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Looking to watch HDTV on XPS 2

post #1 of 18
9/10/05 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
The title says it all. Since, as of right now, I do not know of any internal notebook HDTV tuners out there I am looking for the best USB 2.0 HDTV tuner for my XPS 2. I don't want to get Dell's TV tuner because it's not HD. Something compact and light because I'm going to be using it for my college dorm since there is little room for a TV (unless you want to drill holes and spend $1000+ to wall mount a flat panel). So it'd be nice if it includes an antennea (small and compact also) with the package so I don't have to buy one separately. I am new to HDTV tuners so that's why I'm asking all of you *smart* guys for the best deal. It MUST be $200 or cheaper, because paying any more for a tuner doesn't make much sense to me and I don't think the parents will buy it!
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post #2 of 18
9/10/05 at 11:24am
Googled USB HDTV tuner, turned up:

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/perip...ner-008281.php
and
http://www.usbhdtv.com/main/index.htm

Googled the name,

http://www.copperbox.com/lite/sasem.php
its 250 dollars, but I'm sure you can find it cheaper.
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post #3 of 18
9/10/05 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Any tuners with an established record and good reviews? I definitely want to invest in a quality card with FULL PVR and recording features.
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post #4 of 18
9/10/05 at 7:11pm
There really aren't that many established USB HDTV tuners as there really isn't a market for them. There are some HDTV PCI tuners for desktops but there really isn't a well established market for USB 2.0 HDTV tuners. Additionally, I found some tuners from Haupauge (or however it is spelled, the makers of WinTV) but they pull the HDTV isgnal from open air sources which are found in Europe.

Pretty much any card will come with its own PVR software. Go with the one that gives you the most features for your price. I looked at all three links and there are some pretty good tuners.
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post #5 of 18
9/10/05 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
I'm going to college in the heart of Philly so over-the-air HD will be no problem. Or do you mean that the signals with the Hauppuage card are ONLY found in Europe? OK, I'll look into these three cards. Thanks!
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post #6 of 18
9/10/05 at 9:04pm
With the Hauppuage ones I saw, they were only compatible with the European standard. North America has the NTSC standard while Europe uses the PAL standard.
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post #7 of 18
9/10/05 at 11:41pm
Thread Starter 
OK, I looked into the Sasem tuner, and the TomsHardware.com review seemed pretty good. Now I just got to find it for under $200!
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post #8 of 18
9/15/05 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I've been looking for this tuner for quite some time and simply can't seem to find it! It's sold out on Sasem's website (in Korean) and I can't find it anywhere else! Does anybody know where I can find this HDTV tuner or another HDTV tuner - as in a link to actually BUY the product in ENGLISH. Thanks!
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post #9 of 18
9/15/05 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IceMan5043
Well, I've been looking for this tuner for quite some time and simply can't seem to find it! It's sold out on Sasem's website (in Korean) and I can't find it anywhere else! Does anybody know where I can find this HDTV tuner or another HDTV tuner - as in a link to actually BUY the product in ENGLISH. Thanks!
Post #2 last link.

I have the same tuner great, only downside is the tuner has to be pluged into wall.
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post #10 of 18
9/15/05 at 10:22pm
Thread Starter 
I know about that, but it is not available from that website anymore. Any other place to get it from?
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post #11 of 18
9/16/05 at 3:48am
Thread Starter 
Or ANY good USB HDTV tuner for that matter?
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post #12 of 18
9/16/05 at 10:11pm
Thread Starter 
Well I just ordered my laptop WITHOUT a TV tuner, hoping to get one in HD elsewhere, but it's not looking like that's happening! Do any stores sell USB 2.0 HDTV tuners - Best Buy, Circuit City, or CompUSA maybe? As soon as I get my lappy HDTV is the first thing I want to do!
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post #13 of 18
9/16/05 at 10:54pm
I think over the air signal will be hard to get. More than likely you'll just get only a few stations.
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post #14 of 18
9/17/05 at 3:06am
Thread Starter 
Refer to my post #5. OTA will not be a problem. However, I simply CANNOT find these things to buy anywhere! A little help?!
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post #15 of 18
9/17/05 at 3:26am
I just spent days looking all over the place for an HDTV USB tuner, and unfortunately, they pretty much don't exist. I didn't feel like ordering one from some Korean company I didn't really know over the internet, so that eliminated just about all possibilities. In the end I went with the WinTV PVR (DVR??, I forget the name exactly) for about $150. No HD, but it's one hell of a tuner. I think you're gonna have to wait quite some time before you see a competitive market for HD tuners. I'm out in LA right now, and we get (I think) around 15 channels OTA. However, I spoke to a guy at Ken Crane's, and he said within the next year we should have hundreds of OTA HD channels. Perhaps the same is true in Philly. Anyway, my advice is either go with a standard definition tuner for now, or wait it out until decent, competitive products hit the market in a couple years.
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post #16 of 18
9/17/05 at 4:42am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your post Element. Well, I'm going to have basic cable access in the dorm (around 60-80 channels) so I can simply use that. I don't NEED OTA channels or an antennea - I just want to watch and RECORD TV on my laptop. Yeah, you unfortunately came to the same conclusion as me - no HDTV tuners seem to exist at the moment. I might just end up getting a standard DVR-type tuner. So I hear you think Hauppauge is the best; I'll look into them then. Their main building in Long Island is only about an hour away from my house in Northeastern NJ so, if I have a major problem, it shouldn't be a big deal.
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post #17 of 18
9/17/05 at 4:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IceMan5043
The title says it all. Since, as of right now, I do not know of any internal notebook HDTV tuners out there I am looking for the best USB 2.0 HDTV tuner for my XPS 2. I don't want to get Dell's TV tuner because it's not HD. Something compact and light because I'm going to be using it for my college dorm since there is little room for a TV (unless you want to drill holes and spend $1000+ to wall mount a flat panel). So it'd be nice if it includes an antennea (small and compact also) with the package so I don't have to buy one separately. I am new to HDTV tuners so that's why I'm asking all of you *smart* guys for the best deal. It MUST be $200 or cheaper, because paying any more for a tuner doesn't make much sense to me and I don't think the parents will buy it!

All you guys who wanna watch HDTV, am I missing something here? Whats wrong with a television set for watching TV???
If they would make those internet porn streams HD, then I could understand.
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post #18 of 18
9/17/05 at 5:19am
go here : http://www.avsforum.com in the HTPC section and ask your question
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