A Question for the Smart... (TV Tuners)

[Dog_ger]

The thingy you put into your USB drive to give you High Def TV...?

$95 lets you have Hi Def TV with the ability to record.

With, of course a TV remote.....?

Any comments.... What do the well informed say..?

[smac]

The only comment I have is that I have seen them as cheap as $45. Otherwise you know as much as I do.

[Dog_ger]

$45 gets you TV,

$45 is not recordable Hi Def TV...

I believe my friend....

With no Remote Control...?

I could be wrong?

[Wedgie]

There was one on zazz.com.au for $33.60 in July and it came with everything (antenna, remote, software, etc)
Make sure your pc has the processing power, a decent video card, decent amount of RAM, a USB2 port, a good size hard drive and that it comes with decent software to use.

Here's the specs for the zazz one, Im sure you could fine similar on Ebay:

Product specs

* USB 2.0 port
* TV tuner with digital TV program reception
* Fully Licensed Media Player software from BlazeVideo
* Automatic channel scanning over 6, 7, and 8 MHz bands
* DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) protocol support (ETS 300 744)
* Supports HDTV
* Channel list showing all available channels
* Program decoding through software
* Real time digital video recording feature to record TV programs to your hard disk
* Support for scheduled recordings
* Playback of recorded TV programs
* Schedule watch TV ( remind you to watch your favourite program at specified time)
* Multi- channel preview
* 16:9 widescreen support
* Favourite channel management
* Still picture capture to capture individual frames
* Zooming video
* Powerful antenna for signal reception
* USB 2.0 high speed interface designed for HDTV
* Trendy and compact remote control for easy operation
* Full screen view support
* Play teletext
* MPEG II software decoding
* Play digital radio with direct radio recording
* Speaker Surround Support
* Time shifting- which enables you to pause the live program, then go back to continue the program but never miss any wonderful program
* Program guide
* Playing DVD, VCD, photos
* Record DVD video/ audio
* No additional power supply or adapter required
* Slim and compact design for Portability
* Power Saver features for laptop
* Supports EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and schedule recording


Package Content:

* USB 2.0 Digital Terrestrial TV Stick
* DVB-T Portable Antenna
* Remote Control
* CD Software (Blaze HDTV Player)
* English User Manual

[smac]

$45 gets you TV,

$45 is not recordable Hi Def TV...

I believe my friend....

With no Remote Control...?

I could be wrong?

Yes, you could be wrong. In fact, you are! It was recordable HD TV including remote.

[LBT]

Bought one of these on the weekend. Typical bloke just went ahead and tried to install programs myself, couldn't get it working for 3 days . Read the instruction book last night...easy, almost plug and play. The quality and features are very good. I paid $50 and it is hi-def.

[Dog_ger]

Yes I was wrong.

Done some re-search today.

$59 up to $149 so far.

Thanks guys for your help.

[Dog_ger]

I went to a few places today. (13/08/2008)

All wanted to sell me something but customer service was not great.

Went to A & R Smithfield,

and they were the only ones that were interested in explaining this item to me.

Uninterested in a Sale..

Well Done A&R

PS. Wedgie, are you a walking electronical dictonary?

Your understanding completely is over my head.

I am an internet nincompoop.

Thanks good buddy.

[Wedgie]

Buy online mate, my parents are electronic ninkampoops too, but have discovered how much cheaper and diverse it is to buy thing online. I rarely buy stuff in stores myself, save so much money.

[zipzap]

There was one on zazz.com.au for $33.60 in July and it came with everything (antenna, remote, software, etc)
Make sure your pc has the processing power, a decent video card, decent amount of RAM, a USB2 port, a good size hard drive and that it comes with decent software to use.

I bought this the first time it was on offer at Zazz and I use it successfully in my lounge room. I liked it so much I bought another a few weeks ago for my classroom - HD olympics on a massive interactive whiteboard (during educationally appropriate moments of course)!

Actually the teacher next door wants me to source one for her - apparently Dick Smith wanted over $100! Any good online sources Wedgie? Not eBay...

These things are only as good as the aerial you have. Forget about the ones shipped with them - they don't work. (The remote doesn't do much either). You should ideally have a wall connection (my lounge room) but failing that you will need a powered antenna (my classroom) which will set you back $30+.

[Westsider]

these 2 sites usually have them regularly, at least one a month, if not more.

with C.O.T.D. always check their "small fish" items, it sometimes pops up in there too

www.zazz.com.au

and

www.catchoftheday.com.au

----

also check out www.dailydeals.com.au - it is the mother site of C.O.T.D. and it usually has something like this available.

[BenchedEagle]

and they were the only ones that were interested in explaining this item to me.

Uninterested in a Sale..

Well Done A&R
.

Mate A &R are terrible, well known in the IT industry retail industry as shite in customer service and prices. Good that they helped ya though.
We got em at JBs at 67 for a tuner, no remote no antenna, up to HDTV recordable, with editing program, remote, aerial for 200 mark, top brand though.
Can get em in PC cards to, if usb is not ur thing

[zipzap]

Zazz has the usb TV tuners today. I've bought two and for the price, thoroughly recommend them - with the caveat that the supplied aerial and remote are pretty useless.
http://www.zazz.com.au/