whether to buy PC with TV tuner card or to buy Media Center PC?

Media Center PC's cannot be used as a regular PC. A Regular PC can do all of the functions of a media center PC.

Your sealer will always suggest the option that will bring him more money.

Zenith's Media Center PC or any media center pc for that matter will make you handicapped in terms of operating system and hardware requirements. Instead go for a TV Tuner card which can be installed on any machine and supports multiple operating systems.

You should always prefer an internal tv tuner card since this supports recording, time shifting functions. The only precaution you should take is that to have a robust smps(atleast 350 watts power supply). External tv tuner card will increase clutter. Unless you need to frequently switch tables or machines,GO FOR INTERNAL TV TUNER CARD.

Buying guidelines:

1) should support high resolution

2)should have recording & time shifting function

3)should be able to record with real time compression (preferably mpeg2) to save disk space.

media center pc's are a waste of money..its for those who do not know anything about building computers. just buy an INTERNAL PINNACLE pc-tv tuner card-it's the best , i have one, comes with remote (also FM) just make sure to increase ur RAM - 512 mb will be more than enuf, also a fast hard-disk, 7200rpm . installation is a breeze.

and for god's sake CRT monitors perform better than LCD, (watch a tennis match on a lcd and u will know) , CRT monitors are bulky- that's the only drawback, but they are cheap.

zenith pc's are good, but u need not buy them for the only thing they put in extra is the tuner card, that's it. buy a regular pc and tuner card. what's more a pinnacle card allows you to record in DVD format!

first suggestion, get a duo processor (a 2ghz will out perform a 3.whateverghz pentium). second, don't get a crt: big, bulky, not as good of a picture. Depending how much you're willing to drop, you might get a monitor with a built in tuner card. Personally I bought a hauppauge card and installed it later.

Go big or go home, build your own computer. It isn't very difficult and you can put exactly what you want in it.

I dont recommend using those tv tuner sticks. I would go with a PCI Slot one. Also no tv tuner has that on the card unless you have it for your home. A tv tuner just lets you plug in your cable or w/e to your pc to watch tv on it.

It is not that you can access TV only through tv tuner card. If you are having internet connection, you can have access to 0ver 3000 sattions all over the world for free. It doesnot need tv tuner card or any other hardware. Only thing you have to do is download the software for a little one time fees($49). Satellite TV Club is one such company http://xrl.us/satellitetvclub

My advise is that don't buy and internal TV card. You will have to switch on the CPU all the time. Buy an external combo box. It comes with a remote. You just have to switch on the Monitor and the combo box only for watching TV.

I have one.

hey go for media center pc as it already has tv tuner

and if not go fo an internal tv tuner card

hello friend,

if u want 2 buy a pc just for entertainment go for mediacenter pc's. if not buy a normal high configuration pc, try to get an asembled set as u can instal(accesaries) what you need in ur pc.

and moreover it will be cheaper than others.

dear friend

please buy media center pc.

if you wants to buy tunner card, i think frontech's tunner card is good.