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it's called a 'slot blade' eh? that' some pretty spiffy lingo.

i'd rather buy the asus model from negg even if it's about $15 more...

Vista's media center seems to usually have problems working with the QAM part of tuners - you might need some work to get that working, although setting up for ATSC (over the air) is easy. Shouldn't be a problem if you're planning on using the included tuner software. Also remember that QAM for digital cable channels only works with clear (unencrypted) channels = the free ones, and won't work with encrypted cable channels (those you need some kind of CableCard arrangement).

Still not a bad deal.

Can these go into a regular PCI slot? I have an old athlon xp with an nforce2 board I wanted to make into an htpc.

all computers should have one of these.

this will fit a pci-express x 1 slot only. No PCI, no PCI-exrpess x 16. I've got this card in an HP tower and vista does not use the QAM tuner. Newer OEM Vista installs may utilize the QAM (check a recent pcmag article on that) but It may require some hacking on your part. The included software will record clear-QAM though and can be scheduled. I have this card and a OEM Nvidia 8300GS video card and the picture is very choppy with over-the-air ATSC. Improved slightly with new video card drivers but still bad. So I guess this card is best matched with a stronger video card.

I have it too. I can confirm that it won't do clear QAM with Vista. It will do broadcast digital though. Go figure. The TV will do digital cable "clear QAM" fine over the same cable.

Mine is in a PCIe X4 slot. I think I tried it in a X16 slot too. Not sure though.

The choppy picture might be intermittent reception, #7 yeti.

I thought that PCIe slots worked in a sort of linear porgression. ie. PCIe X1 would work in all later revisions, but you can't go down in revisions. I could be wrong though.

yes #9, though it's not revisions it's lanes. I wonder if #7 tried this card in a 16X slot or just assumed it wouldn't work.

I assumed since the PCIex1 slot is a different size than PCIex16 (~1 inch vs. ~4 inch). Wouldn't that be sexy if a PCIex1 device could work in a PCIex16 slot. I know PCIex16 2.0 is backward compatible with PCIex16 1.0 but they are the same form-factor.

In response to #8, you can use the card with VISTA (with Hauppage Software) just not within MEDIA CENTER.

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0456.html

PCIex1 devices will work in a PCIex16 slot but not visa versa.

Works in windows media center also, the remote even has a button that opens it for you.

is this dual tunner? as in i can watch 1 ASTC and record another ATSC channel at the same time?

one ATSC channel at a time, true #13 but no QAM in media center without a little hacking.

Go robot Go robot