Gizmodo: TV Tuner

Dell Mini 10 Finally Sprouts Built-in TV Tuner Option

matt buchanan — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:41:47 EDT

Dell just told us the Mini 10 is finally getting that built-in TV tuner option promised at CES as a $50 add-on. It tunes in to over-the-air digital ATSC TV. [Dell]

Nero LiquidTV Software Builds a Whole TiVo into Your PC

John Herrman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Possible-new-interface-haver TiVo and Nero, the old CD burning guys, have announced a new piece of software that will give your PC all of the capabilities of a TiVo box, allowing it to tune in to and record television through TiVo's familiar interface. The announcement was a long time coming, as TiVo and Nero announced their curious partnership almost a year ago.

New features seem pretty sparse, though there will be some limited video export capability to enable transfer of some video content to portable devices, like the PSP and iPod. There are two purchase options available: a software, tuner and remote package for the totally unequipped and a software-only package, retailing for $199 and $99, respectively. Each package comes with a year of TiVo service, after which renewal will be a flat fee of $99 a year. Nero LiquidTV/TiVo PC will be available from October 15th. [WSJ]

Asus R50 to Be Reincarnated With Keyboard Later This Year

AddyDugdale — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The Asus R50 UMPC is already being updated—even though Mark 1 has yet to be released. Digitimes reports that the handheld with GPS and 3.5G connectivity, due out in June, will be sporting a keyboard come November of this year. As well as running Linux and Vista, the R50 has a webcam and TV tuner and is expected to sell for $500-plus. [DigiTimes via JKK Mobile]

Logitec TV Tuner Lets You Watch More Than One Program Simultaneously on Your PC

AddyDugdale — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:55:56 EST

Plug the Logitec LDT-1S30X4U into the USB port of your PC and you will be able to watch two TV shows at the same time. Connect a second one, thanks to its double USB, (see below, along with a screen grab) and you get to watch four shows. All sorts of features make the LDT-1S30X4U worth a closer look, however.

As well as recording programs, you can use the TimeShift function, which lets you watch the same show that you are recording, data broadcast and export videos to mobile devices. All you need for it to work is a 3GHz P4 or higher, says Logitec, and 256 MB of memory.Costing 16,800 ($153) the Logitec LDT-1S30X4U will be out in Japan next month. [Logitec via Akihabara]

Asus R50A Has GPS and TV Tuner and 3.5G Connectivity

AddyDugdale — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:12:32 EST

Information about Asus's new UMPC, the R50A, is out and about. And, if you like these kind of things, the chunky handheld with a 4.8-inch, 1024 x 600 screen boasts both 3 and 3.5G connectivity. And that's not all:

There's built-in GPS, a TV tuner, a webcam and microphone. No prices or release date yet, but expect to see and hear more at the electronic love-fest that is CES in January next year. [JKK Mobile via Engadget]

ATI TV Wonder 650 TV Tuner Finally Debuts for Macs

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:10:49 EST

ATI's TV Wonder 650 TV tuners have been out for PCs for a bit, but a Mac version of the Combo USB variety's arriving just this month for $149, and it comes in a special white case—guess they didn't get the memo silver's the new white. It's also sporting a polished new interface and parental controls in tvPortal, though spec-wise it appears to be the same as before (OTA Analog and HD) minus, weirdly, ClearQAM support, making it a pretty decent solution for a Mac mini HD PVR setup. This way for more photos.

[TV Wonder 650 for Mac]

Dell XPS One A2010 Leaked by the FCC, Reveals Optional TV Tuner and AV Input

AddyDugdale — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:43:58 EDT

Give a little wave to the XPS One A2010 from Dell, which got its first outing on the FCC website. The FCC also posted Dell's system manual on their site, which reveals that the A2010 contains an optional TV tuner. What else do we know? It's a fairly good-looking Asustek-manufactured desktop with Intel Core 2 Duo, 1000:1 contrast LCD and a 3.5-inch, with a maximum 300GB, HDD, and an optional TV tuner. Take a closer look at the gallery and the stats below.

Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium D or Celeron CPU's
22 WSXGA 1680 1050, 16.7M color 300 nits, 5 ms response 1000:1 contrast LCD
1-4GB of 667/800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
3.5 up to 300GB HDD
DVD +/- RW or Blu-Ray drive
Intel GMA 3100 or ATI Mobility Radeon HD2400 Graphics
Optional TV Tuner
two 5W, 140 HZ speakers
802.11 a/b/g/n support
Dimensions: 15.9(H)x23.5(W)x3.3(D)" (40.5 59.7 8.38 cm)
Weight: 28.2 lb (12.8 kg)

There are no noises about price and release date yet, but we'll bring that info to you as soon as we have it. [FCC via PC Joint]

Bang & Olufsen DVD 2 Has TV Tuner, DVD Recorder

Jason Chen — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:29:34 EDT

Bang & Olufsen's latest sex-tastic DVD player doesn't just play back DVDs, there's an analog TV tuner, HDMI output, Guide Plus+, a 250GB hard drive and the ability to burn shows to DVD as well. This may not have TiVo-level functionality, but it's infinitely better looking. And when's the last time anyone besides that redhead on Sex and the City wanted to hump a TiVo? [B&O via Far East Gizmos via New Launches]

Dell Home Media Suite Up Close: There Are Worse Ways to Blow $11K

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:02:58 EST

While slightly lost in the shuffle among the uproar over its Black Ice-chilled XPS 710 H2C and sexy, aluminum-housed 27-inch 2707WFP, Dell's Home Media Suite packs a decent bit of top-notch hardware into the $11,000 bundle they showed off at CES, including the 2707WFP. The package gets you a Core 2 Duo-based XPS 410 outfitted with a TB of storage (there's room for three hard drives), Creative E-MU PM5 Precision Monitor speakers and Live! Voice webcam, dual HD AMD Wonder TV tuners, Bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard, Dell Photo All-in-one 966 printer, and a Linksys WRT350N Draft-N Gigabit router with a Powerline AV bridge for streaming HD video. Running all of this, naturally, is Vista Ultimate, so the package will launch "on or about Jan. 30," according to the Dell rep. Why buy Vista all by its lonesome when you can buy all of this for 28 times the price? More pics than you probably need after the jump.

– Matt Buchanan

Geforce TV Tuner: Video Everywhere, Still Nothing On

Charlie White — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:14:48 EST

Geforce will release this odd-looking TV tuner in Japan next March, and it's designed to be plugged into portable DVD players and such, giving you TV everywhere. The Geforce G-WWT-1201B even has 512MB of flash memory, which is enough to record two or three hours of programming. Hey, that's just about long enough to record a football game.

Of course, this particular unit is aimed at the Japanese market, but maybe someday this kind of technology will find its way to US shores. At its release, it'll cost ¥40,000, that's about $340. But wait, that's just about equal to the total price of a lot of portable DVD players available now. But being able to watch that big game live in the car might just be worth it. – Charlie White

The weirdest looking TV tuner ever [Newlaunches]

Hauppauge WinTV Nova-t Stick USB TV Tuner

Jason Chen — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:39:06 EDT

If Americans are really as addicted to TV watching as the latest market statistics say we are, then this gadget sell like gangbusters. The WinTV Nova-t stick is small enough to fit in your pocket, but big enough to support SDTV, HDTV, and digital radio. The unit has a 2 year warranty and comes with their proprietary WinTV software. There's even a high performance antenna that comes with it so you won't have to position your laptop at a weird angle to get a signal. Now, not only can we blog from inside the porcelain kingdom, we can watch Lost there too.

Latest Hauppauge WinTV Nova-t Stick [Crowdedbrain via uber gizmo]

Toshiba v604T with TV Tuner

rhbaby — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 08:57:30 EST

The new V604T phone from Toshiba adds an analog TV and FM tuner to the standard mix of features including a 1.3-megapixel camera, music player, and miniSD card among others. Toshiba's press release advises that analog TV will be unavailable as of 2011—as if anyone keeps a cell phone for five years anyway. The phone can record TV and capture screen stills to memory. Sorry, folks, Japan only for the time being.

Toshiba V604T [I4U]

Microtune Shrinks TV Tuners to Fit Inside Lifesaver Hole

Charlie White — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 14:22:02 EST

Microtune, the company that makes tiny TV tuners that are hidden inside more devices than you can shake a stick at, keeps shrinking its tuners more and more. Now the company has outdone itself. Its MT2131 delivers higher performance at 65% the size of everyday tuners, and will certainly soon find its way into a variety of PVRs, TV adapters, and multimedia cards. They call this little hotshot three-in-one because it can handle garden-variety NTSC TV signals, ATSC (which encompasses all the HDTV standards), and then digital cable-ready (DCR) standards, too. All this TV tuning goodness for $3 apiece? Remarkable. Coming soon to a video-capable device near you.

Microtune 3-in-1 TV tuner breaks the cost and size barrier [MobileMag]

Pinnacle PVR USB Key

johnb — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 19:12:58 EST

This very cute little terrestrial TV tuner with included PVR software is only available in the UK but records television in MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and DivX formats and sells for about $100. While the PVR software isn't actually on the key itself, it's certainly a compelling idea.

Pinnacle Announces USB Stick with Built-in PVR [DigitalMediaThoughts]

MSI Mega Sky 580 DVB-T USB TV Tuner

gizmodo.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 10:26:54 EST

Big on Acronyms? Ok good, you'll love this. The MSI Mega Sky 580 is a portable digital TV tuner that hooks up to any computer via USB. You can now enjoy watching, recording, or displaying live digital TV, even in HD, with the Mega Sky 580. Digital radio is also able to stream or record with the Mega Sky, so radio buffs rejoice. Do this all on the go live or leave it at home and schedule some recordings for later viewing/listening. Features also include Time-Shifting, Electronic Program Guide (EPG), support for still frame capture, and all the other jazz you'd expect from a capture device with a TV focus. A remote control is also included for when you're just too damn lazy to click a mouse. Available now, but don't expect it on our benighted shores.

MSI USB DVB-T Tuner [BIOS]

USB HDTV Tuner

Travis Hudson — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 12:12:42 EST

This just may be the perfect solution for people who don t have a few thousand dollars to shell out for a new HDTV. This device comes to us from The Cat's Eye and is available over at ThinkGeek for $159. It can record, pause, fast forward, and rewind either a normal standard-definition television broadcast or HD. It also comes bundled with a remote that's perfect for a media center. Rip all your favorite shows in glorious HD for later viewing. Suck on that, DRM.

Product Page [Via Gadget Madness]

Adaptec GameBridge Connects Consoles to PC

tgrumet — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:26:50 EST

This nifty little USB TV tuner from Adaptec Japan is designed specifically to allow you to play console games on your PC. The GameBridge TV (AVC-1410) connects to your PC or laptop and lets you play, record and replay said games as well as watch standard TV. They may call it a game bridge, but we really know this is an "OEM USB TV-tuner dongle." But anything to sell product, right?

Electronic Gaming [CESweb]

EvolutionTV PVR for Mac Reviewed (Verdict: Looks Pretty, Works Alright)

Travis Hudson — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:40:10 EST

Here s the bottom line, folks: this is a run-of-the-mill PVR and probably the best thing about it is how pretty it looks. The PVR is based on an anodized aluminum shell that would match perfectly with a Mac tower or Powerbook of sorts. It features a 125-channel analog TV tuner and the ability to use digital cable from composite or s-video connections. The software has the ability to encode the video into various codecs including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX. Unfortunately, the software has its fair share of bugs and errors to hinder a full PVR'ing experience, but it's a start. It'll have to do until FrontRow 2.0 hits the scene.

EvolutionTV [Macworld]

Hauppauge Live TV Tuner

tgrumet — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:40:16 EST

Add live TV to your PC with the WinTV HVR-900 TV Tuner, a very small USB 2.0 stick that plugs right into your laptop or any computer to let you receive analog and digital terrestrial TV. Not a bad thing to have when you're stuck at the airport and don't feel like watching Fox News, the HVR-900 comes with a high-gain aerial, letting you receive up to 40 digital channels. It also lets you record live TV to your hard drive and burn DVDs at 1.68GB per hour. Of course, the bundled travel aerial, which is really what you probably bought the thing for, may not bring video up to your usual standards. Plug-and-play and easy to install, check for the HVR-900 by end of month.

Hauppauge Digital 'TV Stick' [Bios Magazine]

Pricing and reviews for Hauppage TV tuners [CNET]

MobiX USB TV Tuner

Travis Hudson — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:08:48 EST

This is a USB TV tuner from MobiX. It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are the goods: it's ultra-portable, USB-compatible, has DVR capabilities and records in a common MPEG2 format. And the bad: It looks stupid as hell and it is expensive, nearly $200 dollars expensive, and it has to be shipped from the UK. Need to watch TV that bad? Your call, I guess.

The MobiX USB TV Tuner [OhGizmo!]

Product Page [Gadget Basement]

my.TV PVR - We Love Macs Long Time

gizmodo.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 13:35:40 EDT

Mac users usually get screwed over in the world of PVR stuff, which is a damn shame because us Mac users are all about multimedia. myTV.PVR is a new white box about the size of the Mac mini. Built by Eskape Labs, myTV.PVR is a TV Tuner with a built-in MPEG encoder designed specifically for the Macintosh platform. Using USB 2.0, the device is simple to connect and easy to use. With support for Titan TV, scheduling programs to record isn't too much of a hassle. Performance seems to be excellent as well with no lag or jaggies. For $149, you can't beat a TV Tuner/ DVR combo box that works well. Available now.

myTV.PVR - PVR With Built-in Hardware Encoder For The Mac [Mavromatic]

TerraTec USB TV Tuner

johnb — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 13:00:52 EDT

Stuck in an airport with CNN yammering on and on in the background? Well, pop in the TerraTech USB TV Tuner and pick up reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. The TerraTec is a self-contained tuner with software for watching TV on your PC. Interestingly enough, you can also record live video through the tuner and it also pics up digital signals, which I suspect are a bit more prevalent overseas than here.

Overall, looks like a great way to add live TV to a laptop sans breakout boxes and other heavy junk. Pricing is set at about $200.

TerraTec launch USB key TV tuner [Pocket-Link]