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    TV Tuner card in XPS M1530 - worth it?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by cashey, May 24, 2008.

  1. cashey

    cashey Notebook Enthusiast

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    Trying to decide whether or not to include it in my new config....

    Will it let me watch tv in a small window while I am running other apps?

    And, does it work wirelessly?
     
    cashey, May 24, 2008
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  2. paper_wastage

    paper_wastage Beat this 7x7x7 Cube

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    i can't vouch for the AverTV card that dell sells in their m1530 config, but i have a pci tv tuner card(generic) in my desktop and a USB tuner(Pinnacle PCTV Ultimate)...

    i found the best software for TV viewing is Microsoft's Media Center.... it takes up little resources, able to run in background, free TV guide....much better than the included software from Pinnacle....

    what do u mean wirelessly? a tv tuner performs more like a TiVo than a slingbox

    anyways, think about buying from someplace else? Amazon offers pinnacle PCTV ULtimate, but its a USB stick with a small remote, not the mediacenter remote that i think comes with dell's offering..... but then this usb device has clear qam if u want it...
     
    paper_wastage, May 24, 2008
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  3. GF[BE]

    GF[BE] Notebook Consultant

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    Just wondering: do you need satellite dish do receive channels? Seems obvious to me, but you never know ...

    I only have cable here ...
     
    GF[BE], May 24, 2008
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  4. Bchen06

    Bchen06 Notebook Consultant

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    I have the card, you can plug it directly into a cable jack or use the supplied antenna. (I prefer plugging in a cable as I don't have many over-the-air channels here) You can use Windows Media Center to watch the tv in a separate window or full-sized. Media center lets you pause the tv and fast forward/rewind the tv, but only the parts that you missed using the pause button or parts that you've watched already.
     
    Bchen06, May 24, 2008
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  5. Lefix

    Lefix Notebook Evangelist

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    I think dell offer two Tv Tuner kits, one is like $100 which comes with just a tiny remote and the other one is like $140 and it comes with the large remote.. I actually ordered one with my XPS that hasnt arrived yet, but then I cancelled it because I originally got it for college and living in the dorms, but I realized that there is cable in the dorms so it would make the tv tuner useless..
     
    Lefix, May 24, 2008
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  6. Bchen06

    Bchen06 Notebook Consultant

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    Huh, why would it make the tuner useless? If you plug the cable into the tuner, it'll give you more channels than if you were to rely on OTA channels. Or did you just bring in a tv instead?
     
    Bchen06, May 25, 2008
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  7. Neurotic

    Neurotic Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'd agree that Media Center is a good app for watching television on your PC, and it can be run in a window. I've never had cable, just over the air stations, so the DVR'ish functionality is nice. I tried the sofware that came with the tuner and wasn't too impressed with it (Hauppauge). MC is the way to go in my opinion.

    I don't get to use the television on my PC stuff nearly as much as I'd like to, but it's nice to have when you want it.
     
    Neurotic, May 25, 2008
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  8. jack53

    jack53 Dell XPS 9360 i7 Lover!

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    Remember if you use Vista Media Center, you need to get a remote that works with it as none of the remotes that come with the different TV tuners work with MC. Been there done that. Now I'm thinking of trying the Slingbox Solo.

    Anybody here try the Slingbox with Vista Media Center?
     
    jack53, May 25, 2008
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