VideoMate Image Quality

Having gone through the programs that are coming from Compro, an important aspect for a TV tuner card is the image quality, which of course will make or break such a card. Well first of all the cable we got is not the best, but is working okay in terms of the image quality for our television. So, we will use this same cable to show the quality and clarity of the images delivered from the VideoMate TV Gold Plus II card. We just let the VideoMate TV card auto scan for the different channels and took a sample of some channels. Yeah, quite completely different channels though very popular in Belgium, and therefore providing a good signal on the cable for showing the image quality.

Since the music channels are pretty popular and moving we thought to start with those, to see how the image looks like. We tuned in to TMF and Jim, which are showing almost all day long music video clips of the current pop songs. The image quality we got via the VideoMate TV Gold Plus II is good to very good, and we believe that if we had a slight better cable cord it would show even better. None the less from our past experience with TV tuners, the image is much better than we can recall. So on that aspect no complains, we are actually happy with the image clarity and with the easy tuning and scanning of the channels. Also when we started the recording for some minutes to review the video, it did shows similar quality and color scheme.

But what about some others channels? Well, first of all we are following the Tour de France, so yes as we are working on the review; we also did follow the stage of the day. And doing so we took the image captures from there. And yes, we wanted to include somehow a TV image of Tom Boonen our favorite when it comes to the green jersey, meaning the best sprinter in the Tour the France. But since it is one of the first mountain stages we don't see that much of him. Oh, back to the basics and looking at the images we captured we can say these show one again very good to excellent image visuals and quality.

Final Thoughts

After our first look at a product from Compro we are very enthusiastic about it. The VideoMate TV Gold Plus II is a great card and a very good competitor on the market of internal tuners thanks to its technical characteristics, serviceability and a great number of unique features. The package is of great quality including all cables needed with a very compact though flexible remote control. We have enjoyed the VideoMate TV tuner over the last days, by actually watching more shows on our computer than a real television. Obviously, working and watching television do go well together up to a certain point. Yeah, sometimes we did more watching than working... But by having such a lovely widescreen LCD display you can easily work and still have TV window split on your screen.

The quality of the image is great and the quality of the recordings is top notch. From our previous experiences of different TV tuners we did see quite a difference. Yeah, you need to know that with those internal TV Tuners some interference can occur which can influence to certain extend the image quality, but the Compro VideoMate TV tuner didn't have any of it. It comes with a very generous bundle and includes a wide array of features, including the exclusive Power Up scheduling feature not found on other capture cards. This feature was certainly impressive and this should be a suitable card for those who are looking for a computer video recorder. Yeps, recording the different TV shows or programs with your PC powering up and down when needed to tune in and record while you are out goving around.

Another great aspect which is more linked to Compro as a company is the frequent updates of the different software they have developed. We actually can't recall any company making this much updates and improvements to their software than Compro, taking into account all the different feedback they have gathered and still keeping the programs simple. Their ComproDTV and ComproFM are very good examples on what you can expect from Compro, two plain and simple though extensive programs to watch television or listen to music, offering recordings when desired. We do encourage Compro to continue on this road, and to regularly release updates for their own developed software and still listening to the feedback from all persons using their products.

Now what's quite amazing is the fact that this card can be picked up at a very nice price tag. Considering all it has to offer, that's practically a steal! You won't find another product with this much to offer within the same price range which makes it an obvious choice over the competition. If you are in search of a quality TV tuner and capture card for your computer, the VideoMate TV Gold Plus II should be on the top of your list. And don't let its price tag fool you; it's an excellent, extensive tuner and capture solution that is sure to please a wide range of users. We can only applaud this outstanding Compro TV tuner product!

Pros

• Great Video & Audio Quality
• Power Up Functionality
• Excellent Bundle & Software
• Channel Surfing Ability
• Superior Recording Capability
• Internal Cabling Option
• Easy-to-Use Remote Control
• Regular Software Updates
• Quick Support Service
• Outstanding Pricing

Cons

• N/A

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