Over the air TV

I use a Hauppauge tuner for my PC, but it's an internal PCI card, not one of the USB externals. I love it. I get the major stations and, most importantly, thirteen. This is with the use of an indoor HDTV antenna pointing roughly out a window and towards Manhattan, which is the only exposure I have available. YMMV.

One thing to consider - most of the program guide software that comes bundled with the tuners.... they effin' suck. The free ones that you find online? They effin' suck. Don't dick around - buy the SnapStream software and save yourself the aggravation. That, or get a Media Center Edition of Windows.

Isn't it funny that while all other technologies are trying to go wireless, TV started out that way and has become progressively less and less so over the years.

I've also used and like the Hauppauge tuner. I'd offer you mine, but it's PAL and we don't have line-of-sight to the German channels it's programmed for.

Broadcast or cable (though may be more complicated with digital).
This kind of thing:
http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1139-WinTV-HVR-950-External-Recorder/dp/B000J1CCGA
http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1193-HVR-1500-Notebook-Recorder/dp/B0010DJQII/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1219510759&sr=1-17
http://www.amazon.com/WINTV-HVR-1800-Pcie-Vista-White-Atsc/dp/B000UU88WC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1219510759&sr=1-5

Subject: Re: Over the air TV

sir_eccles wrote: Does anyone get over the air TV round here? Specifically does anyone use one of those USB plug in type tuners to do so? I saw one the other day in a store and was rather curious if they actually worked and what stations that broadcast over the air can be picked up round here. I would assume it's dependent on line of sight?

I have a "friend" who has a couple of elgato eyetv's connected to his macs. They work with rabbit ears connected for OTA tv. He found out from playing around with it he could use them to tune in HD signals off the cable feed in his apt. He is not subscribed. I told him it might be considered theft of services, he says, theres a plug in his apt. He plugged it in. I said, go head bad man.

YMMV

brooklynlager wrote: so when tv goes digital these devices will no longer work? i would be interested in getting something like this. i have a huge monitor which i watch movies on but no tv. would be cool to sit on my ass and watch the news or what have you.

If you were to buy an analog only tuner, yes, it would be useless after they flip off the switch on the analog broadcasts... but you would be hard pressed to find a non-digital TV tuner for your PC.

hmmm, so i got a mac. i am thinking about getting this:

http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-10020415-Eyetv-Hybrid-NTSC/dp/B000HNJ6U0

With the Phillips PHDTV3 antenna, whole thing would only cost me $164 and than I would have digital TV on my mac right? From my research it seems like it would work.

Does anyone have any idea what you could pick up with a new TV but no cable (or computer plug in thingy)? I think the analog>digital switch could be my justification to get a flat screen tv, but I don't want to sign up for cable... will I get anything over the air?

brooklynlager wrote: [quote=nomad]Does anyone have any idea what you could pick up with a new TV but no cable (or computer plug in thingy)? I think the analog>digital switch could be my justification to get a flat screen tv, but I don't want to sign up for cable... will I get anything over the air?

i think you still need an antenna. either an antenna and a converter box or a HD antenna, i could be wrong but from what i have been reading i think thats how it works.

Like I said before, if your antenna is high enough you'll get about 50 channels, half of them hi-def. PBS in hi-def alone is worth it. You can watch all those gazelles get ripped apart by lions as if you were standing right there.