digital/analogue TV Stick

[mark]

Does anybody here use a hybrid digital and analogue USB stick?

I am thinking of buying one and would welcome recommendations for both the device and a supplier.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Rik]

Not I, Mark, but hopefully someone who does will be along shortly.

[mark]

Well, the story goes like this....the laptop and video recorder both went u/s together. The leader of the opposition will not let me have a new laptop, but she is keen on one of them thar new fangled HDD recorders.

We don't have digital here yet, and I thought a new laptop plus a USB TV stick would do the same job as a HDD recorder at just about the same price 

[Rik]

There have been a number of laptops around recently with built-in DTT/Analogue, it might be worth a quick look around at places like eBuyer and Misco.

[mark]

Thanks RIK I'll try that. The USB sticks seem to vary considerably in price, and some do not seem too efficient

[Rik]

QVC do them from time to time, that way you could at least try before you buy.

[Broadback]

Why not go for satellite TV? I had no choice as we cannot receive terrestrial TV, Of course it would mean installing a dish, but they are not expensive nor difficult to install.  I only use mine for BBC, ITV Channels 4 & 5, though of course there are other (what I term useless) channels such as holidays, religious and shopping.
If you are a sport fanatic then perhaps the lady of the house would authorise Sky, not for me though!

[plugwash]

what is expensive with sattalite is feeding lots of tuners.

A LNB output can be in one of four modes depending on the channel being viewed. This means you can't just use simple splitters or distribution amplifiers like you can with terrestrial.

For up to four tuners (which isn't that many if you are on sat only, remember a sky+ box is two tuners) you need to wire every tuner seperately to the dish which is normally fitted with a quad lnb.

For more than four tuners you fit a quattro LNB to the dish and run FOUR runs of sat grade coax to the multiswitch. Multiswitches are fairly expensive.

all in all for setups involving multiple TVs sattalite involves a lot more wiring than terrestrial and the equipment needed is much more expensive.

[talos2]

Well, the story goes like this....the laptop and video recorder both went u/s together. The leader of the opposition will not let me have a new laptop, but she is keen on one of them thar new fangled HDD recorders.

We don't have digital here yet, and I thought a new laptop plus a USB TV stick would do the same job as a HDD recorder at just about the same price 

  Sorry but no it won't do the same job.   I use a digital stick on my lappy  for when we go away, it is sufficient when there's no alternative, but the screen on a laptop is never as good as a good TV.  A hard drive PVR is by far the best option.
                            Sorry but you need a better excuse to buy a new laptop

[mark]

Oh dear. I was planning to use this thread as evidence from the experts. Thanks for your support.

Although plan B is to record on the new laptop and play back through the TV set. I have a ViewSonic TV which takes input from the laptop, and plays avi files.

I use a digital stick on my lappy

What type do you use?

[talos2]

What type do you use?

Mine is a Medion,  it can receive DVB broadcasts only, not analogue.  It works very well but in common with most, the supplied antenna is useless unless you sit under the transmitter ( not reccomended), if you connect a decent TV antenna to it it's fine.  The biggest problem with your idea is it is only a single tuner, eg, you cannot watch one prog and record another, that's going to be a big problem when the freeview switchover comes and thats not far away.
  Take my advice, get a multi tuner harddrive or DVD freeview recorder now, before the rush, because anybody still on analogue, will suddenly find their old video recorder / TV useless.