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    Best TV tuner

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by 123456, Jul 6, 2007.

  1. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

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    I have an X61 tablet coming soon. This fall, I will be going to college in Baltimore. I would like a TV tuner so that I'll be able to watch TV in the dorms. I believe the X61 only has a PCMCIA slot. I'll be running Vista Ultimate x64. I would like to keep it under $100 if possible. Any suggestion?
     
    123456, Jul 6, 2007
    #1
  2. jetstar

    jetstar Notebook Deity

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    Consider the Pinnacle USB HD TV tuner, available at BestBuy.
     
    jetstar, Jul 6, 2007
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  3. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

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    I checked their website. It doesn't seem to support x64. Are there any out there that support x64?
     
    123456, Jul 6, 2007
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  4. swliu

    swliu Notebook Geek

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    swliu, Jul 6, 2007
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  5. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

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    That looks pretty good. However, I have a few questions since I've never used a TV tuner.

    1. Does the antenna that comes with it support both uhf and vhf?

    2. About how far of a reception do you think I can pick up? I'll be using it mostly in my dorm room.

    3. Will the L7500 be able to handle HDTV? I don't need to record. I just want to able to watch without constant stuttering.

    4. Will there be a potential problem with the usb port not being able to supply enough power to it?

    5. Has anyone had personal experience with this tuner?
     
    123456, Jul 6, 2007
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  6. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

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    I just got the Pinnacle one which was on sale at Best Buy. It works great. However, the software that comes with it is horrible. If I change the channel too many times, it'll freeze up. Also, it uses quite a bit of ram. What's the best software to use to watch TV on my computer? I don't need to record. Also, I got rid of Media Center so I can't use that.

    Also, does the remote require an IR port in the computer or is the USB stick supposed to pick it up?
     
    123456, Jul 8, 2007
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  7. alildevil

    alildevil Newbie

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    Just remember that as of Feb 2009 you might not be able to use the device...theyre stopping all analog broadcasts in the USA
     
    alildevil, Jul 11, 2007
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  8. acaurora

    acaurora Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    ATi just rolled out with their new TV Wonder USB sticks... they use the same hardware mostly as their Theater Pro 650 PCI card (they even have a PCI Express versio now).
     
    acaurora, Jul 11, 2007
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  9. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

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    I already bought the Pinnacle one. It is a hybrid, and the picture quality is stunning. I also decided to get Media Center back and it works great. Now I want to get the remote control working on it. Is there a way to use it without adding infrared ports? I'm guessing the USB stick has input from the remote already.
     
    123456, Jul 11, 2007
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  10. stallen

    stallen Thinkpad Woody

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    Well, this is not a TV tuner exactly but... The slingbox in awesome! I can watch TV (in my case over 100 channels of DirecTV plus anything I have recorded on Tivo) from anywhere I have a high speed internet connection!
     
    stallen, Jul 11, 2007
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  11. acaurora

    acaurora Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    The Pinnacle's remote control I believe does not work with MCE - it is a special kind. Generally if you look at the other USB sticks with remotes they use a standardized, branded version that is easily compatible.

    I had the HD Pro stick as well and used SnapStream's beyondTV for my needs. Dont get me wrong, MCE is awesome, but MCE runs several additional processes in the background that, while they may not impede system performance, are more than I would like to have.
     
    acaurora, Jul 11, 2007
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