What is an HDTV Tuner Card?

Over the years, computers have become an important part of people's lives. After all, where before, people only used computers for accounting or making reports, people now turn to them for all sorts of entertainment. Computers can be easily customized and upgraded, too. Indeed, there are many computer accessories you can add or attach to your computer to personalize it or keep up with the times. The HDTV tuner card is one such accessory, and one quickly becoming popular as TV shows march towards High Definition.

What are HDTV tuner cards? HDTV tuner cards are devices which receive HD signals, particularly MPEG-2 encoded packets which it then transmits to a software application. In this manner, they work in the same way as HDTV tuner boxes or Set-Top-Boxes (STBs), which receive HD signals and displays them on the screen of your HDTV. HDTV tuner cards are different from STBs in many ways, though, mainly because HDTV tuner cards are inserted or attached into a computer while an STB connects directly to the HDTV monitor. They are better in some ways, too.

For one, HDTV tuner cards allow you to record and pause the HD content - a feature which few, high-end STBs currently offer. They also have a better Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and are even cheaper than most STBs. HDTV tuner cards have some cons, too, though, such as being harder to install and the fact that it requires your computer to be on for it to work. This, in turn, can mean more energy consumption, and sometimes, more noise.

There are two types of HDTV tuner cards. The first type is the PCI card which you can slip into your computer. These are especially convenient for laptops, making it easier to carry them around. PCI cards are faster, too, since they are connected directly to the motherboard, although you have to open the case in order to insert them, which takes more time and can be difficult for non-techies. On the other hand, the second type, USB tuner cards are external devices simply attached to your computer.

To choose which type of tuner card to get, you have to gauge your computer skills, as well as the slots on your computer. If you have too many USB devices already, like a USB keyboard, a USB mouse and a USB wireless card, then you might want to get a PCI tuner card, especially since you want to have a slot free for plugging in your USB drive or the USB cable from your cellphone or digital camera. You can always buy a USB hub, though. Also, keep in mind that PCI tuner cards are more expensive, though, and becoming less and less common.

Before you get a tuner card, though, you should ask yourself first whether or not you really need one. After all, HDTV tuners are not always necessary. If your HDTV already comes with its built-in HDTV tuner, as opposed to being just an HD-Ready TV, then buying a tuner card is no longer necessary - unless you want to watch HDTV on both your HDTV monitor and your computer.

If you need an HDTV tuner card or are already bent on buying one, you can now compare your options. There are many HDTV tuner cards available - both PCI and USB - so make sure you consider the features, the brand and the cost. The most important factor is compatibility, though. Different tuner cards have different software and hardware requirements, so make sure your computer can meet these. Otherwise, you will need to upgrade your computer first.

Once you have your HDTV tuner card, you can install it on your computer, connect it to your cable box and configure it. You can just follow the instructions on the manual or ask someone to do this for you if you find it really confusing. Afterwards, you should now be able to get HD signals on your computer and transmit them to your HDTV monitor if you want, so you can watch HDTV the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Autor: Edward McKellen

Edward McKellen is an electronics expert who writes HDTV reviews. To learn more about HDTVs, go to HdtvReviewLab.com.

Added: June 9, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/