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DVR - Digital Video Recorder 
PVR - Personal Video Recorder

DVR Technology - Page T1

Basic Technology Overview

Based on what you read on the Functionality page, you probably have a good idea of what you want your DVR to do. On this page we will take a closer look at the technology and help you with specific product recommendations.  

When building a new PC typically you would first select the processor speed. Based on the processors speed and type (1GHz, 2GHz, or something else from Intel or AMD, and 32bit or 64bit) you would then select a motherboard and memory.  

However, since the primary consideration is the DVR functionality, the first selection has to be the capture and the video cards. Once you have made your choice for each of those cards, they will indicate the type of motherboard and memory you need.  

If you are upgrading an existing PC, both the processor speed / type and the motherboard itself may limit your capture and video card choices. As will the operating system. Since the focus of this site is focused building a new system, we will stay on that track. Check back in the future as we will try to add some notes on building up an old PC as a DVR.  

Next we look at the individual components in detail.

Capture Card

There are a few capture card choices. I am using the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 card, which is a great card. The Hauppauge link above can be used by you to find their site and vendors who seller their cards, as well as reviews. By the way, if a competitors ad shows up, you can click on the link and see what they have to offer. Its a good way to collect all the info you need.

We will use this card to show you how to analyze other capture card choices, allowing you to make the best decision for your DVR.

Here are some of the features that lead me to buy this card for my own DVR and why I recommend it:

• Record your TV shows to disk using the built-in hardware MPEG-2 encoder. Uses from 1-2 Gigabytes per hour of recorded video. While recording, the WinTV-PVRs' hardware MPEG encoder does all the work so your PC continues to run at full speed! 
• Separate Composite/S-Video and audio inputs, to connect to VCR or camcorders 
• It includes a remote control and an IR Blaster

Now let's take some time to look at the system requirements for this card. Below is the list of requirements, followed by my comments:

• System requirements: Pentium® III processor 1.2GHz or faster, 128MB RAM and 10GB disk drive minimum recommended
  • These are fairly standard requirements. You can also use AMD processors. In fact my DVR is using 2.4GHz 64bit processors without any issues. Be sure to take a close look at the card requirements before making a purchase. o We will use all the requirements, putting them in a table to keep track of the system minimums, which you will see on the next page. 
• Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP Media Center Edition
  • Again these are fairly stand OS choices. If you have an older PC, with Windows98, you would need to look for a different card, for example the WinTV-PVR-250. 
• Free PCI slot
  • Uses a standard slot 
• Sound card
  • The sound card that is built into the motherboard is sufficient for now 
• CD-RW or DVD writer for burning Video CD's, S-VCD's or DVD's (optional) 
  • You will need a CD player at a minimum to load the application software that comes with the card.

When you look at other vendor's card, see if they have similar or more ports.

Capture Card Evaluation

If you visit the Hauppauge website, you will see several other cards. I briefly explain the pros and cons of them so that you understand the issues surrounding a capture card and you can evaluate other potential choices on your own.

WinTV-PVR-350 - This card has some additional features, like an FM radio input that allows you to listen to FM radio broadcasts on your PC.

As you read the product description, one major feature that is highlight is the ability to play your recorded programs on your TV, but a closer look at the requirements shows you still need a video card - VGA card (PCI or AGP) with Direct Draw support. So this would not be my first choice.

WinTV-PVR-500 MCE - The WinTV-PVR-500 MCE contains two complete TV tuners, which means you can record two programs at the same time. This is a possible choice if you have Windows®XP Media Center Edition 2005, as support for dual tuners is included. If you are going to use XP Home or Professional, you will need additional software, at cost of about $100. And you will need to consider the connections on this card.

• The first input is for an FM radio antenna.
• Next is a single standard Coax Cable input. 
  That fact that there is only one input may limit your ability to actually use the dual channel / dual record capability. If you have a cable box, its not going to work. It will only work with a direct cable connection. 
• The next connection is an S-Video connection
• That is followed by a Yellow (Video) RCA connection
• After which you have the Red/White audio connections. 

Limitation Details - A cable box directly connected to the single coax input will only be able to send one channel at a time. So there is no way to get a second channel. Like a VCR, when you connect to a cable box, the DVR will need to be set to channel 3 or 4 and the cable box will be used to select the channel. That is why I do not think it will work. 

If you have a direct cable connection, then you have all the channels being transmitted at the same time, and the receiving device selects the channel. Since this device has two receivers, each can be set to a different channel.

Capture Card Requirements

Once you have decided on a capture card, you need to start to record its system requirements.

On the Putting It Together page we will provide you with a form you can download that will help you finalize the configuration of your DVR. We are going to discuss a part of that form here.

That completes the capture card info. Next we will discuss the video card.

If you have any questions, you can send them to the DVR-FAQ@how-to-build-it.com. We will not be able to answer individual questions, but we will have questions and answers posted on the FAQ page.

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