Windows 7: Dual TV tuner

I want a good dual tv tuner so I can watch one show, while recording another. Any ideas. Also, with a dual tv tuner, would I need two set top boxes, or does the dual tv tuner know how to separate the channels for watching and recording at the same time?

Well I only have one to recommend but I can tell you that with a duel tuner setup you will need two converter boxes if your using digital cable, or if not two boxes there is the option of installing a duel tuner with a digital slot that the cable company can add a card to the tuner and then the card will do all of the decoding and not need a set top box at all.

ATI has an Internal and External Card that will do the on board channel decoding. I don't really use any other tuner types so that's the only one I am going to mention.

Hope that helps ya out Zay
Later
-DS

Will the card that the compay provides, handle watching and recording at the same time? Are you using a dual card currently?

Its not the PC card the company will give you just the decoder that inserts into it.
There are TV's now also that use the same thing. The provider can install a decoder into the TV and then no box is needed. Same thing with the PC you will need to have the Digital Cable Ready Tuner Card (one tuner or two) and the provider will give you the decoder for each tuner instead of a set top box..

And to answer your "q" yes & no. I have two singles in mine.
One digital and one analog.

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Oh ok, now I understand. Forgive my questions DS, just trying to get a clear understanding for my next media center. Are you using both cards at the same time, and for what? I gues if I don't get a dual tuner, I can get two singles. I am guessing that everything going digital, I will not need to get an anaolg tuner. As always, thanks for your input.

Yes I am using them together. it works just like a duel tuner card. When one is watching something the other can be viewing or recording something of its own.
And when I say analog, I mean analog cable. So one is a do all and the other on the same cable line is just basic cable.

MC can handle up to four tuners so you really have some options.

One could be a aired anti
one Digital Cable
one Analog Cable
or any combination of the three

Also if you have a MC rig that has a lot of extenders that connect to it then with 4 tuners your insured to always have a tuner available for someone on an extender even if something is being recorded with 2 or even 3 of the other tuners.

That makes sense. And you only have one set top box? If so, how did you split the signal to both cards?

No I have a digital card that uses the provider decoder.
The other is just your basic tuner card.
To split the signal just use a standard cable splitter and if its connecting to another digital card or tuner it will have a decoder of its own, if its going to a analog card it need only to be split and connected, in order for it to work. All digital feeds carry the analog signal as well, so if you have a budget as I did building your rig, but still want to have dual tuners doing one of each is a affordable way to get the best of both worlds.

No I have a card that uses the provider decoder.
To split the signal just use a standard cable splitter and if its connecting to another digital card or tuner it will have a decoder of its own, if its going to a analog card it need only to be split and connected, in order for it to work. All digital feeds carry the analog signal as well, so if you have a budget as I did building your rig, but still want to have dual tuners doing one of each is a affordable way to get the best of both worlds.

(I have no idea why this is posted twice!??)