Message Forums

Does anyone have experience of the pros and cons of using a laptop as a TV. It would seem to provide the best of all worlds in one smallish box: TV, viewing  the day's photos, navigation if wished, e-mails etc. However, it is a pricey option and I wonder if the quality is OK or not. For instance, can anyone tell me:

1. How good is the picture when you are working off a portable aerial or one attached to the side of your van?

2. Do you have to use analogue or would digital work of a portable aerial?

3. Do the TV tuner 'add-ons' (via USB) provide 'autotune'?

4. If you have the record option as well, can you set it by timer?

5. Hauppage seems to be recommendedin the reviews, and Aver seems to be another make. Any practical experience out there??

Thanks,

Linda

Quote: Originally posted by Papa Pip on 15/02/2005

---

I fitted a TV card to my home PC and have found the picture quality excellent as is the radio reception, id have to get a booster portable aerial but that was no great expense and will be taken for use in the van in future. Have no experience of a laptop type setup but if it is a good card and you have a good signal then it should be ok.
Just got to persuade me missus that taking the PC instead of the TV is a good idea!

---

Never known a relaxing game yet Papa.

Most have you on the edge of your seat trying to beat it lol.

Try mahjong! withthe music on, nice and relaxing, fell asleep playing it!!!!

Then again, falling asleep is something I been doing lots of lately!

Well not to be outdone.

Can I suggest you need your beauty sleep lol.

Then maybe, just maybe Nana will let you tow that van hehe. I would hate for Nana  to tow that van in to Carnfunnock with a crowd there lol. And you sittin relaxing lol.

Scared out of me wits ya mean!!! make sure you have a large one ready!!!

Off to bed now, jeez, what you lot like!!! nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag, nag,

if your using a laptop then you are going to need a USB one, The haupage devices and others the same rely on a USB 2 Connection (Its Twice as fast as USB1), which not all Laptops have!!

I bought one of these for my older laptop which only had USB1 , and it was unwatchable!!

I know ahve a laptop with USB2, and a WINTV USB Device, its great,I use it all th etime in the van, and the picture is very good, it also has autotune, and a record feature.

Good thing with using it off the laptop is you can charge your laptop batteries whilst driving, and then watch TV for a few hours off them before you need to plug it in.

This TV/Laptop thing is something I have also been wondering about, but didn't know whether there was a TV card that could be installed into the laptop, or if a seperate plug in device was needed.

I now have two questions...

(1) How do you know whether a laptop has USB1 or USB2?

(2) Where can this 'haupage' device be obtained?

Phil

Hi, I was in Dixons this morning and happened to notice the USB TV kit, the Win TV said on the box that it was suitable for USB 1.1 or 2 and was £29.99. The other one was the Hauppage at £49.99 so I didn't bother reading the spec as if I decided to buy one I would have bought the Win TV as the spec seemed to meet all my requirements. They both have autotuning.

Phil.

Thanks everyone - there is some really useful information coming through. Of course, this suggests more questions:

1. Signal would appear to be a key issue. Can anyone recommend a portable aerial with booster that would help to overcome the problem with poor picture quality when the signal is low?

2. I wonder if PeeWee can tell me which WinTV version they are using? I get confused about all the Hauppage variants that seem to be available.

3. Glad to hear that WinTV has autotuning - it would seem to me vital that you can retune easily when arriving at a new area. Can anyone confirm that this is reasonably easy to do?

Linda

OOoops, I've just found out that WinTV units are made by Hauppage. Another similar make is Pinnacle which I believe are a bit cheaper. 

Phil