What is the best spec for watching tv on netbook

Inga

I want to buy a netbook for when I am working away from home so I can watch tv programmes, videos etc and surf the net.

What is the minimum spec required to avoid freezing or streaming delays?

What would be the ideal spec if money were not too much of an issue?

kwikbreaks

A standard N270/N280 based netbook is fine for TV streaming. That spec with onboard graphics struggles with 720p and won't play 1080p. I found mine wouldn't play a high quality iPlayer download using the official software either although it was OK playing exactly the same program as a (hookey drm free) download.

Inga

I am not very technical, I get the processor type but what do you mean by the onboard graphics? is there a particular type of graphics I would have to look out for?

kwikbreaks

Most of them use onboard Intel graphics. It will say in the specs if it uses anything different. Some newer ones use ION graphics which are reputed to handle HD but that wasn't one of your original quoted needs anyway.

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Found this - http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=7515

Inga

I don't know what requirements I have of hardware because I don't know anything about it, just that I would like to watch video download/tv programmes without them freezing. I imagine the graphics capability would be key to that? or is that just for games?

I am hoping you would be able to tell me what type of graphics or any other hardware spec I would need to look for to have a decent watching experience.

kwikbreaks

As I said in my first post a bog standard netbook is fine for streamed video. Most netbooks have very similar specs.

BBC iPlayer downloads required their authorised software to play and I found that my own bog standard netbook tended to stutter a bit with at least one of those - it may have been the higher quality one I can't remember. It was OK playing non-authorised downloads of the same programs.

If you definately intend to download iPlayer for offline viewing make sure that the machine you intend to buy will do that - preferably by checking with a friend who has one and watching it yourself or get a salesman to demonstrate it.

Graphics do have an impact on things other than games. Movie playing is certainly one of those things.

Donnie

Maybe something like this. Weighs 1.5kg.

Parva

If I want to watch TV on my laptop I use this site :- http://www.tvguide.co.uk/

Simply look through the listings and click the 'Watch' button under each channel name. I would think that you could view the stream on almost any laptop / desktop as it's not resource intensive nor does it use lots of bandwidth. Good for watching live TV anyway in my experience.

macman

If you want this for streaming TV (from iPlayer etc), then the speed of your internet connection (rather than the graphics capability of your netbook) is more relevant. You said you want it for working away from home, so I assume you are talking about using it with mobile broadband? In which case you may struggle to get a reliable connection that will support streaming.
And do you really want to watch TV on a 10' screen for long periods?

HO87

macman wrote: »

If you want this for streaming TV (from iPlayer etc), then the speed of your internet connection (rather than the graphics capability of your netbook) is more relevant. You said you want it for working away from home, so I assume you are talking about using it with mobile broadband? In which case you may struggle to get a reliable connection that will support streaming.
And do you really want to watch TV on a 10' screen for long periods?

There is also the possibility of using WiFi at hotels where the bandwidth is usually pretty reasonable - sufficient to use iPlayer to watch streamed programmes.

Inga

Thanks so much for all your time and advice, the links are great.