A Travel and vacations forum. TravelBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » TravelBanter forum » Travel Regions » Australia & New Zealand
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

DVB-T + Analog TV on laptop while travelling?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old August 12th, 2009, 09:24 PM posted to aus.tv.digital,rec.travel.australia+nz
Frank Slootweg
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 275
Default DVB-T + Analog TV on laptop while travelling?

On January 12, I wrote:
FYI, the report from Oz is - hopefully :-) - at least six months away,
so don't hold your breath for *that* one.


We're back from Oz. We had a great time.

However the (Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro) DVB-T + Analog TV [USB] Stick
was basically useless during our trip.

Only in a *few* of the bigger towns, we had *some*, very bad, analog
TV reception. Most of the time, only if we were in a cabin with a normal
TV, so I could tune the stick while connected to the real antenna and
then use it on the found frequencies with the rod antenna. Having to
have a real TV and antenna, somewhat defeated the purpose of the stick!
:-)

Anyway, we had also bought a (Telstra/ZTE T6) NextG mobile phone and
we watched the news and weather on the phone and could also check the
weather on the phone via its web-browser. Of course we could do that
only if there was NextG coverage, but that was the case in most towns,
also the smaller ones.

[Full posting for reference:]
[rec.travel.australia+nz re-added, so the whole audience is up to date.]

On January 1, I wrote:
Derek Derek@home wrote:

[...]
I'd be interested to hear how you get on.


I'll let you know either way, i.e. if I buy it or not, and if I buy
it, whether it works in my home country (The Netherlands), and whether
it works in Oz.


A little feedback:

I bought the Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro [USB] Stick which I mentioned
before.

Results are as follows (at home in The Netherlands):

- DVB-T reception with the supplied small rod antenna only works on the
second floor (ground/first/second) of our house (which, compared to
Oz, is in a somewhat built-up area). It then works very well. Clear
full screen picture, without any visible/audible interruptions.
On the ground floor it doesn't work at all, i.e. the scanning software
doesn't find any stations and the already found ones have a 0% signal
strength.

- Analog (TV): We have no analog transmitters anymore, so I could only
try it on our cable-TV connection, which - no surprise - worked well,
taking in account that it's analog, i.e. some noise, less sharp, etc..

- FM radio: Works on the ground floor as well/poor as a normal portable
radio with such a small antenna would work. I.e. performance is as to
be expected.

The software also has Internet radio, but I assume that's a pure
software component, so hardly relevant, especially for my use, which is
*TV* reception when there's *no* Internet connection.

That's about it. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

FYI, the report from Oz is - hopefully :-) - at least six months away,
so don't hold your breath for *that* one.

[Full posting for reference:]

On January 1, I wrote:
Derek Derek@home wrote:
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message
.home.nl...

[Crossposted to aus.tv.digital and rec.travel.australia+nz.]

On our next trip to/in Australia, mainly in rural/outback areas, we
will be taking a mini-laptop with us.

I was wondering if it would be worth our while to buy a small (USB)
DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestial) tuner, probably a combined
DVB-T/Analog one, probably a Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick [1].

Would such a stick/tuner be useful in rural/outback areas, i.e.
small(er) towns?

Would there likely be DVB-T, or analog TV, or both?

This Gov data base shows what is where.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_9150


Thanks for that! That will come in handy, also for general purpose,
i.e. in-vehicle radio reception, etc..

Many country areas (like my inlaws place) are analog only.


Would the supplied small rod antenna be sufficient?

Highly unlikely


Yeah, I was afraid of that.

Any other comments or/and suggestions?

Are you sure your mini laptop will even support a USB tuner?


It's an Acer Aspire One with Windows XP. (I first had a Linux version,
but Linux support for this - and other kind - of consumer stuff, is
ranging from non-existant to very hard to set up.)

Pure software support is not a problem, but processor speed may be a
problem. The specification of the USB-tuner say "Pentium 4 2.0 GHz or
Pentium M 1.3 GHz". I have a 1.6 Ghz Atom, so that might be a problem.
OTOH, the system comes with InterVideo WinDVD (a little silly, since,
because of its size, the machine doesn't have a DVD/CD drive), so if it
can handle DVD video, it hopefully can also handle TV video.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on.


I'll let you know either way, i.e. if I buy it or not, and if I buy
it, whether it works in my home country (The Netherlands), and whether
it works in Oz.

  #12  
Old August 13th, 2009, 02:08 AM posted to aus.tv.digital,rec.travel.australia+nz
ArseClown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default DVB-T + Analog TV on laptop while travelling?

Frank Slootweg wrote:
On January 12, I wrote:
FYI, the report from Oz is - hopefully :-) - at least six months away,
so don't hold your breath for *that* one.


We're back from Oz. We had a great time.

However the (Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro) DVB-T + Analog TV [USB] Stick
was basically useless during our trip.

Only in a *few* of the bigger towns, we had *some*, very bad, analog
TV reception. Most of the time, only if we were in a cabin with a normal
TV, so I could tune the stick while connected to the real antenna and
then use it on the found frequencies with the rod antenna. Having to
have a real TV and antenna, somewhat defeated the purpose of the stick!
:-)

Anyway, we had also bought a (Telstra/ZTE T6) NextG mobile phone and
we watched the news and weather on the phone and could also check the
weather on the phone via its web-browser. Of course we could do that
only if there was NextG coverage, but that was the case in most towns,
also the smaller ones.

[Full posting for reference:]
[rec.travel.australia+nz re-added, so the whole audience is up to date.]

On January 1, I wrote:
Derek Derek@home wrote:

[...]
I'd be interested to hear how you get on.
I'll let you know either way, i.e. if I buy it or not, and if I buy
it, whether it works in my home country (The Netherlands), and whether
it works in Oz.

A little feedback:

I bought the Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro [USB] Stick which I mentioned
before.

Results are as follows (at home in The Netherlands):

- DVB-T reception with the supplied small rod antenna only works on the
second floor (ground/first/second) of our house (which, compared to
Oz, is in a somewhat built-up area). It then works very well. Clear
full screen picture, without any visible/audible interruptions.
On the ground floor it doesn't work at all, i.e. the scanning software
doesn't find any stations and the already found ones have a 0% signal
strength.

- Analog (TV): We have no analog transmitters anymore, so I could only
try it on our cable-TV connection, which - no surprise - worked well,
taking in account that it's analog, i.e. some noise, less sharp, etc..

- FM radio: Works on the ground floor as well/poor as a normal portable
radio with such a small antenna would work. I.e. performance is as to
be expected.

The software also has Internet radio, but I assume that's a pure
software component, so hardly relevant, especially for my use, which is
*TV* reception when there's *no* Internet connection.

That's about it. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

FYI, the report from Oz is - hopefully :-) - at least six months away,
so don't hold your breath for *that* one.

[Full posting for reference:]

On January 1, I wrote:
Derek Derek@home wrote:
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message
.home.nl...
[Crossposted to aus.tv.digital and rec.travel.australia+nz.]

On our next trip to/in Australia, mainly in rural/outback areas, we
will be taking a mini-laptop with us.

I was wondering if it would be worth our while to buy a small (USB)
DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestial) tuner, probably a combined
DVB-T/Analog one, probably a Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick [1].

Would such a stick/tuner be useful in rural/outback areas, i.e.
small(er) towns?

Would there likely be DVB-T, or analog TV, or both?
This Gov data base shows what is where.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_9150
Thanks for that! That will come in handy, also for general purpose,
i.e. in-vehicle radio reception, etc..

Many country areas (like my inlaws place) are analog only.
Would the supplied small rod antenna be sufficient?
Highly unlikely
Yeah, I was afraid of that.

Any other comments or/and suggestions?
Are you sure your mini laptop will even support a USB tuner?
It's an Acer Aspire One with Windows XP. (I first had a Linux version,
but Linux support for this - and other kind - of consumer stuff, is
ranging from non-existant to very hard to set up.)

Pure software support is not a problem, but processor speed may be a
problem. The specification of the USB-tuner say "Pentium 4 2.0 GHz or
Pentium M 1.3 GHz". I have a 1.6 Ghz Atom, so that might be a problem.
OTOH, the system comes with InterVideo WinDVD (a little silly, since,
because of its size, the machine doesn't have a DVD/CD drive), so if it
can handle DVD video, it hopefully can also handle TV video.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on.
I'll let you know either way, i.e. if I buy it or not, and if I buy
it, whether it works in my home country (The Netherlands), and whether
it works in Oz.




PLAIN TEXT, ****WIT...
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
laptop web access travelling Mike.....[_5_] Europe 52 August 7th, 2008 08:23 AM
Travelling with laptop in Italy William Daffer Europe 17 July 20th, 2006 12:34 AM
Travelling to India with a laptop? Rohit Air travel 30 December 8th, 2003 03:04 PM
Travelling to India with a laptop? Rohit Asia 33 December 8th, 2003 03:04 PM
Travelling to India with a laptop? Rohit Travel - anything else not covered 30 December 8th, 2003 03:04 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 TravelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.