ReplayTV is not the first to introduce a USB dongle for DVR use, however, they are the first to integrate a format easily playable on Apple hand-held devices like iPhone and iPod touch.
The Personal HD system bundles both digital ATSC and analog NTSC technology and play over-the-air HDTV signals or old school analog TV source. So now you TV junkies can overload on adictively pathetic reality TV shows (well, except Survivor).
The real joy of the USB tuner is the software. The Personal HD specifically supports transfer of video to a format playable on widescreen hand-held devices made by Apple. Not to leave anyone out in the cold, the software can preserve multiple shows at once and even support USB devices from rival companies, such as ATI (AMD) and Pinnacle.
The ReplayTV goodie bag for the Personal HD system include direct encoding in a 4:3 ratio, intelligent keyword filter system to find shows by cast member names, show IDs or genre. Although the reply system isn’t out just yet, it will be later this fall at the tune of $100.
Source: ElectronistaContinue Reading
Laptops rejoice! Sewell is spinning out a very inexpensive USB to DVI adapter to offer high quality video displays for those tiny notebooks displays. The process is simple. The external DVI video unit has a USB port which you connect to your laptop (or PC) and a DVI port you connect to you external monitor, turn everything on and you’re done.
The $120 price tag might seem a couple dollars high, but considering there is 128MB of flash memory used for buffering and processing the video signal you wont be disappointed. Sewell claims the USB to DVI adapter drove a 20 inch DVI screen with no visible differences what-so-ever.
The USB bandwidth is more than enough to transfer the necessary video data to the USB to DVI adapter, and the 128 megs of onboard RAM does the rest to bring you perfect performance every time.
With this unit you can turn any laptop into a three monitor system: 1) Laptop screen, 2) use DVI output of laptop 3) use Sewell DVI adapter for monitor #3.
Source: Sewell via Slash GearContinue Reading
AMD and ATi teamed up some time ago and now they are starting to crank out some products not even closely related to processors. The latest is the TV Wonder 600 USB HDTV tuner. Not at all Mac friendly the ATi TV Wonder features AMD’s Catalyst Media Center software which works seamlessly (so I read) with Vista Media Center and XP Media Center from Microsoft.
In addition to the ATi TV Wonder 600 USB tuner itself, you also get a slim credit card-sized IR remote and an A/V input adapter to grab video from a camcorder or VCR. Naturally, while it is being marketed more toward the notebook side of things, the TV Wonder 600 USB is perfectly suited for operation with a desktop computer as well.
Don’t reach for your car keys just yet, the TV Wonder 600 USB TV Tuner isn’t expected to ship for another couple months. No price points as of yet.
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“Would You Consider Watching TV on Your Computer?” was the question for this week and I was surprised to see such a higher percentage (23%) who already do.
However, for the majority of voters wanting a boobless TV experience it would take an act of simplicity. So, for the simplistic 45% who would consider it, here is a product that fits the bill.
The Hauppauge WinTV HVR 950 USB TV Tuner is simple to setup and simple to use. If you can insert a USB stick and auto launch some software, than you’re set.
However, if you’re looking for some HD television then a couple items you’ll need to consider before jumping into the Hauppauge TV solution.
Since HD shows have a much higher resolution and thus need better reception/bandwidth you’ll need to make a couple of adjustments. First, update the standard antenna which comes with the Hauppauge WinTV USB TV Tuner to an amplified unit. This will boost the signal strength to insure there are no dropped frames. Second, configure your PC to have at least 2GBs of RAM for quick processing and avoid overload on the CPU.
You can also connect your coaxial cable directly to the USB TV receiver for that HD signal, but again keep the RAM up to 2GBs min.
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The Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Flash Stick is one of the many TV receiver solutions out in the market these days. Dave Carter from Gadget Centre did a detailed review I’ll share with you. First off, the Pinnacle USB tuner is a step above the rest in that it’s true plug-n-play. There is no loading of software, simply plug in via USB and you’re set-up. This is a big bonus as taking the TV tuner from PC to PC is a snap.
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The USB-IF posted a somewhat interesting TV spot on YouTube about the convenience of wireless USB technology. The ad makes sense and sure is nice to watch, but where the hell are the WUSB products? I see the ad as a motivator to encourage faster development of WUSB products while at the same time, peak the interest of the consumer. Wonder if it will work…well, with respect to getting products out there faster – I think we can already agree consumer’s interest is there.
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Sometimes you want to give USB a big huge. Case in point, the new USBTV from SanDisk is something anyone could apprecate. It’s a device to simply copy video from your PC and play on your TV. The flash drive is loaded with a media player and video codecs so the device will play a video file directly off the USB drive to the TV.
So your TV doesn’t have a USB slot, well neither does mine, but that’s OK
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Experience a new realm of TV viewing on your Mac with the Miglia TVDuo, a dual channel digital miniantenna and recording system. The unique thing about the TVDuo is the dual antennas available. This is a big plus if you are experiencing a poor signal as setting both antennas to the same channel will greatly enhance reception and viewing, which is the point of HDTV.
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Today Creative Labs makes the claim their new Xmod will improve music playback quality from MP3, WMA, iTunes or AAC songs beyond that of original CD quality. Well well, I’m sure a couple studios will have something to say about that backhanded compliment.
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Pinnacle Systems, a division of Avid, has brought many great products to market. Here is another piece that will surely peak your interest. The Pinnacle PCTV High Definition USB stick. This USB powered gadget makes the recording of HD TV not only easy, but inexpensive too.
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Well, well, a card reader which is really a card recorder. SanDisk introduces their V-Mate which can record from a variety of video input signals directly to flash memory. From there, one can grab the flash memory stuff it into their PDA, cell phone or gaming console to view on the run. The biggest question we have is what kind of recording quality does this V-Mate bring to the table?
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PMP or Personal Media Player is yet another tool for developing an HDDA child or fine-tune those traits if you already have it. Kingston is now in the running to snatch up your disposable income on PMP purchases, the K-PEX is their Portable Entertainment eXperience…ya right, it’s the adult digital pacifier. But seriously, taking your digital entertainment on the road is easy with Kingston’s K-PEX,
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Experience a new realm of TV viewing on your Mac with the Miglia TVDuo, a dual channel digital miniantenna and recording system. The unique thing about the TVDuo is the dual antennas available. This is a big plus if you are experiencing a poor signal as setting both antennas to the same channel will greatly enhance reception and viewing, which is the point of HDTV.
Continue Reading
Today Creative Labs makes the claim their new Xmod will improve music playback quality from MP3, WMA, iTunes or AAC songs beyond that of original CD quality. Well well, I’m sure a couple studios will have something to say about that backhanded compliment.
Continue Reading
Pinnacle Systems, a division of Avid, has brought many great products to market. Here is another piece that will surely peak your interest. The Pinnacle PCTV High Definition USB stick. This USB powered gadget makes the recording of HD TV not only easy, but inexpensive too.
Continue Reading
PMP or Personal Media Player is yet another tool for developing an HDDA child or fine-tune those traits if you already have it. Kingston is now in the running to snatch up your disposable income on PMP purchases, the K-PEX is their Portable Entertainment eXperience…ya right, it’s the adult digital pacifier. But seriously, taking your digital entertainment on the road is easy with Kingston’s K-PEX,
Continue Reading
