What is the best package for multimedia on a pc

[wolram]

What is the best package for multimedia on a pc, the market is so confusing,
i want to be able to have sky digital, for my mom and dad, be able to watch dvds, and record from terestrial as well as sky, may be with a monitor as the
display.

 

[franznietzsche]

What is the best package for multimedia on a pc, the market is so confusing,
i want to be able to have sky digital, for my mom and dad, be able to watch dvds, and record from terestrial as well as sky, may be with a monitor as the
display.

I'm a big fan of custom Linux setups for everything. What you're talking about sounds like a hybrid MythTV (PVR) and general computer video, with TV IN/OUT. Not hard to do, though somewhat expensive for the hardware.

 

[russ_watters]

DVDs play on a dvd player, tv on a tv card. http://www.hauppauge.com/" Probably has a tv card that can receive your digital tv signals, and all new tv cards have PVR functionality.

 

[wolram]

Thanks guys, i will have a look at Hauppauge .

 

[Pengwuino]

I don't think any companies have created a tv-card for digital cable....

 

[wolram]

Sorry Pengwuino, i forgot to add that our sky programs come via satallite.

 

[russ_watters]

Meaning you have to use the decoder box that came with the service...

Any tv card will do, in that case, but you'll want to go for some quality so you don't lose the digital quality when you convert to analog.

 

[hypermorphism]

The Hauppauge cards have S-video input as well as composite and coaxial. The former is the highest quality you'll get from digital cable, and the Hauppauge line has PVR capability. Note that you'll need a digital audio cable and capable sound card/speaker system to get 5.1 sound and/or an RCA-to-1/8" stereo patch cable for stereo sound if you use composite or S-video. My decoder box only outputs through the digital audio cable if it detects a 5.1 stream, so you may need to connect both if you have a similar system.

 

[wolram]

You guys are helping lots thanks.

so i need a high quality tv and sound card a big hard drive to record direct,
a dvd play record and i can link up from the pc to the sky box, would i need
some software to make all this work together ?

 

[russ_watters]

so i need a high quality tv and sound card a big hard drive to record direct,

Yeah, but all those superlatives are relative things. A "big" hard drive isn't as big as it used to be (100gb of space will go a long way). And "high quality" for the sound card simply means any sound card not integrated into your motherboard (and even then, some) will provide surround sound.

some software to make all this work together ?

There are 3rd party software packages out there, but I suspect you'd end up just sticking with what comes with the tv card. One area of oem packages that could be better is removal of commercials and burning to dvd - those could be better integrated.

 

[wolram]

There are 3rd party software packages out there, but I suspect you'd end up just sticking with what comes with the tv card. One area of oem packages that could be better is removal of commercials and burning to dvd - those could be better integrated.

Ohh, that would be bliss

 

[brewnog]

Wooly, I've got a Hauppauge digital internal TV card, which is absolutely smashing when you've got a good signal (ideally from a rooftop aerial), and less than hopeless when you don't. It's got a pretty good remote control which, along with the TV functions, will also control my iTunes, Winamp or Windows Media Player, and my system volume. I've not had any DVD players or owt like that going through it yet, but I know that (since it's digital) I can't tune in a VCR using the coaxial input, which is a slight disadvantage.

 

[wolram]

Hi Brewy, good to hear from you, i am just about to refine my list of wants
for this supper dupper entertainment center, i am sure i will get in a mess
sooner or later so i hope some of you can dig me out of the mire.