TV Tuner questions

With a TV tuner, can I:

Watch free TV
Watch free HDTV
Have lots of channels

I'm asking because I have cable at my house, and I'm not sure what exactly the capabilities of a TV Tuner is.

Lastly, which TV tuner do you recommend?

 

With a TV tuner...

1) You can watch free TV over the air waves.
2) Certain TV Tuners (that are HD capable) can watch the HDTV channels broadcast over the air.
3) Most TV Tuners can also tune into the cable services, though you might need a Set Top Box to do so depending on the cable you have.
4) Channels depend on the area and what cable you're paying for. TV Tuners generally can pick up the same stuff that TV rabbit ears, a Cable Set Top Box, and a HD capable TV with an HD antenna, can pick up.

What cable vendor do you have?

 

A good HDTV tuner can handle OTA HDTV and unencrypted QAM digital cable TV. The broadcast networks are usually unencrypted and often a few other channels are as well. I watch and record HDTV from Comcast via my OnAir GT USB HDTV tuner which I highly recommend.

All OTA TV is unencrypted.

Encrypted channels are a problem. The CableCard standard is so messed up that I have no idea when we'll be able to buy standalone PC tuners that support it.

 

Time warner basic..

Is the free TV like when you unplug cables from TV, which ends up with the pictures being fuzzy, with white noise, and such? Same question for HDTV.

I couldn't quite make out what you meant for in 4. I don't have a satellite dish at my house, nor am I motivated to install one for the pure pleasure of watching TV on my computer. I don't have a cable set top box thing either, the TV gets it straight from the wall.

rabbit ears = white noise crap picture quality?

Thanks.

P.S. I became interested in TV tuners after your sales post, but my laptop is a Mac.

P.P.S. I guess my general question is, can I just buy a TV tuner, and just watch free TV with cable/satellite/whatever channels?

 

Rabbit ears (antenna) will generally improve the performance of the TV without cable. White noise typically indicates that you need better signal reception to get a clear picture.

If you're getting your cable straight though the wall, almost all (decent) TV tuners will rec'v all those channels without issue. Time warner shouldn't be an issue. I don't pretend to be an expert about cable, but I've had little to no issues with Comcast, Time Warner, and Insight.

The answer to your general question: Yes, TV tuners can watch the free stuff. You should also be able to watch your paid cable channels too, and this almost guaranteed when you're service does not require a STB. In your case, it has to have Mac drivers and a Mac program for it though.

 

Will the TV tuner require direct input for cable channels, rather than just taking it from air, if I get my cable out of the wall? Doesn't sound quite logical..

Can I still get let's say, Comedy Central, if I'm sitting outside in the backyard?

 

sharpsees,

This is Ryan Pertusio from AutumnWave here.

A TV Tuner (like the OnAir GT) can do the following:
Digital TV (over-the-air) with an antenna: Local CHs (like NBC, FOX, PBS, CBS, etc...)
Analog TV (over-the-air) with an antenna: Local CHs (like NBC, FOX, PBS, CBS, etc..)

Digital TV (Cable) connected to your wall outlet: Local CHs (NBC, FOX, PBS, CBS, etc... + anything else your cable provider leaves unencrypted)

Analog TV (Cable) connected to your wall outlet: All the 'regular' channels you subscribe to, including locals + Comedy Central, CNN, Weather CH, MTV, etc.

So, in other words, only the 'locals' are available over-the-air. The subscription-based channels (like Comedy Central, CNN, etc) are only available when connected to a wall outlet.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

-- Ryan Pertusio

AutumnWave Technical Support
OnAir Solution North America
http://www.AutumnWave.com

 

As far as recording goes, do you need something extra to be able to do that? Or does the TV tuner (say the OnAir GT for example) provide that ability?

 

With the OnAir GT at least, you can record/playback with the 'OnAir HDTV Program' included with the tuner. Other tuners probably have similar abilities to record.

- Ryan

 

Excellent. You might have just sold me an OnAir GT, sir.

 

How big is the quality difference between analog and digital cable?

 

mew1838,
Well, the simple answer is: The difference is huge!

But, the long answer is this: Your typical Analog Cable TV is broadcast at about 480i resolution. (That is 640x480 resolution, about 0.3 Million pixels.) It is always 480i on every channel.

Digital TV can have varied resolutions, anywhere from 640x480 up to 1920x1080. Lets say you are watching a Digital TV channel that is being sent at 480i. If you compare it to an Analog TV channel (480i), the quality is pretty much the same. However, for Digital TV, the colors would likely be more 'true', and no fuzz/static/lines on the screen.

Now, lets say a Digital TV channel is broadcasting in 1080i, a common format for 'HD' channels. (Local stations like PBS, NBC, CBS, [etc] use 1080i for their HD programming.) 1080i is a resolution of 1920x1080, so that's over 2.07 Million pixels! Compared to the 480i you get on Analog Cable, the 1080i picture has about 1.7 Million more pixels!

Just a few moments ago, I tuned my OnAir tuner to NBC on Analog Cable. I took a screen capture of the Today Show for you. A few seconds later, I tuned to the NBC channel on Digital Cable and took a screen capture. (Copyrights belong to NBC.)

Here's what people see with their regular Analog Cable:


Here's the same program, but from Digital Cable (I actually *reduced* the quality so that it wouldn't be so huge on the forum):


(If you want to see the full 1920x1080 image, click here. Even this picture lost some quality when I converted it to JPG. So a real HD picture will be even clearer.)

In the pictures above, compare the quality of the NBC logo, the plant, the facial features, and others. Also look at the difference in the colors, especially her skirt, the roses, and NBC logo.

So, I think the pictures say a lot more than I ever could regarding the difference between Analog and Digital TV quality. Not all Digital TV will be in 1080i like the above image, but it is common for the major networks. (For instance, go to TitanTV.com and look at the Digital listings. You'll see a little 'HD' symbol next to stations that are broadcasting in either 720p or 1080i.)

Thanks,
- Ryan Pertusio
AutumnWave Technical Support
OnAir Solution North America
http://www.AutumnWave.com

 

Alright, on the website, we see a couple men outside, sitting in front of the television, with a TV tuner connected to the laptop.

Are they only getting their local channels via the "rabbit ears"?

Or, are they somehow integrated to the satellite subscription like DirecTV?

What can I use to test my reception signal before buying? I intend on buying it online, and don't want the hassle of Circuit City creeps nagging on me when I return the the TV tuner after testing.

 

Here's something cool: Compare the Analog TV picture to the Digital TV picture in my previous post. If you were watching Analog TV would you have known the following?
- The guest is wearing a necklace
- The guest is wearing a ring
- The host is holding a black pen with a blue cap and a sharp point
- The wooden 'stand' for the background flower pot has 'knots' in the wood
- The chairs' fabric is textured, not smooth
- The bark on the tree is textured, not smooth

These are just a few of the things that you might have missed if you were watching something that isn't in HD.

- Ryan

 

sharpsees,
They are getting their local channels from the OnAir GT's included antenna. It is a monopole antenna... or... just 1 rabbit ear They are not using a satellite subscription, and there are no hidden wires. The laptop is running from battery power, and the OnAir GT is being powered by the USB 2.0 port. No satellite connections, no cable connections (although you do have the option to connect to an existing cable subscription if you have it.)

The best way to find out what local stations can be received with an antenna is to visit AntennaWeb.org. Type in (at least) your zipcode or address, and it will list all the Analog and Digital stations in your area. The OnAir GT's included antenna can typically pick up the 'Yellow' or 'Green' coded stations without much fuss. If you want to pick up stations that are harder to get (red, blue, violet colored), then you can get a more powerful antenna.

There is no such thing as an 'HDTV' antenna. The same old rabbit ears or 'loop' antenna that worked in 1970 would also pick up HDTV signals. Simply unscrew the OnAir GT's antenna, and attach your own. The more powerful the antenna, the less mobile it becomes, so keep that in mind. (Some powerful antennas include amplifiers which work great, but need a power supply to operate.)

- Ryan Pertusio

AutumnWave Technical Support
OnAir Solution North America
http://www.AutumnWave.com

 

Just FYI...but I've still got my TV tuner...

At the risk of spamming p), here is my review of this same item...
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3336

 

Greg,
Would you like to review the OnAir GT? If you feel it would be helpful to NBR visitors, let me know and I'll get one to you.

- Ryan

 

I could do it...talk to Andrew first though as he'd need to give approval to host it on the front page.

Might take a little bit (as in probably a month...maybe less), only because I have to travel just a little bit in order to get HDTV signals on a weekend that I don't have an exam to worry about.

 

I'm just updating this thread. Kevin O'Brien (from NBR) reviewed the OnAir GT. His review can be found here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4142

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

-- Ryan Pertusio

AutumnWave Technical Support
OnAir Solution North America
http://www.AutumnWave.com