Spec Me a Digital TV Tuner Stick for My Laptop

radderfire · 9 Feb 2010 at 23:54

I'm looking for a Digital TV Tuner stick to get Freeview on my laptop. Here's what I'm looking for:

- User friendly and stable software.

- Decent quality manufacturer.

- Ability to record one channel whilst watching another.

- Budget as necessary to get the above.

Your suggestions please.

Thanks :cool:

Caged · 10 Feb 2010 at 01:48

Is waiting for DVB-T2 sticks an option?

radderfire · 12 Feb 2010 at 21:05

I would rather buy it in the near future.

Rgds

Meatball · 13 Feb 2010 at 12:46

I would wait for DVB-T2

. Does your laptop have windows media centre? That's what I use

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radderfire · 7 Mar 2010 at 17:32

I am about to buy another laptop. If I buy one with Windows Media Centre, will that let me receive Freeview "out of the box", or do I still need a receiver stick?

Any more recommendations on which brand of Freeview USB stick to buy?

Thanks

radderfire · 7 Mar 2010 at 17:47

Any comments on these brands?

Freecom

AVerMedia

Meatball · 7 Mar 2010 at 17:52

radderfire said:
I am about to buy another laptop. If I buy one with Windows Media Centre, will that let me receive Freeview "out of the box", or do I still need a receiver stick?

Any more recommendations on which brand of Freeview USB stick to buy?

Thanks

Windows Media Centre is merely software front end for your media that supports Live TV as well. You need the hardware, e.g a digital tv tuner, to actually receive the broadcasts

.

If you're buying for a laptop I would opt for an Expresscard tuner. Hauppauge make good products

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radderfire · 7 Mar 2010 at 18:10

Meatball said:
If you're buying for a laptop I would opt for an Expresscard tuner. Hauppauge make good products .

That might be an issue as my current laptop only has an ExpressCard/34, not ExpressCard/54. Why do you think expresscards are better?

So Hauppauge make good quality stuff do they? Is their software any good too?

Rgds

Meatball · 7 Mar 2010 at 18:17

radderfire said:
That might be an issue as my current laptop only has an ExpressCard/34, not ExpressCard/54

I use a generic Expresscard/34 digital tuner in my laptops EC/54 port, bought it for £10 from the Members Market.

radderfire said:
Why do you think expresscards are better?

Less sticking out from the laptop

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radderfire said:
So Hauppauge make good quality stuff do they? Is their software any good too?

Hauppauge have always had good hardware for DVB-S, DVB-C & DVB-T and support is good. I would stick to WMC over Hauppauge's software, I've never used it to be fair.

radderfire · 7 Mar 2010 at 18:36

OK, thanks for your replies. The point about less sticking out of the laptop is a good one.

Rgds