Laptop TV

[tico]

SWMBO wants to watch TV on the boat but I don't want to lug around a telly or find a place to store it.
Has anyone tried the WinTV cards to watch TV on a laptop??, its got a good screen and i can always use the excuse that i need it for the chart software.

 

[salamicollie]

Not tried plug in TV card on a lap top but tried on with a desktop and it was OK provided there was a good signal. Having watched DVD's on a laptop the LCD lag can cause some blurring...

I guess its a case of trying one - unless anyone else has

Cheers

 

[Guest]

Your are in Luck !

YESTERDAY I took delivery of a Hauppage USB tv card for connection to my notebook.

I purchased this from Maplin for £50, special offer this month, and it works just fine.
Picture quality is not as good as a real tv, but is perfectly ok, and it can even show you a snapshot of what is on 16 channels at once!!

 

[Geoffs]

Thanks for the info. have ordered one from Maplin. I see it only works with Windows 98, not a problem for me, my Laptop has W98, and I see no reason to upgrade.. Any experience with other versions of Windows?

The problem at sea level is getting a good TV signal, will have to experiment with that. Looking forward to trying it out.

I see Dixons are selling a 15 inch LCD TV, works off 12 volts, but it is £699.

 

[Guest]

Re: Geoffs

I've got a Grundig Globetrotter TV which works off 240v or 12v, trouble is getting a good signal in Marinas
Brighton was hopeless, Port Solent a bit better signal, tried an outside 360 degree aerial but a 12v amplified
indoor aerial seemed to work better. Gonna rig the Laptop (with DVD) up to the Grundig to play DVD'S

cneighbour

 

[hlb]

We were discussing the trouble of getting any tv to work at sea level. A few months ago. Cant see a lap top working where nowt else will.

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[ChrisP]

Signal

Chap a couple of berths down from us bought one of the sat TV dish's recommended in this months mag. Set it up on Saturday and had a brilliant picture etc all weekend even with a gale blowing making the boats jump around.

ChrisP

 

[byron]

Re: Signal

Chris, I saw that article too. I see the prices for the Dish but no mention was made about the cost and where to buy a digi box. Something I would like to know.

ô¿ô

 

[markc]

Consumer report on the 15" LCD - bought one a couple of months ago for the boat - it's exellent - just about to fix it to a bulkhead to save moving it when I go out. Next step is to fix a sat dish to it!

M

 

[KevB]

I have just purchased one of these

http://www.scancom.ltd.uk/products/tv4000.htm

works really well and if you already have a LCD flat screen works out a lot cheaper than a LCD TV.

 

[rog]

I gotta an external WIN TV for my laptop. Works OK at home on the channels where the signal's the strongest but if the signal's weak (but absolutely good enough for our proper telly) the picture's all fuzzy and horrid.

However I've gotta 15" LCD screen and the picture's much better if you watch TV in a small window - perhaps when you're also reading forum threads for example.

Sometimes the sound and picture also go outa synch a little but that's not really a problem.
We don't bother taking it with us on boat any more - to satisfy SHMBO I might get a small proper TV set for the boat to use with shore power but wouldn't recommend the WinTV thing I've got for normal TV watching.