HTPC Usless with Sky

[tcp/ip]

Hi everybody,

I went to the bother of building a new Media Centre PC to replace my Xbox Media centre one and now i am thinking that it has been a complete waste of money as the quality of the live TV picture from Sky digital is useless as I am limited to Svideo using a RGB to Svideo converter that I got from Maplin, first question if I got a better converter like the JS rgb to svideo would the picture inprove or am i left with a fancy MP3 player

Please any advise would be great.

Cheers,
TCP/IP

[lisag]

What display device are you using?

[jasi]

why not use an rgb capture card?

[lisag]

Can't you use an aerial/rf/coax connection in to the media center tv card?

[Razor]

Originally Posted by lisag

Can't you use an aerial/rf/coax connection in to the media center tv card?

Wouldnt that be worst than s-vhs lead? Coax is the worst connection going.

[tcp/ip]

My video card is a Nvidia 5700 256meg
My screen is a Panasonic PW5 plasma
Sky Digital Box

Is there an RGB capture card that will work with Media Centre 2005

[hermanmunster]

Upgrade to Sky+ use svideo out into media centre......or use Scart to composite cable on your existing sky box and input that to media centre. These are the cheapest options.
You could use an RGB capture card (Sweetspot??) but I have not tried this with media centre...perhaps someone else has.
Alternative is to use DVB T tuner card(s) in your media centre..from around £60..not such a wide range of channels but PQ will be excellent.
After that you are into the realms of expensive scalers etc.

[tcp/ip]

Hi Hermanmunster

i looked at the sweetspot and I will buy that it is perfect for my needs but I need somebody to tell me that it works with media centre 2005 before I layout the money on the card. I can not use DVB T as I am in the Republic of Ireland and we dont get that over here. Do you think the converter is causing the problem with the picture and would the Sky+ Box cure that.

Thanks,
TCP/IP

[jasi]

I heard there aren't any rgb capture cards that work with mce because they don't do mpeg2 decoding. I'd just switch to xp and use sweetspot.

[hermanmunster]

Because the sky + box outputs S Video and I presume your TV / video cards accepts it you will remove what is probably causing you the problem, namely the converter. However JS tech convertors have very good reps on here so not all convertors are created equal, was the Maplin one about £25 (35 euros)? If it was that one then the question is answered.

[tcp/ip]

yeah the converter was only a cheap one about £30 or so. Would I be better with a JS converter or a SKY+ box do you think

[tcp/ip]

This is the converter i currently use is it crap

Maplin RGB - Svideo converter

[hermanmunster]

Given the extra features why not go Sky + its only a few euros more than a JS convertor.

[tcp/ip]

yeah i suppose you are right just had my heard on using the Media Centre for recording as well thought it would be a great intergrated package

[lisag]

Originally Posted by Razor

Wouldnt that be worst than s-vhs lead? Coax is the worst connection going.

I thought that everyone with sky used a sky digibox and then rf out of that to rf in to their tv card - then programmed the mce remote to change the channels on the digibox....

I obviously had it all wrong, I don't have sky so have tried with analogue and freeview, still find a stand alone freeview twin tuner pvr better though, both in picture quality and reliability.