RGB source to computer

[EDI-Fuzzy]

We have a pace 4000 cable STB from telewest that will only output Composite or RGB through the Scart .....We want to connect this to a media centre PC. This is fine as long as we connect via Composite but the picture is shocking....As we have just bought an HD LCD we don't really want to be settling for this...

What we are looking for is a tv card that can accept an RGB input without having to go through expensive converters if possible....

At the moment we have an HVR-1100 (non MCE edition (no phono RCA jack)) and it is fine for freeview from an aerial but we want to use the cable through S-video...not composite......

we can take this card back as we only bought it a couple of days ago...

I saw another thread where a converter from RGB to s-video was suggested but the whole idea of this exercise is to remove all of the boxes from below our TV!



Have had a look around.....I found this converter....will it do the job and give me a better than composite picture

http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catal...roducts_id=295

Or even this one
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catal...roducts_id=620

[dan1979]

First converter won't give you a picture since you can't output s-video and the second will only give you composite.

The only option I know of for inputting RGB is the sweetspot card.

[meep]

The discontinued Immersive Holo3DGraph card will do this as well. You can still pick them up second-hand.

Peter

[EDI-Fuzzy]

decided to buy this RGB to S-Video converter from maplin

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...0782&doy=11m12

will see if it looks any better than composite....if not I will just take it back.....then consider spending £100+ on the sweetspot.....have looked at it before.....not sure yet....will post back with how I get on

Thanx guys

[dan1979]

Will be interested to see if it turns out to be any good..

[nigelbb]

Originally Posted by EDI-Fuzzy

decided to buy this RGB to S-Video converter from maplin

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...0782&doy=11m12

will see if it looks any better than composite....if not I will just take it back.....then consider spending £100+ on the sweetspot.....have looked at it before.....not sure yet....will post back with how I get on

Thanx guys

I use the Maplin converter & it imporved my picture an awful lot. The Sweetspot card is not an option as it doesn't work with MCE (there is no onboard MPEG2 encoder).

[andyturner28]

Originally Posted by EDI-Fuzzy

decided to buy this RGB to S-Video converter from maplin

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...0782&doy=11m12

will see if it looks any better than composite....if not I will just take it back.....then consider spending £100+ on the sweetspot.....have looked at it before.....not sure yet....will post back with how I get on

Thanx guys

I have got the same RGB-S video converter and the picture is crap. I made a couple of DVD's, one via S Video from a Sky+ box and one from an Amstrad Digibox using the converter. You would not believe the difference!! The conversion process leaves movement fuzzy and jerky and i have NEVER seen so much colour bleed and haloing around bright colours.
If you want my advice take it back and save up for a Sweetspot card, or get a Sky+ box and use the s video output.
I am going to wait for Sky HD to arrive and use HDMI to the projector and s video to PC for recording.
I have herd of some Grundig digiboxes with s video out but they have stopped making them and are only available second-hand or on e bay. Could be worth a try.

Andy

[David PluggedIn]

Hi Edi

you wont get anywhere near the quality of SweetSpot using the maplin convertor...If you want to get decent quality, you need RGB, not SVideo (let alone composite!!)

This means that if you also want to use Windows MCE then you need to exit the MCE gui, and run the SweetSpot from the MCE start menu, and you should get a fantastic picture that way.

good luck

[sennen]

I use this RGB-to-SVideo converter from JS Technology to feed the S-Video input on a Hauppauge PVR-250 capture card and think the results are pretty good. Might be worth a try if you are disappointed with the Maplin kit.

Originally Posted by andyturner28

I have heard of some Grundig digiboxes with s video out but they have stopped making them and are only available second-hand or on e bay. Could be worth a try.

Andy

The guy is on cable!

[nigelbb]

Originally Posted by David PluggedIn

This means that if you also want to use Windows MCE then you need to exit the MCE gui, and run the SweetSpot from the MCE start menu, and you should get a fantastic picture that way.

That will be OK for watching Live TV but what do you do about recording & timeshifting TV? After all this is one of the main features of MCE. The only way that I can see is to plug in your RGB input when watching Live & then connect it to an s-video converter which is plugged into an MCE compatible capture card for recording.

Sorry but most people will opt for the convenience of MCE & be prepared to sacrifice some picture quality. If they want both then Sky+ is probably a better option.

[philipb]

Are you wedded to MCE? Showshifter works well with Sweetspot, as do some /most of the freebie MCE lookalikes.

S-video can be good, but Sweetspot is way out in front.

[nicp01]

Hi
do you mean the £49 on ebay or the £140 top of range....

all I want to do is copy from sky plus hdrive from svideo and am disappointed with my kworld dvb-t £47 card though it shows freeview great, its the capturing bit which isnt up to much, any recommendations
thks
peter

[David PluggedIn]

Hi Nic

the SweetSpot MCE card (£49) is a DVB-t (Freeview) card . It is designed to run with Windows MCE, either as a single card or in pairs for dual recording.

I would agree that WindowsMCE is a great solution when used with Freeview cards - one of the latest features is the ability to stream the MCE user interface to an xbox360, it works well and is a great way of creating a multi-room setup.

the SweetSpot Video Processor (£149) is all about high quality analogue video capture, and the best format of video to feed it is RGBS, which is what pretty much every european set top box outputs via SCART.

If you care about quality over convenience, then you need to exit from the Windows MCE application to the Windows desktop and run the live viewing application (DScaler).

If you want to archive content, then again RGB is best, followed by SVideo etc etc. You should therefore use RGB unless there is a really good reason not to .


So, in summary, if you are happy and can access to Freeview and dont care about Sky or Cable, then Windows MCE is a great solution with single or dual digital tuners.

If you need to run an external set top box, then you are better with a good quality capture card (from £25 for a basic SVideo card to £149 for SweetSpot with RGB) and a 3rd party Media centre app, such as MediaPortal, Meedio, ShowShifter or Xlobby....or MythTV if you want Linux.

hope that helps

[nicp01]

many thks david..

I am running xp on a shuttle SG85, I usually use PC and 9800se pro but couldnt move 9800 as it wants 300w psu and shuttle=250 so went out sunday to computer fair to look for graphics card with svideo in but then I saw the Xpert dtv dvbt card for £47 which should do same job with added bonus of being fit for other pc for viewing if things didnt work out..

I watch sky plus to lcd tv, wont use shuttle/dvbt card for tv, main use will be for transferring sky plus hdrive recordings onto shuttle and then onto network archive..
I use the svideo on skyplus cause I happened to have a lead and the card has an svideo input also sound via audio l/r into a single lead line in on shuttle, can hear sound but cant record it yet I'll fix that 2nite

If you can suggest a better card or even better, s'ware that has a better recording interface than that came with the card I'd be grateful

I apologise for going off topic but I'd like to continue this discussion by PM if you like...

Peter