i need a tv capture card with build-in analog signal amplifier

[cesm23]

The problem is... how do i know which one has this or not ? For example, i have 3 tv capture cards.

Since long ago i used one called Pinnacle Studio PCTV (mono and old version, it's not the same ones that pinnacle sells nowadays with a similar name) that had a quite good image quality even using the coaxial antenna cable, i presume it's because it has a built-in amplifier. Altough the card only records sound using a external cable, and i really dislike recording audio like that, that always gets noise, i prefer a card that captures the sound internally by the pci bus.

Now recently, i have bought a new card, and for my big surprise, using the same coaxial antenna cable the image quality is a lot worse, i mean, almost ALL channels have grain, while on any tv set i connect the cable, the channels show almost all without any grain.

A friend of mine also bought another tv capture card, and he has exactly the same problem, the image on the capture card is ALWAYS worse than the one shown in tv-sets (i mean, with a lot more grain on it).

Those two cards are the following ones :

MSI Any@where Plus
ASUS MY CINEMA P7131TV HYBRID ANALOG

Now i am starting to worry about this, i need a tv capture card with built-in amplifier, since i absolutly can't afford buying a dvd recorder or anything external like that, i can only afford tv capture cards.

Now i am sure that like the old pinnacle tv capture card i had, there is tv capture cards that still has a built-in signal amplifier, how do i know which ones do have this, since unfortunately at the places i can buy the tv capture cards, they don't accept returns just for a reason like this...

[reepa]

"Now i am starting to worry about this, i need a tv capture card with built-in amplifier, since i absolutly can't afford buying a dvd recorder or anything external like that, i can only afford tv capture cards."

How about just an external amplifier? Should cost about ~10eur in a home improvement store (e.g. Biltema in nordic countries).

[cesm23]

well... last time i bought one, it did absolutly NOTHING ! Ever since then i am afraid of spending money in external amplifiers, at least those cheap ones at 10-20 euros... besides if i buy one i can't buy the new tvcard since i need two capture cards at the moment.

[DonQ]

I think no capture cards have RF amplifier inside, but they have different tuners.
Both cards you noted seem have silicon tuners and they are hybrid (analog+digital). I understand that you need to capture analog only?

I'd look for pure analog cards with old-style tuner, presumably on Philips chipset (at least for PAL capture). I've got Avermedia 503 Studio, no problems with image quality (although new motherboard seems to induce interference noise on some channels), can record PCI sound with VirtualDub too.

[cesm23]

"I think no capture cards have RF amplifier inside, but they have different tuners.
Both cards you noted seem have silicon tuners and they are hybrid (analog+digital). I understand that you need to capture analog only?"

Yes because in the cable company i have here, it's only possible to change channels using analog cable, this cable company provides digital channels but only using a specific box and i think it's encrypted (it requires a physical card inserted on it) it can't be used with tv tuners so i think i am stuck to analog tv, and the problem is always having noise on it.

"I'd look for pure analog cards with old-style tuner, presumably on Philips chipset (at least for PAL capture). I've got Avermedia 503 Studio, no problems with image quality (although new motherboard seems to induce interference noise on some channels), can record PCI sound with VirtualDub too."

Hum... i see, thanks.