Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 10:15 AM

I bought a DVB-TV USB digital tuner for about £30 several years ago. It worked fine on windows XP but not on Vista or Windows 7.

I got a later one to work on Windows 7 and Vista through media player. Every now and then you have to re-tune them to pick up the latest Digital channels.

Maybe a right click on the icon will bring up a menu option and you can re-tune through that.

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 10:06 AM

I went into one of the devices in Sawzaw's link, and found this on an eBay auction:


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Digital USB 2.0 DVB-T HDTV TV Tuner
Recorder & Receiver

Watch and Record Digital Terrestrial TV on PC or Laptop

Support Multi-Picture Display, Multi-National Languages

Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista32/Vista64
        

Description & Features:

    Watch and record digital terrestrial TV on PC or Laptop
    USB 2.0 interface
    Full bandwidth DVB-T reception (6/7/8 MHz)
    Still image snapshots
    Time-shifting
    Scheduled recording
    Digital TV recording and playback as DVD quality
    Support multi-picture display
    Support multi-national languages
    Support EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
    Support Teletext
    Support Microsoft BDA drivers
    Remote control
    Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista32/Vista64

    NOTE: This USB DVB-T Digital TV tuner contains a digial TV receiver for processing DVB-T MPEG-2 encoded signals found in many European countries and some Asian countries, it can't be used for USA, Canada, Mexico or some South American countries like: Brazil , Peru , Argentina , Chile , Venzuela and Ecuador. Before bidding, please check TV Standard DVB-T covered your country or not.If you want to buy the digital TV tunner for using in USA or Brazil , please click Our Ebay Shop Our Ebay Shop to find more information.

Specification:

    USB2.0 Interface
    Maxliner 5003s silicon tuner
    E3C EC168 Chipsets
    Terrestrial Antenna Input
    DVB-T Stick Size: 92mm(L)x 23mm(W) x13mm(H) Weight : around 25g
    Remote Control Size: 90mm(L)x35mm(W)x6mm(H) Weight : around 17g

Package Contents:

    1 x DVB-T USB STICK
    1 x Antenna
    1 x Remote Control
    1 x Installation CD-ROM

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 01:57 PM

I left this on top because Tech usually stays up there.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 09:31 PM

No, it's a card in the computer that acts like a receiver. I have an antenna dedicated to this room and plugged it into a small television - one channel is kind of off so I'll adjust it, but what I find is that same amplified antenna on the computer card misses a whole bunch of the channels. I think the card is failing, so am considering replacement. The TV in the room might be the answer - I could plug it into the computer (there is "TV in" coax input) and record whatever channel is on, but that involves leaving the television on in addition to the computer if I want to record something. As it is, I can turn off everything related to the computer except the CPU and it will record if it is hooked up and receiving properly. (This is great for recording the PBS program I forgot to watch the first time that replays once at 2am on a Thursday evening. . . )

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 06:55 PM

Could there be some limits being imposed by your ISP? They DO try to set things up so that you pay for everything.

When I first got a digital TV...(teeny little thing)... it received hundreds of channels. Then channels did begin to go away as my ISP...(Comcast at the time).. began to scramble everything so that ONLY their box would receive them.

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: gnu
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 06:09 PM

Cool... I haD NO IDEA!

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Sawzaw
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 11:03 AM

I believe you can get an inexpensive TV tuner that plugs into the USB port.

They even have remotes.

You need a decent antenna though. Unless you are in a city those little sticks are worthless.

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 08:47 AM

Gargoyle, I can read the Fry's ad - where everything is equal, except the price. The point of running a query here is to see what other people have tried and to learn from their experience.

Thanks, Melissa!

SRS

Garg, Are you in Texas? Better be careful, many cities are using aerial spraying for pest control!

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Melissa
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 12:34 AM

I use a roku type thing (Sony) and if it picks up local channels (or any regular tv stuff) I don't know how to do it. There's nothing that looks like that's what it does on my options.

There is more stuff loaded in the box than I expected.

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 01:23 PM

Running it back up to the top in case someone only reads Mudcat.org Monday - Friday at work. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 01:47 PM

My computer doesn't do a channel scan, it isn't a true television. It's a software-based setup with the receiver and in Windows Media Center all of the channels possible in the region are listed and I just click on them.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: pavane
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 01:25 PM

Sorry if it is too obvious, but you rerun the channel scan?
I have a dongle style one -it cost me £15 recently and seems to work fine. Of course the USA setup may be different to the UK.

Subject: Tech: Over-the-Air TV Receiver for Computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 11:18 AM

The computer I'm using now was purchased nearly three years ago and at the time I ordered it I had them put a card in for a television receiver. I use this as my DVR since I don't pay for cable or dish television and don't have a device for recording near the televisions.

The channels are dropping off - I can't see as many on this receiver as I used to (I watch via Windows Media Center) - the televisions around the house receive many more. I've moved around my amplified antenna configuration to see if that was it. Nope. I am concluding that this card is beginning to fail in some way. I have only one splitter on the big antenna, a typical setup, going to 2 televisions. I know that if it is split too much the signal degrades, but that isn't the case. The computer is the sole receiver on a second amplified antenna right now. I can receive these channels with rabbit ears, though not as strong as with the amplified units.

I have a couple of ports on the card for antenna in and television in, so I'm wondering about some of these boxes out there - do any of you use any Internet TV (Roku, Apple TV, etc.) devices and do any of them also pick up local channels? And what software do you use in conjunction with the boxes?

The channels I record most often are the PBS channels and many of their programs can be streamed for a while online, but not all of them. One-off programs broadcast locally (the Saturday and Sunday night British dramas and comedies) aren't available for streaming, so those are the ones I record if there is a viewing conflict. Has anyone else explored this question?

Yes, I know I could replace the card, but they're expensive and I'm not that interested in viewing TV on my computer that I want to spend $200 - 300 for a card. These boxes are down in the $100 range. I've noticed some "dongle" type receiver devices, that plug into a USB port - has anyone used those?

Thanks!

SRS