WinTV-quadHD – Computer TV Tuner Card
One of the features of a Home Theater PC is the ability to use it as a digital video recorder (DVR). This card can be for both for clear QAM (unscrambled cable channels) and over-the-air / antenna (OTA) signals.
Why Multiple Tuners?
If you are implementing a DVR, you want more than one tuner. Why would you need more than one tuner?
- To record more than one program simultaneously.
- To watch a program live while other programs are recording.
- Some programs start earlier or end later than there official start/stop times and without extra tuners, a recording may get cut short or you may have to quit watching your live program to free up the tuner for a recording.
- The ability to have multiple TV shows playing simultaneously.
The WinTV-quad Model 1609 has 4 tuners built in which should suffice for most people most of the time. It also has a built-in splitter so it only requires one coax cable connection for all 4 tuners.
Performance
I have used this tuner card in my main home theater PC for the past 2 weeks and it has worked flawlessly. It has a sensitive tuner able to pick up weaker stations without glitching/stutters/pixelation. Live TV viewing and recordings made from it are clear and sharp, almost as good as watching it directly on my high-end Samsung TV’s tuner.
Software
The included WinTV software works OK but I don’t like the way you schedule recordings with it. Its scheduler is like programming a VCR. You specify the channel, start & stop times and whether it is one time or to be repeated. It does have a neat feature where you can have up to 4 shows actively playing on the screen simultaneously (one with active sound), but although it is “cool”, I don’t watch TV that way.
I am used to the Windows Media Center approach where you just click on the program within the on-screen TV Guide and schedule it from there with a couple of clicks.
Since Windows 10 doesn’t include Windows Media Center, I am using NextPVR instead together with the Schedules Direct EPG (electronic program guide). This functions similarly to Windows Media Center.
Other Tuners
Although I have 2 HDHomeRun dual tuners (4 network tuners total), their performance, which used to be fine, has become glitchy with stutters and pixelation, etc. I tried to fix it but was unsuccessful. The WinTV Quad card solved the problem.
Accessories
The WinTV-Quad comes with an infrared receiver and an infrared remote control. Since I am not using the WinTV software, I haven’t bothered to install the remote. I control it with a wireless mouse instead.
WinTV-Quad Model 1609 on Amazon ($88.16)
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