I want to put some electronic entertainment in a travel trailer and space is at a premium. If I can combine the functions of a PC with a home entertainment system that would be great. I have seen video cards like the ATI all-in-wonder and thought that may do the trick. Has anyone here worked with such a system.

Can I use a PC to access the internet, watch and record TV, listen to stereo, etc?

I have a Hauppauge PCI card in one of my PC's, hooked up to cable. I can 'net surf with the TV in another window and use any local or networked HD as a PVR or to take screen captures. Since the card has the tuner/amp, there's very little processor overhead when watching TV. I rarely use the FM tuner built in since the signal through the cable service is much better than terrerstrial.

How does it work? You have the TV cable plugged into the tuner card and you have a TV program on the PC to open a window with the TV show? Did you put it together and was it troublesome?

Here is a link to a site that deals with this stuff:
http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=guides

The antenna or cable connects to the backplane of the tuner card as the audio/video "input" and there is a cable out if you want to send the signal to another device, such as a VCR or traditional television. There's a patch cable to connect the audio output of the tuner card to your computer's sound card and an infrared (IR) sensor so that you can control the Tuner card with a remote. It's a snap to install and setup. There are also external USB tuners that work the same way.

For digital music, I use an Xitel Hifi Pro USB Digital to Analog converter to connect my PC to my home stereo system (new use for those unused TAPE inputs), so that MP3's on a networked server and internet radio can be played through the home system.

MTI,

Good to hear it works great for you. I've been doing some research, but haven't bought one yet. Do you have this one?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=15-116-602&depa=0

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Nello Tare

1982 300D (266,001 mi.) looking and running great

Previously owned:
1976 450 SLC
1983 300D
1976 300D
also
1982 Jaguar XJ6 (loved, but gone)

I have had an 8500DV All-In-Wonder for almost 3 years. It works great, but hasn't captured video right in 2 years. I haven't figured out why (nor have I investigated thuroughly), but every time I have tried in the past has resulted in my computer crashing.


In any case, it worked in the beginning, and I am sure that it will be fixed by a wipe (which I have never done to the drive).

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http://comp.uark.edu/~dmgill/signature.jpg