USB TV Tuner - Which should I buy?

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kjw

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#20471 27-Mar-2008 19:24

Help!
Want to buy a USB TV Tuner and have narrowed it down to three choices (I think) but am unsure which would be best to get.
Have a new Toshiba Satellite A200 laptop running Vista.
Can't decide between:

Compro VideoMate U2700 USB TV BOX
http://www.extremepc.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2814

HAUPPAUGE WINTV HVR900 DIGITAL/ANALOG HYBRID USB2.0
http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=4917

Leadtek WinFast TV USB II Deluxe (Analog Terrestrial) TV Tuner, FM Radio, External, USB 2.0, 3x USB 2.0 Hub, with Remote
http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=336954

Any pointers as to which is best?

itey

479 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 84

#119140 27-Mar-2008 19:55

Do you want dvb-t, dvb-s, or an analogue TV tuner?

kjw

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#119145 27-Mar-2008 20:11

Am not entirely sure about the differences between all three. Want something that will let me watch both analogue and digital in NZ.

eXDee

4033 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1070

Trusted

#119175 27-Mar-2008 21:10

DVB-S is Satellite. Probably not what you want on a notebook unless you carry a satellite in your back pocket.
DVB-T is Terrestrial, AKA broadcast off a mountain like your normal analogue tv signals.
So you want a DVB-T tuner that also does analogue.

Also, what are the specs of the laptop? DVB-T in NZ is upscaled to high definition H264 so requires a good computer to play it smooth.

kjw

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#119181 27-Mar-2008 21:16

2.2GHz, 2GB and 160GB?

eXDee

4033 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1070

Trusted

#119211 27-Mar-2008 22:51

Graphics card? the graphics chip in it is pretty important for DVB-T. What model is on the bottom of the laptop?

From those specs though it sounds fairly high end and should be fine, but some of the high end business ones have basic graphics cards.

Fossie

1240 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#119236 28-Mar-2008 01:22

Hvr-900 for sure. I use it with my simarly speced laptop.