with a USB infrared reciever. It also has mouse control. Saw it in PC Express in Alabang Town Center selling for P2,500

Dont know lang how it's supposed to work cause, it doesnt come with software... it says plug and play... I'm guessing the macros are hard coded into ther usb reciever unit. It says that at it has 19pre-programmed windows shortcuts.

here's a picture if anybody is intersted.

I love the silver color!

My Asus TV/FM card came with a remote that looks exactly the same (probably the same OEM manufacturer)

(I think I'll paint mine silver... hmmm?)

The Asus remote can't work without the software it came with (for mouse control) otherwise, girder works fine with it using the Philips MCE Plugin

Dunno about shuttle's remote.

Has anyone tried this? comment anyone?

jpadua · « **Reply #175 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 10:43 AM »

For those of you who use "myhtpc" frontend, I made some myHTPC specific wallpapers, you can download them for free hehehe :p
http://jaypadua.fotopic.net
just click on the "myHTPC" Wallpapers

* myHTPC is a free software program that allows you to customize a front end graphical interface for your HTPC, easy to configure and launch different programs. It's also girder compatible.
http://www.myhtpc.net

jpadua · « **Reply #176 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 10:57 AM »

Quote from: Jett on Jan 13, 2004 at 11:31 PM

I just bought a Sapphire Radeon 9600XT. With my Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard I think I would like to give this a shot.

I have the LeadTek WinFast TV2000XP Tuner PCI card. Is there software out there that would allow me to use my PC as a PVR?

Actually may kasama nang software yung Leadtek mo, but if you want to try other software, you can try ChrisTV Pro... I like ChrisTV pro because its very simple, no fancy graphics, and works well with shortcuts (easy to program with a remote). Very small program so its not a memory hog. TV viewing is the best ive seen (I have PowerVCR and I've tried other bigger name software) the picture is crystal clear (much clearer than my TV) and you can set TV viewing resolution to DVD resolution 740x480 (standard PVRs are only 640x480) Recording is good too, you can record in Mpeg1, Mpeg2, DivX and other codecs.

http://www.christv.com

aldrinpsx · « **Reply #177 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 10:18 PM »

Quote from: jpadua on Jan 16, 2004 at 10:43 AM

For those of you who use "myhtpc" frontend, I made some myHTPC specific wallpapers, you can download them for free hehehe :p
http://jaypadua.fotopic.net
just click on the "myHTPC" Wallpapers

* myHTPC is a free software program that allows you to customize a front end graphical interface for your HTPC, easy to configure and launch different programs. It's also girder compatible.
http://www.myhtpc.net

Link wont open actual size of the image... thanks.

PEACE!!!!

schlamm · « **Reply #178 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 10:43 PM »

http://www.mediatexx.com/
uICE, use your remote control to control your PC and softwares.

i'm using this with my leadtek winfast tv remote and the configuration is easy to figure out anyway. btw it's free!

Jett · « **Reply #179 on:** Jan 16, 2004 at 10:59 PM »

Quote from: jpadua on Jan 16, 2004 at 10:57 AM

Actually may kasama nang software yung Leadtek mo, but if you want to try other software, you can try ChrisTV Pro... I like ChrisTV pro because its very simple, no fancy graphics, and works well with shortcuts (easy to program with a remote). Very small program so its not a memory hog. TV viewing is the best ive seen (I have PowerVCR and I've tried other bigger name software) the picture is crystal clear (much clearer than my TV) and you can set TV viewing resolution to DVD resolution 740x480 (standard PVRs are only 640x480) Recording is good too, you can record in Mpeg1, Mpeg2, DivX and other codecs.

http://www.christv.com

Thanks!

... I've used the bundled software before but I don't like it. There seems to be a bug in the recording feature. I'll try out that programs that you suggested.