Best desktop TV card for the money?

[RickM]

I'm thinking I want to lose the Sony in my kithen. I have a "Bakers' rack" type bookshelf/PC station....conceals quite nicely. In any case I'd like to utilize the LCD for cable input. As it is now we watch DVD movies ocassionally but adding the TV function makes sense. I've been told by friends the cards are as low as $29.

Added benefits/functionality over and above the TV capability is welcome.

Any suggestions?

[bryanthompson]

I'm building a mythTV box right now. The TV card I'm going to use is a Hauppauge 250. My friend is building one also, but his is about 10 times the computer and he's using a Hauppauge 500, which has a dual tuner, so you can record on one channel and watch another.

edit: Also, I believe the Hauppauge's come with windows software, although since we're using Linux we just got white-boxed hardware with no software. We're using MythTV as the distro, and it lets you watch/rip dvds, record tv, pause live tv, skip, record shows without commercials, etc., and it also has a web browser and information panel where you can check the weather and read RSS feeds. Also you can get an lirc remote so you don't have to use keyboard.

[RickM]

Bryan, Thanks for the info. Nice added feature is the FM radio.

I'm liking the video capture capability. My Sony TRV 900 has a firewire and S-Vdieo oputput....I'll have to research further....