AVerMedia releases MCE-compliant PCMCIA TV tuner

If your laptop is feeling left out of the video recording frenzy that has overtaken desktop PC's, try feeding it AVerMedia's new PCMCIA TV tuner. Now instead of just using Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to watch the latest movie trailers and celebrity porn, you can record actual TV broadcasts directly to your notebook's hard drive. Using MCE's scheduling software, you can time-shift live content anywhere you go (well, at least as far as your coax cable will stretch) or watch recorded programs, untethered, at your leisure. Also, hardware-based MPEG-2 encoding ensures that recording your Gilmore Girls fix will go easy on your lappy's processor.

[Justin? @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

How much? i'd bet that getting an external USB hauppage tuner would be a better bet than one of these.. cheaper too

[Admiral @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Now if only there were a mac driver + software :)
I would love one of these for my powerbook :)

[Vision77 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Do I need to have MCE to take advantage of this? Hopefully this doesn't cost too much.

[Kent @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Any news on Linux compatability - that is when this thing would be really useful ;)

[yet another Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

would need DV3 and DAB support before i would buy something like this.

[Katherine @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

#3 (Vision77)

Aver also makes an older, non-MCE compliant version of this tuner. This is the E502, I believe. The older is the E501. It comes with its own scheduling software and works great (I own it). I'd imagine it's probably cheaper than the newer version and, if you don't have MCE, I'd suggest that one. I got mine for around $70 on Amazon.

[Katherine @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00094OWG0/qid=1125960456/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-5460537-1738518?v=glance&s=pc&n=507846

[Alexander @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

How do you think, will this gadget work with Windows Longhorn?

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I have the old one as well and it works wonders. Much better than any usb video solution i've used.

[Andre Diar @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Yea I bought the non-mce card a while ago. It's great to hookup consoles on your laptop.

[OrbMan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I own an Avermedia UltraTV Media Center PCI 550, and it is a piece of crap. Lousy drivers, lousy software, and unbelievably (unlistenable) bad audio. The video is pretty good however.

[Oddmanout @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Yep, non-MCE breeds go for $45+ on ebay pretty regularly, almost bought one yesterday, might buy one tommorow...

[Joe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

OK, please. Moratorium on calling laptops, "lappies." It is the lamest f-cking thing ever. Stop it engadget, or I will have to start reading only Gizmodo.

[hall @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

my old one still works well

[eminem213486 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

joe, you're welcome to leave. i think engadget using slang brings it more down to earth than those shitty copy and paste jobs other sites do.

i just bought the older version of this card on amazon today. FOR MY LAPPY. planning on hooking up the threesixty to da bitch. well see how it works on my wxga+ screen. 1680x1050 should push 720p properly but we'll see.
ive been fairly good with avermedia products. i have their Avermedia 1500mce for my desktop with MCE works wonders and great pic/sound quality.

[Z @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I own a new HP MCE laptop, so what I want to know is when AVerMedia is going to start shipping their ExpressCard version of this TV tuner.

They've announced it, but when is it going to ship???