Can I watch live / recorded freeview via my laptop (using a fixed aerial)?

KG

If I buy a freeview box with a digital recorder and connect that to an aerial, is it likely to work through my laptop? And would I need special connections? Or do you need a specific kind of laptop to make that kind of thing work?

I was going to but a small TV as well but then thought figured I might not need to. My laptop is a couple of years old and still functions well. I plays video and music fine.

Thanks

KPG

Andy_L

Its unlikely that your laptop has any vidoe inputs so a generic "TV" digibox wouldn't work.
You could by a dedicated computer one designed to plug into your laptop eg: http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/prods_external.html

KG

Thanks for that. I looked at your link and did a couple of other Google searches and ended up looking up http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_hvr1900.html as it's the only one I could see which (I think) would:

- let me utilise the fixed aerial I have
- let me use the current (freeview-enabled) aerial rather than installing a satellite
- let me record programmes (and I am presuming the recording is done on the device itself so the laptop doesn't have to stay connected / be left on).

I can't tell whether it will let me record one programme whilst watching another, which is ideally what I am looking for.

Is there someone out there with more knowledge than me who can confirm my assumptions of what it would do are correct?

There are probably other devices out there that woudl fit the bill to, but so much of this stuff is written in such technical language.

Thanks

KPG

Inner_Zone

KG wrote: »

Thanks for that. I looked at your link and did a couple of other Google searches and ended up looking up http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_hvr1900.html as it's the only one I could see which (I think) would:

- let me utilise the fixed aerial I have
- let me use the current (freeview-enabled) aerial rather than installing a satellite
- let me record programmes (and I am presuming the recording is done on the device itself so the laptop doesn't have to stay connected / be left on).
I can't tell whether it will let me record one programme whilst watching another, which is ideally what I am looking for.

Is there someone out there with more knowledge than me who can confirm my assumptions of what it would do are correct?

There are probably other devices out there that woudl fit the bill to, but so much of this stuff is written in such technical language.

Thanks

KPG

1. Yes

2. See 1

3. "Record DVB-T digital TV programmes to your PC's hard disk using high quality MPEG-2."

4. No it single tuner.

jayme1

which OS are you using (windows 7?) if so you will have windows media center, with a TV tuner mentioned you can use media center to watch, pause, rewind and record live TV, and the interface and usability of WMC is IMO better than that of the software that comes with these tuners.

in order for you to record one channel while watching another you will need 2 USB TV tuners again WMC will allow you to record one channel while watching another.

closed

Unless you want to keep recordings, would a combination of iplayer, 4od etc, and tvcatchup suffice?

TakeThis

jayme1 wrote: »

which OS are you using (windows 7?) if so you will have windows media center, with a TV tuner mentioned you can use media center to watch, pause, rewind and record live TV, and the interface and usability of WMC is IMO better than that of the software that comes with these tuners.

in order for you to record one channel while watching another you will need 2 USB TV tuners again WMC will allow you to record one channel while watching another.

Dual DVB-T receiver

All use standard aerials.

You can pay half the price for a no-name brand.

If you want HD, there is only a single channel model.

fwor

I've got the single-channel version of the Hauppauge stick referred to above which I use on my laptop away from home. Sensitivity is very good.

As Jayme1 says, WMC is better than the software that Hauppauge bundle with their products. If you've got an older version of Windows without WMC, XBMC as an alternative is supposed to be good and free.

For a laptop, stick with SD and don't bother with HD - you won't be able to see the difference on a screen that small!