TV tuner
Latest
Pinnacle cranks out PCTV Nano Stick USB tuner
This one's been around the block a time or two, but for you Europeans out there trying to hunt down a new OTA TV tuner that won't bog down your knapsack when traveling, Pinnacle's latest looks to be just the thing. Apparently launching across the pond, the PCTV Nano Stick handles DVB-T signals and enables users to save material in MPEG1, MPEG2 or DivX format. Interestingly, we're only told of its compatibility with Windows Media Center, so we 'spose OS X users would be pushing their luck with this one. No concrete deets on pricing, either, but word on the street pegs it at £39.99 ($78).[Via PC Advisor]
equinux offers up TubeStick hybrid USB TV tuner
If neither of Elgato's latest from Macworld tickled your fancy, there's a decent shot you may like what equinux has going on instead. The TubeStick hybrid is the firm's newly announced USB TV tuner, which is housed in a diminutive chassis that won't block nearby ports and offers up OTA reception of NTSC, ATSC and digital (QAM) signals. Furthermore, the unit comes wearing the whitest of white outfits and also touts an external antenna and a one-month trial of the TubeToGo software. Yes, this critter will play nice with Windows machines as well, but we hear it tries to avoid such predicaments whenever possible. Ready to snag your own? Catch one next month for $129.[Via The Mac Observer]
Show floor video: El Gato HD hardware and EyeTV 3
While we wait for Apple to cram a TV tuner or cable card into the Apple TV (don't hold your breath-- seriously), El Gato continues to pump out some nice hardware/software tools for watching the tube on your Mac. One thing that caught my eye: you can start distributing recorded live video around your house 30 seconds or so after the EyeTV starts recording a show. I remember when we had to rig some VLC nonsense together to get livestreaming on a remote machine with the old EyeTV. Oh, and they've apparently added something very similar to the Season Pass feature on Tivo, which is quite cool.Check out a nice demo after the jump.
Show floor video: Equinux shows the TubeStick
Equinux, makers of iSale, CoverScout and an interesting collection of other apps, was at Macworld demoing TubeStick, their TV receiver. Like El Gato's EyeTV, the TubeStick is a hardware doohickey with the TV parts inside (logically) and some software that lets you watch TV on your Mac. Unlike El Gato, however, there is a social aspect to TubeStick. Example: you can chat with friends who are watching the same thing. The CEO took us on a quick tour, which you can view after the break.(Note: Equinux also gave us some show swag which we'll be giving away next week)
Elgato updates EyeTV Hybrid / 250 Plus TV tuners: Clear-QAM now welcome
It seems that Elgato was most proud of its totally revamped EyeTV 3 software, but we couldn't help but notice two rather substantial hardware updates that it also chose to announce (albeit quietly) at Macworld 2008. Starting today, the firm's EyeTV Hybrid USB tuner and its EyeTV 250 Plus TV receiver / video converter (shown after the break) are both available with built-in support for unencrypted digital cable (Clear-QAM) channels. 'Course, they'll both still pull in NTSC / ATSC signals, but the addition of Clear-QAM support is a real boon for OTA addicts. Pricing for the extra versatile devices remains unchanged at $149.95 and $199.95, respectively, but unfortunately, existing owners will not be able to receive the newfound functionally with a simple firmware update.Read - Elgato EyeTV HybridRead - Elgato EveTV 250 Plus
Hauppauge intros WinTV-HVR-950Q USB tuner with Clear-QAM support
Been on the lookout for a USB TV tuner with NTSC, ATSC and Clear-QAM support? Look no further than Hauppauge, which has proudly introduced the WinTV-HVR-950Q to handle all of the aforementioned needs. Additionally, the stick comes bundled with a credit card-sized remote capable of controlling the action from any given sofa, and it obviously supports the firm's SoftPVR and SoftMCE software MPEG-2 encoders. We know you're eager to cram one in your laptop and hop on a jet to a land far, far away, so you'll be quite pleased to know that it ships this month for $99.
HP Pavilion Elite m9150f PC handles HD DVD, OTA TV
Not pleased with any of HP's other offerings? Fret not, as we've got yet another one coming your way. The Pavilion Elite m9150f PC comes ready to handle those HD DVD / PVR duties, and it may even withstand a e-mail or two. Here's the dirt: 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor Intel's G33 Express chipset 3GB of DDR2 RAM Dual 360GB (720GB total) 7,200 SATA hard drives HP's Personal / Pocket Media Drive Bays HD DVD (read-only) drive LightScribe-enabled SuperMulti DVD burner Gigabit Ethernet / 802.11b/g WiFi NTSC / ATSC / FM tuners HP Media Center remote control with IR receiver Front-mounted 15-in-1 multicard reader If you couldn't already guess, this one also packs six USB 2.0 ports, twin FireWire sockets, audio in / out, a wireless keyboard / mouse combo and HDMI / DVI outputs. As with HP's other newly announced media PCs, the m9100 series is set to ship this month and start at $1,159.
Evergreen unveils DN-MRC200T external TV tuner / media recorder
We can't say we're really feeling that design, but Evergreen's DN-MRC200T makes up for it with a good bit of functionality. This device not only features an area for a 2.5-inch hard drive of your choice along with Memory Stick Pro / SD / MMC flash card access, but it also includes a built-in TV tuner (analog, regrettably) to handle the capture, storage and transport of programming without any outside assistance. Granted, it seems a bit late to be bringing a product out without a digital tuner built-in, but hey, maybe that's why it's "only" ¥19,999 ($176).[Via AkihabaraNews]
Corega intros compact CG-1SG24TV 1seg TV
Although you're better off looking Sanyo's direction if you need one that's waterproof, Corega has a couple of new micro-TVs for those who can manage to keep their distance from the waterways. The CG-1SG24TV is set to arrive in black / white motifs and feature a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution LCD, built-in 1seg TV tuner, an electronic program guide (EPG), integrated stereo speakers and a headphone jack to boot. Furthermore, this pocket-friendly unit gets all the power it needs from a pair of AAA cells, and you'll even get a set of earbuds thrown in for good measure. Expect this one to land early next month for around ¥12,800 ($119).[Via AkihabaraNews]
In-depth walkthrough of DS TV reveals Game & Watch inclusion
We knew just about how many people in Japan were going wild for this thing, but now you can count us among those who want one. Although we would have no use for it outside of one feature. The DS TV Tuner, it turns out, also includes some classic gaming action, bundling in the retro Nintendo title Game & Watch Fire. We've placed a video of a version of Game & Watch Fire in action past the break, so be sure to give it a gander.
Almost 4 million people want to watch TV on their DS
We knew that demand for the accessory was going to be high, as the servers crashed shortly after Nintendo opened pre-orders online. After checking out the device, we thought the thing looked nifty as all get-up. Now, news is the thing is even more popular than we could've ever anticipated.J Cast Business News is reporting that the device has received almost 4 million pre-orders in Japan, causing us to thoroughly question the world around us and wonder if anything we took for a certainty before is still the same. This is just crazy-hard to believe on our end, because 4 million people is, like ... a lot of people. That's a third of the population of Buenos Aires and the number of e-mails Bill Gates gets every day.
Envision kicks out trio of Omni-series LCD HDTVs
Envision understands that the people need choices, and just in case neither of the two LCD HDTVs that the firm unleashed last month tickled your fancy, here comes a trio of new ones to pore over. All three units sport a 1,366 x 768 resolution, eight-millisecond response time, ATSC / Clear QAM tuners, integrated speakers, a headphone jack, S/PDIF port and a glossy black finish. On the high(er)-end, we've got the 42-inch L42W761, which features a 1,200:1 contrast ratio, twin HDMI inputs and a respectable $999 pricetag. The 32-inch L32W761 differs from its big bro by offering up a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, while the 26-inch L26W761 musters an 800:1 CR. These two will ring up at $649 and $479, respectively, and are available as we speak from a number of fine retailers, but if you've got your eye on the 42-incher, you'll be waiting till the 23rd -- yeah, Black Friday -- to take one home.
Friday Video: Tuning in
GameBrink offered up some footage of the DS TV tuner, and we couldn't resist putting it in our video spotlight this week. Just realize: we do not have any for preorder, so please don't crash our servers or kill us or hurt us or anything, for the love of all that is holy. With that out of the way ... this does look pretty neat. Too bad it will probably never, ever come across the ocean.
Video of the Nintendo DS 1seg TV tuner in action
We've seen a couple pretty press photos of the forthcoming DS 1seg TV tuner, but nothing beats video -- and the Japanese promo video unearthed by the crew at Gamebrink delivers the goods in spades. Apart from the usual orientation and aspect ratio settings, the tuner has some neat extra features -- you can take notes on one screen while watching on the other, and it also can be set to take screenshots whenever the closed captioning changes, allowing you to flip through a show like a picture book later. Japanese DS fans can get their hands on the 1seg tuner starting on the 23rd, according to Gamebrink. Check the whole video after the break.[Thanks, J]
Japanese gamers really want their DSTV
As usual, it looks like Satoru Iwata knows exactly what consumers want -- at least, those in Japan. On the heels of his announcement of more planned features and non-gaming uses for the Nintendo DS, the TV tuner accessory hit the official Nintendo website for preorder today ... and it was so popular that the overloaded servers crashed and burned. Sounds like it may be time for Nintendo to let a few outside retailers take on some of that preorder burden, eh?
Nintendo dusts off their TV tuner accessory
First seen back in February of last year, the DS TV tuner accessory kind of disappeared. Now that it's back and Nintendo is actually planning to release it, the DS is a very different system. The DS Lite was being shown off at the same conference as the TV tuner, yet to become the massive cultural phenomenon that nobody expected it to be. New Super Mario Bros. had yet to be released; the first Brain Training game was out and selling well, but not ridiculously well. Maybe Nintendo just got busy and forgot about the accessory.It's back now, and it has a firm release date of November 20th. If you have access to the 1seg digital audio/video broadcast system (which means you live in Japan), you can use this device to receive programming! You can also write notes and save them, which can be useful for sports scores. Nintendo will be selling this exclusively online for 6,800 yen ($59), and preorders start November 8th.The sudden resurgence of this accessory was predicted by the Japanese magazine Gamelabo, whose predictions are usually not worth caring about. However, since this one turned out to be true, it may bode well for the other rumors they mongered in that issue: a new Square Enix RPG for DS starring Shonen Jump characters, and a PSP version of Dragon Quest IX. Or it could be that Gamelabo has a strict lies:truth ratio they have to keep up.[Via Dengeki]
AMD unveils trio of new ATI TV Wonders
Those looking for a fresh way to capture OTA signals on their computer need to look AMD's way, as the firm is kicking out three new ATI TV Wonder devices today. Up first is the TV Wonder 650 Combo USB, which includes two TV tuners to pick up OTA HDTV signals / ClearQAM programming, analog TV and FM broadcasts. For those with desktops, the TV Wonder 600 PCI or TV Wonder 600 PCI Express should fit the bill quite nicely, as they offer up the same features as their USB sibling in less portable forms. Notably, all three units come bundled with Catalyst Media Center software, which enables the devices to quickly convert (read: "with two mouse clicks") recorded programming to formats suitable for use on the iPod, Zune, PSP, iPhone, Palm Treo, etc. Price wise, the 650 Combo USB will demand $149, while the other two (pictured after the jump) will run you just $99 apiece.
Sony's iMac-ish VAIO VGC-LT19U reviewed
Sure, Sony's been kickin' out iMac-like machines for some time now, but the firm's latest all-in-one desktop made a pit-stop by the PCMag labs in order to get critiqued. The sleek, stylish VAIO VGC-LT19U fared pretty well, and the built-in Blu-ray burner, dazzling 22-inch panel and satisfactory integrated speakers were all given a thumbs-up. Granted, you won't find any drool-worthy hardware on the CPU / GPU fronts, but the machine was said to run quietly thanks to its reliance on "laptop-grade components." The only major digs revolved around the lackluster mouse / keyboard combo and the "obscene" amount of bloatware that comes loaded on, and of course, the folks were none too pleased to see an external CableCARD tuner (hard to avoid, we know) bundled with an otherwise elegant machine. All in all, the system seemed to perform quite well, and in our book, earning four out of five twinkling stars (or red dots, whateva) ain't half bad.
ReplayTV launches Personal HD tuner kit, plays nice with iPod / iPhone
We've seen a number of USB tuners that make converting files for handheld viewing a lesson in simplicity, but ReplayTV is givin' you one more alternative. The Personal HD kit includes a USB 2.0 ATSC / NTSC hybrid tuner, an antenna, wireless remote (which fits nicely in a spare PCMCIA slot), a free year of ReplayTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and bundled software that features native iPod, Apple TV and iPhone support. This "all-in-one" solution for getting OTA content on your device of choice is set to ship this November for $99.95.
Microsoft's Media Center to support four CableCARDs
Hot on the heels of finding out who Microsoft chose to buddy up with for its Extenders for Windows Media Center comes word that the software itself will support up to four CableCARDs in a single configuration. If you'll recall, Media Center previously supported just a pair of CableCARDs, but word on the street has Niveus Media and Exceptional Innovation as the first two HTPC vendors to offer up systems that take full advantage of the new functionality. Reportedly, Exceptional Innovation's Model 754 LifeMedia Server will have four CableCARD slots built-in right into its chassis, while Niveus is opting for four external tuners, and while hard pricing details don't look to be available just yet, go on and tell yourself that it won't be cheap.
