TV Emulator?

[Kazuya Mishima]

I guess the latency (the delay) is caused by the software and if it isn't then it's the card. Right now I'm using a very cheap tv tuner and I can play my Ps2 without delays in my monitor.

Try Dscaler instead of the software that came with your card and come back.

As for recording, you should have a card that has hardware encoding and a good processsor so you can encode at real time without lost frames.

[TheCloudOfSmoke]

Originally Posted by PCXL-Fan

Well its originally analog...which is impossible for computers which understand only 1's and 0's (on and off) to understand. It has to be conversted into into a means the computer could understand.

Lol. That's basically what I said, but you said it in two sentnces when I said it in one paragraph.

[skid]

erm... Elliander, try DScaler. It is a TV emulator....

I think you are wanting some sort of pass through which doesn't process the input signal in any way. If DScaler can't do it, nothing can.

[John Aiton]

I already have a tv-card. :yeah:

[Squall-Leonhart]

The Latency is caused by how most tv cards operate, there are cards that have less latency, its just usually a matter of picking the best one.

Its typically along the same lines as ASIO (An audio interface which bypasses the dsound sub system to prevent high audio latency when recording)

All it requires in the end is software that reads the pure video / audio stream without having to re-encode it.

As for the person who said that it does this to make the quality better, this is not true at all, while it does allow for filter settings to be applied, The pure quality is only limited by the signal recieved.

[Linktothepast]

As others have said, when we don't talk about HDTV but or DVB-tv, like pal and ntsc, the input signal is analog. A computer cannot manipulate the signal in any way, meaning for example saving video on a hard drive, unless it is converted to a digital format that understands. Your question is similar of asking emulating a vinyl music disk in a computer or something. Whenever there is any analog to digital conversion of a signal and vice versa, there is some signal quality loss.

[Squall-Leonhart]

TV Cards that handle the conversion in hardware, rather then via the software, will have alot less latency.

[Samor]

hmm... well, I have a tv card in my pc, and in combination with Dscaler I can get very decent results; definately playable (I do not notice delays) and it's fun because you can record movies

I usually just have the consoles hooked up to the (real) tv, though.

[Elliander]

Originally Posted by cottonvibes

Elliander, you don't even have to worry about your problem in the future, because HDTV's can be used as computer monitors and TV sets.

i have my HDTV hooked up to my PC, and if i want to watch TV, i just have to switch my source to cable mode on my HDTV.

Now that sounds like a promising solution... Yeah, because I don't need the computer to process anything, if I just want it to display on my monitor, so just replacing my monitor with a television set, and switching over, certainly sounds best. I could even use a splitter, to have a line going into my computer for the few things I would want to use my computer for (mainly recording missed shows)

Do you know of any good articles about this, or what I would need exactly to do this?

And since it's clear now that generally, no software exists which is exactly like I would want... does anyone know of any good TV-Card software, which is able to easily recognize other hardware like a VCR and Game Console, without delay?

[cottonvibes]

Originally Posted by Elliander

Do you know of any good articles about this, or what I would need exactly to do this?

are you asking how to use a HDTV as a computer monitor?

well its easy.

new HDTV's have a connection called a HDMI port.
and new graphics cards have connections called DVI ports.

they both carry the same signal, except HDMI also carries an audio signal.

so all you need to do, it buy a HDMI to DVI cable, and connect your HDTV to your PC's Graphics card.

then you can use it like a regular PC monitor.

heres a pic of what the cable looks like.


(the small connector is HDMI which plugs into your HDTV, and the Bigger one is DVI which plugs into your graphics card)


to get audio from your TV though, you'll need a Stereo-to-RCA Audio connector.


you connect the Stereo jack to the PC, and the RCA connectors to the TV.



and i don't know much about TV tuner cards & their software, so sorry i can't help you out with your other question.


edit:

btw, if you ever do get an HDTV, and want an HDMI-to-DVI cable, DON'T GET IT AT A STORE!
order it online.

at stores they sell the cables for over $100, and online you can get the cables for ~$15!

[Elliander]

I tried Dscalar, but it does't work. I just get:

Can't create overlay surface: 88760168

So I signed up on their forums, and reported the problem. I read enough about it to assume it's probably a good program, if it ever works.

Originally Posted by cottonvibes

are you asking how to use a HDTV as a computer monitor?

well its easy.

new HDTV's have a connection called a HDMI port.
and new graphics cards have connections called DVI ports.

they both carry the same signal, except HDMI also carries an audio signal.

so all you need to do, it buy a HDMI to DVI cable, and connect your HDTV to your PC's Graphics card.

then you can use it like a regular PC monitor.

heres a pic of what the cable looks like.


(the small connector is HDMI which plugs into your HDTV, and the Bigger one is DVI which plugs into your graphics card)


to get audio from your TV though, you'll need a Stereo-to-RCA Audio connector.


you connect the Stereo jack to the PC, and the RCA connectors to the TV.



and i don't know much about TV tuner cards & their software, so sorry i can't help you out with your other question.


edit:

btw, if you ever do get an HDTV, and want an HDMI-to-DVI cable, DON'T GET IT AT A STORE!
order it online.

at stores they sell the cables for over $100, and online you can get the cables for ~$15!

wow. Thanks for all that information. Next time I upgrade, I'll Def go for that. What is the price range of an HDTV about the size of my monitor? I have a 20 inch. That certainly would solve my problem. I basically want to set up my computer desk area to also have a game station set up. That way I can keep games out of the living room, and just use the living room to relax in.

Still, would be nice if I could get it all to work on TV-Cards. There are little things I wouldn't be able to do with that solution. Like recording old VHS tapes to data, and when using a laptop, would be nice to be able to take games on the road.

[PCXL-Fan]

You could also get a Multimedia LCD Monitor like my NEC MultiSync 20WMGX^2.

It has picture-in-picture and composite, rj-6(cable tv), svideo and component inputs so you can hook up practically anything to the monitor and watch or play games while surfing the internet. Or you could switch it around and have the tv show or hooked up ps2 play on the full screen and have the internet in a small picture in picture box.


THe picture below. The video in the blue bordered box to the right is me watching tv that is hooked up to my monitor while surfing. The big thing here is the pic-in-pic feature. May monitors now days come with multiple inputs but not pic-in-pic.

[cottonvibes]

Originally Posted by Elliander

wow. Thanks for all that information. Next time I upgrade, I'll Def go for that. What is the price range of an HDTV about the size of my monitor? I have a 20 inch. That certainly would solve my problem. I basically want to set up my computer desk area to also have a game station set up. That way I can keep games out of the living room, and just use the living room to relax in.

the bad thing is that they're expensive.
a 26 inch LCD that dosn't suck is like $600.

anything cheaper than that and they probably don't have HDMI inputs, so you can't connect it to your PC.

or you can also do what PCXL-fan said and buy a Multimedia LCD Monitor.
not sure how much they cost though...

[Phil]

lol it depends on which brand. a memorex 28" comes with 2 hdmi inputs for 490 at Sears. a bravia 26 inch costs 850. but theres a 42 inch xbr for $950....it had the Sony tag missing though. but it sold instantly.