HEL 80 TV Tuner

I was wondering if anyone could explain to me the basics of this tuner? Tell me what functions it has, how it hooks up to the notebook and all that stuff. Also it would be nice if someone could post pictures of it. I'd like to know a bit about it to see if I should buy it.

 

The TV Tuner is a module that is installed internally in your HEL80. To operate it simply plug in your coaxial cable coming from either you cable company, or through an adapter from your satellite or antennae.

The tuner then operates just like your TV, but it can also capture video and be scheduled just like a VCR/TV combination. It has an "always on top" setting allowing you to put it into a small window (3 to 4 inches) and then continue to work on your computer doing anything you want.

 

Does the tuner have video in besides the coax?

 

But... does it run on Linux?
Also, where is the coaxial cable connected? Where's the port or whatever?

 

It comes with a video-in dongle that includes S-Video in, composite video-in, and stereo audio-in that connects into the port next to the TV signal-in port.

 

Haven't tested it with Linux so we don't know if it works.

If you look at the picture of the left side you will see the keyhole sized plate behind the exhaust vent. When the TV Tuner module is installed that plate is removed to expose the coaxial connection.

 

I have three quick questions
1: Does the HEL80's Tv tuner have hardware or software based encoding?

2: Does the tv tuner work with Snapstreams Beyond TV?

3: What is the quality of the picture like on the Tuner?

Thanks in advance

 

The Lifeview TV Tuner (LR535) is a MiniCard hybrid DVBT/Analog TV for Notebooks.

1. It is software decoding
2. It is compatible with the BDA driver, so it should be compatible with Snapstream software.
3. The quality is great...if you leave it in the window. You can size the window any way you like it, but the larger you make it the grainier it will get. If you put it full screen out of its box it will also get grainy. This is the same with any laptop TV Tuner.

 

DVD's will look grainy on that screen, they're nativley like 720 pixels wide, not the 1610 or w/e it is.

 

eXCess, that is not true at all.

If you have a 4:3 aspect ratio DVD you can set your screen to display it that way and have two black bars on each side.

Most DVDs are now coming out in widescreen which is 16:10 aspect ratio and they will show perfectly on a 1680x1050 or 1280x800 widescreen.

 

Thanks paladin44, that was extremely helpful!

 

Please, where can i buy this tv tuner?

 

If you're in the US, you could order it from PowerNotebooks.com..

Outside the US, I'm not sure, but I assume there must be a competent Compal dealer that ships outside the US (Many, many appologies if one of the regulars here does so ... I'm short on time to search this morning, as I've a code cutoff today!)

 

Thanks. I'm living in Spain (Madrid) and it's difficult to get this minicard tv tuner.
Please, help me. Thanks in advance.

 

Zepto Computers sells the Compal HEL80 as the Znote 2425W:
http://es.zepto.com/Default.aspx?page=NotebookSummaryPage&notebookid=7fh6faJwYO
You can ask them if they have it.

 

If I am not totally sure if I would need/use this, could I opt to buy it separately? How is the ease of installation?

 

Yes, you can buy it separately later. It is in our Accessories Store.

It is really easy to install. Here are the installation instructions for both the HEL80 TV Tuner and the Bluetooth module.

 

Donald, you sure have made buying a computer easy and simple. Thank you for providing such a great service.

 

Thanks all for your support, but i still can't buy a single tv tuner minicard for my laptop.
Avermedia and Lifeview say me that can't send me one, because it's only for manufacturers and the manufacturers say me that can't send me one because it's only for notebooks that they sell with this incorporated.
Yuan it's other company that sell minicard tuners for manufacturers and can't send me too.
Romtronics it's a web that support to consumers of laptops, but can't send me one becasue only send products of manufacturers of laptops.
Incredible, perhaps i'm confused and live in Africa, perhaps this is not Europe or North America.
What can i do?

 

Hi again. I can see in your store that have tv tuners.
I need one for my laptop but i don't know wich model it's for me.
Must be minicard like Lifeview LR535 or LR534 or Avermedia A301.
Please can anybody sell me one?. I'm living in Spain. Tell me how can i pay it.

 

Hey Nazzo,

1. You have to identify what laptop you have to determine whether it will even accept a built in TV Tuner.

2. We do not ship outside of the USA, so we couldn't ship to you in Spain.

3. You could buy a USB TV Tuner that is external, but will hook up to your laptop. I use one of those...it is an ATi TV Wonder USB 2.0 and it works great. You can Google for a vendor that is in Spain, or will ship to Spain.

 

How does the built in tv tuner compare to external ones, is it better, worse? I'm interested in buying the hel80 with the built in tv tuner, but if it's worse than externals, or similar, i might try and save money by buying an external one.

 

As long as you follow the instructions I have given here about keeping it in its own window instead of going full screen, they are about the same.

Of course the advantage of the external one is that you can use it on any computer, and the disadvantage is that is an extra peripheral to carry around.

 

Here's a question about the tuner. What does it do to battery life, when on and when off (assuming you can turn it off somehow...)?

I'm thinking of how turning off wireless tends to get you a little more time on the battery.

 

We didn't test that, but if it is off it will have no affect on battery life. With it on it will have a fairly substantial afffect. To turn it off just close it.

However I am curious when you would use the TV Tuner while on battery since you have to have the coaxial cable plugged in to make the TV Tuner work, why wouldn't you also be able to be plugged in?

Or, maybe I already answered what you were really asking in my first sentence.

 

Yeah. Mostly I meant to ask if it was possible to totally power it down so that it doesn't draw any power.

There may have been thoughts of picking up over-the-air signals in the back of my head somewhere too, in which case the power draw when on could be applicable, I guess. (Didn't somebody have a picture of this critter with a big antenna somewhere?)

 

If it is off, it is off, there will be no power draw.

Using the antennae might work in some areas...but the best we could do is get a scratchy foreign station...better to use it on cable while plugged in because it will have a pretty strong battery draw.

 

I already have tivo for my satellite, but my problem is I have a small HDD on my tivo and I run out of space quickly. The Tivo box I have is a model that won't transfer shows to a pc, but I was hoping if I got this tv tuner I would be able to hook up my laptop to the Tivo box and play through shows I already have saved on my Tivo box while recording them to my laptop.

 

I wouldn't recommend that for any kind of archival purpose. From TV to the Tivo, then reencoded again on the laptop, you'll loose quite a bit of quality. Maybe replace the Tivo's hdd with a bigger one? I'm sure there's instructions... on the internet... *makes vague waving motion*

 

Yeah that makes sense, but outside of quality, would it be possible?

 

Sure. Take a look at the 4th picture down

 

what is that cable plug in the tv-out ?
I dont have it with my HEL80

 

I think it comes with the notebook when you order the built in tv tuner, not sure though

 

It is a combo RCA composite adapter coming out of the S-Video out port.

The coaxial cable adapter for TV input and S-Video in port is on the left side at the rear.

 

Will this TV tuner work on an external monitor with the desktop extended to the external monitor? Seems like it should, but I just want to make sure.

 

Yes it will work on your extended desktop.

 

anyone tried the TVTuner with Nero Home?
I can't get it to work....

 

Is it possible to use the MiniPCI Lifeview LR219F TV Turner which has FM also instead of the model you sell?

 

You could try it, but since we haven't tested it we would have no way of knowing whether it would work

 

So do I understand correctly that you cannot just receive local TV signals without the antenna attached? And I assume the antenna is the one in the posted picture, right?

 

Where I can get the BDA drivers? Or should they come with the driver cd? I tried to use MediaPortal, but it didn't find the TV Tuner.

 

The driver comes with your driver CD.

 

I read on a couple of websites that the optional TV Tuner does not work with MCE 2005. Can any one confirm or deny this? Does it work with the Media Center features in Vista?

Thanks,
ripple01

 

It does not work with MCE.

We have not tested it with Vista, so I will leave that answer to someone who has.

 

It is not detected in Vista RC2 Media Center.

 

Can anyone actually point me to a picture of this TV Tuner?

Thanks.

 

Sure. You can find pictorial installation instructions on our website under the Support button.

 

It's annoying that this TV Tuner isn't available in Australia, I was hoping to find one compatibile with the EL80, has anyone tested any other TV Tuners which are compatible?

What sort of slot is that, a custom one, or one which there would be other cards available for?

I don't own a EL80 yet, tossing up between it and the 30, but I do want a TV Tuner and seeing its not available in the 30 model, the 80 looks better, but no point if I can't get the **** thing

 

Has anyone got this TV Tuner to work in Vista at all.

I loaded the drivers and software in Vista with the backward compatiblity and I get nothing.

The Software gives me an error message saying it is not made this Operating system.

I suppose the drivers loaded. The thing is listed in my Device manager without any yellow exclamation mark.

Anyone have any success at all with TV tuner in Vista?

 

Those of you who have the TV Tuner I was wondering if it came packaged with CyberPower Cinema? I notice it is a download at bizcom.com but after dling it and trying to load it it asked for a Key.

So did any of you get this program with your Turner? If not what are you using?