🚀 go-pugleaf

Request for information - TV Tuner/Capture Cards

I am looking at buying one of these (we run PAL B TV down here).
There seems to three main ways these can work :

- VIA the "feature" connector of your video card
- VIA an external Y connector which you plug your monitor
and video card into.
- Direct access to your Video Card (DirectX??)

I bought a tried a card which used the second system, only to find
that it affected the shapeness of text on the screen (due to the
extra connectors and buffering). Without it clear, with it slightly
fuzzy. So i returned the card (after neg. a slight loss on it).

==> I take it Direct access is the way to go as it allows you
to upgrade your cheap video card (mines an S3 Trio64V+) to something
better, and still be able to use your TV card ?
Am i on the right track ? Any other issues ?

==> Can anyone recommend a card/company doing this or some recent survey 
which test drives TV/capture cards ?

Thanks, more details below.

I want a card with a scaleble TV window (i.e. a win95 window)
so you can be working on stuff and still view the TV.
Also having audio which can run internally to your sound
card would be a plus (many have an external audio out).

[Can you please email as well as posting, thanks:
greg.roberts@scitec.com.au ]