TV Card For Laptop

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kbfeip

kbfeip

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 24, 2006
Posts
148
Location
Discovery Bay, CA
We travel with a 17" Widescreen Laptop.  It works great for viewing DVD's.

I'd like set this up in my TT with a lightweight flat panel satellite speaker system, and a TV tuner card (either USB or PCMIA) for my Laptop. 

Any suggestions on a good value and performance on the TV tuner card?

 
The one I have is not, far as I recall HDTV compatible but it works well.  There are so many different makes and models out there that I can not, in good faith, make a recommendation.  I have a total of 3 TV "Cards" one is for my mini-tower (Standard computer card) is called a TV-WONDER and works great, they make an "All-In-Wonder" which works as well plus has radio and remote.

I have a Hauppauge (Again full size card) still in the box,  Sooner or later I'll get the computer I plan on putting it in back

For the laptop I have one called a "USB-2" again it works well but all these are standard, not HDTV

In the stores I see a wide range and frankly,  All are equally as good,  all come with DVR software, all work well some of them the user interface is a bit different.  I'd ask for some hands on demos at a store like Comp Useless or Frys and get the one you like best

I don't know if Hauppauge makes a USB type that is compatable with their new Replay TV software but I rather like my older hardware Replays (I also do not know if the software is as good as my hardware)

But the best recommendation I can make is a brick and mortar store where you can look at many different products quickly

 
Thanks John,

I'm not overly concerned with HDTV compatible, as the majority of stuff I'll watch will be via the standard aerial antenna.

I'll try Best Buy to see what they offer.

 
There have been good report on HDTV using the old Winegard Batwing antenna.  I'm going to be looking for an HDTV card for my computer while I am in the land of electronic stores other than Radio Schlock, UGH!  Sometimes it is a pain living in the sticks!!  VBG
 
Try to get a card that has a digital tuner as well as analog.  Analog signals will be disappearing soon - I believe early 2009 is the date that has been set. You don't need HD, but you do need digital. There is already a lot of digital on the air and in 2009 it will be the only tv on the airwaves.  But there will be digital to analog converters available by then, or so they promise. Whoever "they" are...
 
I fyou are running XP and have a USB 2 port, I recommend Pinacle software. It works with a cable to USB link or with a separate short antena if you purchase that version. It has a remote control device as well.

It does not wok yet with XP 64. :-( Otherwise, it's a good, not too expensive product that our whole department uses at work on our work computers.
 
Thanks Bob!

I have to admit that I don't fully understand.  Is Pinnacle the brand for the hardware and software?  Don't some of these devices allow for my antenna with booster to be plugged in via coax cable?

I've not had time to research this at all, so my questions are likely pretty basic.  Your information is very helpful....thanks!
 
Take a look at this USB TV tuner, it's digital and comes with Hauppauge's WinTV2000 application to watch and record TV.  I'm going to get one for my desktop and laptop, as the laptop doesn't have a digital tuner.

You can use any regular UHF/VHF antenna for digital TV.  Digital programming is broadcast on mostly on UHF frequencies.  A good reference for digital TV is http://www.webantenna.org/.
 
Ned said:
I just clicked on the link I posted and the web site works.  I was there yesterday for quite awhile.  Be sure to use http://www.webantenna.org.
Click to expand...
When I click on your link, I get the www.webantenna.org home page, presumably.  But when I click on any of the links, such as "Hdtv signals by zip code", I get what appear to be search-engine results from landing.domainsponsor.com.
 
James Godward said:
There have been good report on HDTV using the old Winegard Batwing antenna.  I'm going to be looking for an HDTV card for my computer while I am in the land of electronic stores other than Radio Schlock, UGH!  Sometimes it is a pain living in the sticks!!  VBG
Click to expand...

I will add another comment here... HDTV antennas.

An antenna is an antenna, if it's a broad band antenna designed to pick up channels 2 through 62 (Which the batwings are) and everything in between... Then any signal in that range it's going to work for and,  there are some additional frequencies where it will work too (Odd harmonics,  IE 3x. 5x. 7x. 9x)

OF course, if you are a manufacturer or seller you can make a lot more profit if you re-label your old antennas "HDTV compatable"
and, of course, up the price.

On the antenna end for broadcast HDTV is like USB2,  If it was properly designed for 1.1 (Standard analog broadcast) it will work just fine for HDTV and Digital TV broadcast (or usb 2.0 in the case of cables) no difference at all.

So, go ahead and get a HDTV card that can do regular as well.  Best of all 3 worlds

There will come a day (And it's beginning to look like "If I live that long") when analog broadcast TV we have enjoied for the last half century will come to an end and only DIGITAL tv will be out there, HD or not I don't know, but it will be all digital. so get the digital card now and avoid the rush
 
I use rabit ears here at home,  I am too cheap to pay for cable.  I was testing a 32" hdtv for the family business (to be used as a fancy hanging on the wall disply).  old rabit ears picked up 28 channels (both digital and analog). Any antenna that picks up tv currently will work with HD transmissions.

I checked the FCC website (www.fcc.gov) it has good information to bust myths about HDTV and how it can be received.  It also has some links deep in the site about federal laws that allow you to use a satellite or antenna even if you are in an area that prohibits their use.  That was a real eye opener for a Realtor that sees subdivision restrictions try to stop you from having an antennas on your house.

David

I moved from the IT world into the family business of Real Estate. I also hold 2 degrees in electronics engineering.  Hopefully I have some idea about electronics in general.
 
==t also has some links deep in the site about federal laws that allow you to use a satellite or antenna even if you are in an area that prohibits their use. ==

PRB-1 Perhaps?
 
John In Detroit said:
==t also has some links deep in the site about federal laws that allow you to use a satellite or antenna even if you are in an area that prohibits their use. ==

PRB-1 Perhaps?
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with PRB-1.
 
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