iCool portable device records TV
By Barb Dybwad 
posted March 22nd 2005 4:33PM
posted March 22nd 2005 4:33PM
Unfortunate name for this portable device, but some of the specs are interesting — particularly the TV tuner and the ability to record video from it. Other features of this do-it-all device include a built-in speaker, SD slots, built-in antenna, jack for hooking in a more powerful antenna to improve reception, and support for MP3, MPEG4 and JPG. Video can also be recorded from other sources, as well, using the AV-inputs on the unit. Codec support is generally weak, and there's really no other information yet about this device, but the TV reception bit still sounds at least iOK.
It doesn't have the killer design of the Ipod.
Stuff like this bothers me, since here in the US, odds are that all TV broadcasts will be digital by the end of next year at the latest if Congress gets its way. All the devices that only receive analog over-the-air TV will receive 70 channels of static. Why spend money on something that will be obsolete and is not upgradable?
>>since here in the US, odds are that all TV broadcasts will be digital by the end of next year at the latest if Congress gets its way. <<
you must be joking...anolog tv is not going away
Well, they'll be all digital, and still some will be sent through analog means. Kinda between.
Thats how I feel TVGenius, but I think we still have about 10+ years of the regular analog tv brodcast. Most are streaming an analog and digital!
Here's a link to the story.
http://digitaltelevision.com/articles/article_893.shtml
Anything without a digital tuner or inputs to connect a converter would be useless in the US at the end of 2006. There are several proposals like this in the works. I'm not saying it's going to happen THAT soon, but it will be sooner than a lot of people realize. I'm not buying anything that will be obsolete that soon. Think of all the TVs in kitchens, game rooms etc. that are cheap 13-inchers with just a cable/antenna input. Albeit, if you have cable you're OK, but around here the cable penetration is well under 50%.