Laptop / PC MPEG-4 tuner

stephendevlin

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-DVB-T-USB-Digital-TV-Tuner-Stick-MPEG-4-Micro-Windows-XP-2000-vista-7-U2-/120783625698?pt=AU_Components&hash=item1c1f43dde2

Bought one of these and they work great for your RTE's & TV3.

Not HD but the quality of the picture is as near as.

Works with Windows Media Player and they give you software also.

Not bad for Less than €10

Not compatable with MPEG-2 only MPEG-4 (as far as I can see)

dudara

Not a Boards Deal - let's try Bargain Alerts

dudara

Happyman42

I have one too...very handy when the kids hog the TV on rugby weekends!:D

Vertakill

Good call - but there's a long thread about something very similar here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056469715

stephendevlin

Vertakill wrote: »

Good call - but there's a long thread about something very similar here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056469715

Looks good. Cheap too. Bit bulky though.

wouldn't be just as easy to use www.aertv.ie
provided your connected to internet of course:)

jmorrisey

Deleted User wrote: »

wouldn't be just as easy to use www.aertv.ie
provided your connected to internet of course:)

+1

Wudyaquit

Deleted User wrote: »

wouldn't be just as easy to use www.aertv.ie
provided your connected to internet of course:)

This yoke's brilliant. Why wasn't I informed already.

wil

Vertakill wrote: »

Good call - but there's a long thread about something very similar here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056469715

Correction - NOT a good call. Wouldnt recommend.
Doesnt do HD so no RTE2 and after ASO probably wont do any channels.
For similar with HD etc you'd be better off with some of the ones from the other thread, some for even less than €10.
Review that thread for some of the better sellers.

aertv is ok too so long as it lasts and you have the bandwidth etc

danjo-xx

Wudyaquit wrote: »

This yoke's brilliant. Why wasn't I informed already.

cause you gotta keep up or loose out, and we don't provide a baby sitting service here.:D

stephendevlin

wil wrote: »

Correction - NOT a good call. Wouldnt recommend.
Doesnt do HD so no RTE2 and after ASO probably wont do any channels.
For similar with HD etc you'd be better off with some of the ones from the other thread, some for even less than €10.
Review that thread for some of the better sellers.

aertv is ok too so long as it lasts and you have the bandwidth etc

Please explain further about ASO and why no RTE2

Badgermonkey

stephendevlin wrote: »

Please explain further about ASO and why no RTE2

Does it currently display RTE2?

If so, it should be ok.

If not, it's because MPEG4 alone is not enough - MPEG4 (H.264) HD is necessary to decode RTE 2.

Sometime after ASO, all RTE's will begin broadcasting on the higher profile.

wil

danjo-xx wrote: »

cause you gotta keep up or loose out, and we don't provide a baby sitting service here.:D

But we do provide a remedial spelling and grammar correction facility for free.:D:rolleyes::D

OT - see the other extensive thread for details on more suitable mpeg4 HD usb tuners.

stephendevlin

Badgermonkey wrote: »

stephendevlin wrote: »

Please explain further about ASO and why no RTE2

Does it currently display RTE2?

If so, it should be ok.

If not, it's because MPEG4 alone is not enough - MPEG4 (H.264) HD is necessary to decode RTE 2.

Sometime after ASO, all RTE's will begin broadcasting on the higher profile.

Works perfect on all channels.
Great pic IMO
HD is not necessary to decode RTE2

It is If you want it in HD yes...

If they broadcast in a higher profile then all those approved standard def saorview boxes would be obsolete. So Id think not.

Schorpio

stephendevlin wrote: »

Works perfect on all channels.
Great pic IMO
HD is not necessary to decode RTE2

It is If you want it in HD yes...

When you tune to RTE 2, does the logo on the top right hand corner say "RTE Two HD"?

If it does, then the stick works. If it doesn't then you're receiving analogue on what is supposed to be a digital stick.

If they broadcast in a higher profile then all those approved standard def saorview boxes would be obsolete. So Id think not.

All approved Saorview boxes can handle HD broadcasts. These is no such thing as a SD-only Saorview box.

Badgermonkey

stephendevlin wrote: »

Works perfect on all channels.
Great pic IMO
HD is not necessary to decode RTE2

It is If you want it in HD yes...

If they broadcast in a higher profile then all those approved standard def saorview boxes would be obsolete. So Id think not.

Stephen, you're confusing a couple of issues there.

There's no such thing as a 'standard def' Saorview box - They must be do both SD & HD

To meet the Saorview spec, the box must be capable of MPEG4 (H.264)

Terrestrial forum: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=56

Technical Requirements for Households

Households wishing to access RTÉ Two HD Select, RTÉ News Now, RTÉjr, RTÉ Plus and RTÉ Aertel Digital will require a DTT receiver, either a Set Top Box (STB) or integrated Digital TV (iDTV) that is compliant with, or equal to, the Irish / SAORVIEW minimum receiver specification, (published in 2008), and an UHF receiver aerial. This is the same equipment as is required by any person wishing to access any terrestrial free-to-air services post ASO in October 2012.

To avoid the requirement to simulcast services (i.e. in HD and SD) and to optimise bandwith usage as services migrate to HD, the Irish / SAORVIEW minimum receiver specification for Set Top Boxes (STBs) requires that the STB is capable of outputting all television services, whether they are broadcast in HD or SD, via a SCART connector.

Using an approved STB:

• HD and / or SD services carried on DTT will be viewable on any HD-ready TV (SAORVIEW approved or not) via a HDMI lead connected between the TV and a STB. HD services will appear as HD and SD as SD.
• HD and / or SD services carried on DTT will be viewable on legacy TV set with a SCART socket, via a SCART lead connected between the TV set and a STB.
• HD and / or SD services carried on DTT will be viewable on legacy TV sets, without a SCART socket, via a SCART to RF Modulator/Adaptor and SCART lead connected between the TV and a STB.
• SAORVIEW approved iDTVs will display HD as HD and SD as SD.

stephendevlin

Schorpio wrote: »

When you tune to RTE 2, does the logo on the top right hand corner say "RTE Two HD"?

If it does, then the stick works. If it doesn't then you're receiving analogue on what is supposed to be a digital stick.
.

EH? Please read the first post... It an MPEG-4 tuner (digital)

RTE Two HD doesnt even broadcast in HD half the time...

RTE-2 HD displays on the top right of the laptop screen I am watching it on my laptop as I type this.....

stephendevlin

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Stephen, you're confusing myriad issues there.

There's no such thing as a 'standard def'' Saorview box.

Thanks Badgermonkey so what your saying is .. this TV tuner works with RTE-HD and will work with any HD signal coming over MPEG-4 ?

Or is it that it can handle the MPEG-4 HD signal but display it as Standard Definition...?

Thing that was confusing for me is that it states "Note: It can't receive HD channels" on the advertised stick

I do notice now thought that it does do MPEG-2 channels also

Badgermonkey

If you're currently receiving all Saorview channels with that device, it should continue to function post-ASO.

Ask the experts on the Terrestrial forum, lots of help and knowledge available there.

Schorpio

stephendevlin wrote: »

EH? Please read the first post... It an MPEG-4 tuner (digital)

RTE Two HD doesnt even broadcast in HD half the time...

RTE-2 HD displays on the top right of the laptop screen I am watching it on my laptop as I type this.....

While it is true that RTE Two does not broadcast HD content all of the time, it is always broadcast in HD resolution (SD content is upscaled to HD resolution). This stick obviously works so. The ebay ad is just confusing and misleading.

Thanks Badgermonkey so what your saying is .. this TV tuner works with RTE-HD and will work with any HD signal coming over MPEG-4 ?

Yep, if it's working with RTE Two at the moment, then this is the case.

I do notice now thought that it does do MPEG-2 channels also

MPEG 2 doesn't apply to Ireland, and none of our channels use it. It is only applicable to the UK's Freeview system.

stephendevlin

Schorpio wrote: »

MPEG 2 doesn't apply to Ireland, and none of our channels use it. It is only applicable to the UK's Freeview system.

Yes I know its for UK signal. Just didnt think this tuner was good for the UK channels also but it seems it is.

Schorpio

It will work for Freeview, but not Freeview HD.

stephendevlin

wil wrote: »

Correction - NOT a good call. Wouldnt recommend.
Doesnt do HD so no RTE2 and after ASO probably wont do any channels.
For similar with HD etc you'd be better off with some of the ones from the other thread, some for even less than €10.
Review that thread for some of the better sellers.

aertv is ok too so long as it lasts and you have the bandwidth etc

So its the exact same as the other one in the other thread only smaller and about €3-€4 more expensive.

wil

stephendevlin wrote: »

So its the exact same as the other one in the other thread only smaller and about €3-€4 more expensive.

Who knows? There's probably dozens, or perhaps more variations of these on sale from China serving countries all over the world with many different broadcast standards. Chances are you are lucky and it came with the HD mpeg4 chip rather than earlier variety. Once they start mass manufacturing, it makes little difference to the price which chip goes in it.
Theres many different vendors on ebay, they come and go, I just tend to pick which looks right with decent price and feedback.
Anyway as I said you stand a better chance of finding more specific details in the older thread or terrestial forum. this isnt really the forum for DTT discussion