HD vs SD Tuner

[equalize]

I'm looking to add another tuner to my DVR. I currently have a Hauppauge PVR-500MCE. If I add a HD tuner (looking to the future), will it record SD? Also any recommendations? My hardware will support multiple HD tuners but I haven't gotten to that point yet.

[stanger89]

Depends on the tuner, the Hybrid models (like the Hauppauge HVR like) will do both digital (including HD) and analog (SD).

[Conejo]

You may want to check out this website to see what Digital channels (Cable QAM or ATSC OTA) are currently available in your area: hdhomerun/channels - Silicondust

Some Cable providers simulcast the SD Analog stations as SD Digital, providing a cleaner clearer picture. Just be aware that Cable providers, being the evil corporations that they are, reserve the right to change what channels are available as clear-QAM and what channels are encrypted so that only their STBs can tune them. Evil. Not nice.

[pjpjpjpj]

Not trying to be too nitpicky, but there are not "HD" tuners and "SD" tuners, there are digital (ATSC/QAM) and analog (NTSC) tuners. All HD is digital (ATSC/QAM), and all analog (NTSC) is SD. Not all digital is HD - sometimes a digital channel carries SD programming. So technically, per your post, an "HD tuner" (therefore digital) tuner can record SD programs... if a digital channel is sending SD programming.

But it sounds like you meant to ask if there are digital tuners that will also record analog... If so, see the posts above (they took it that way).

More to your point:
What input source are you using now? Cable (straight from the wall into your card)? And what sources are you looking to in the future, for your HD? If you intend on getting future HD from cable or satellite (and thus an HD STB), you will want an HD-PVR, and I doubt that this would be worth the hassle right now for analog (there are much easier and cheaper ways to get non-HD content).

If you intend on getting future HD via OTA or cable QAM (less channels, but less hassle), but still want your analog cable channels available on these new tuners, then you would want one of the hybrid cards as mentioned above. Be aware that if you get a hybrid analog/digital card now, and go to digital/HD cable or satellite in the future, you won’t be able to get your HD from that STB into that tuner card. The digital tuner(s) will be relegated to cable QAM or antenna OTA.

Is it imperative that your new tuner(s) get ALL of your current analog (presumably cable) channels too? If not, why not get another tuner that is only ATSC/QAM (such as a HD Homerun)? These are easier to find, and typically cheaper, than the hybrids. This would give you your current two tuners for analog SD (all cable channels), and two more tuners for (typically HD) QAM channels. You could strategically prioritize your recordings so that everything available via QAM channels would record on those tuners (therefore digital, probably HD), and the remaining analog-only stuff would record on your current tuners (which you are getting by with now, so obviously it would be okay). Just a thought.