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    Cheapest way to watch TV on laptop?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by sampunk, Apr 11, 2008.

  1. sampunk

    sampunk Notebook Guru

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    i found some USB tv antenna in bestbuy for like 100 buck, is there any cheaper alternative? :(
     
    sampunk, Apr 11, 2008
    #1
  2. MidnightSoul

    MidnightSoul Notebook Guru

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    Make a hat out of tinfoil and coat-hangers and then you can beam TV straight to your head.
     
    MidnightSoul, Apr 11, 2008
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  3. MidnightSoul

    MidnightSoul Notebook Guru

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    MidnightSoul, Apr 11, 2008
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  4. jetstar

    jetstar Notebook Deity

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    Hauppage and K-World make cheaper TV Tuners.
     
    jetstar, Apr 11, 2008
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  5. bri

    bri Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950 is often on sale at circuit city as low as $50. works great for me on my T60 with discrete graphics, have not tried it on the X61 with on-board video.
     
    bri, Apr 11, 2008
    #5
  6. CalebSchmerge

    CalebSchmerge Woof NBR Reviewer

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    I second the WinTV-HVR-950. I have one, got it for cheap, yet it works like a champ.
     
    CalebSchmerge, Apr 11, 2008
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  7. sampunk

    sampunk Notebook Guru

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    sampunk, Apr 11, 2008
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  8. theincubus

    theincubus Notebook Consultant

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    Will these types of antennas stop working when they stop transmitting analog tv?
     
    theincubus, Apr 11, 2008
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  9. bri

    bri Notebook Enthusiast

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    The 29.99 one will not receive TV when stations go all-digital. The Hauppauge will. It needs an ATSC tuner which is digital and also enables HD. The only downside to the Hauppauge is that it only gives mono (1 channel) sound for analog stations. No idea why they would do this, it seems like a pretty basic feature that you have to go out of the way to remove. For digital it gives stereo but not Dolby 5.1.
     
    bri, Apr 12, 2008
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  10. Razor2

    Razor2 Notebook Deity

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    MSI and Avermedia Tuners are pretty cheap, about 20-30€, and the MSI stuff is HD ready.
     
    Razor2, Apr 13, 2008
    #10