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VANITY: Need FReeper Notebook PC/TV Tuner Advice

Posted on 05/13/2005 10:56:29 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana

I'm in the market for a desktop replacement notebook that we can also watch TV on, but I'm not finding many that have built-in TV Tuners like some desktops have. I'm especially interested in a Dell or an HP, unless a FReeper can talk me into something else. But, I don't want to have to buy any bells/whistles that I don't really need, and I have no idea what to configure. Just based on my basic research, I'm thinking a good screen resolution and a large hard drive would be very important, and that I likely should go with a USB TV Tuner attachment. If I do that, do I need a TV Tuner Card? Do I need Windows XP Media Center edition?


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: computers; help; laptops; notebooks
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Any FRadvice is welcome.
1 posted on 05/13/2005 10:56:30 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana
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To: hispanarepublicana

Sony Vaio or a Toshiba Qosimo.


2 posted on 05/13/2005 10:59:28 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: hispanarepublicana

Are you dead-set on a laptop? They really aren't as good as you might think, despite their portability.

Have you considered an HTPC?


3 posted on 05/13/2005 11:00:02 AM PDT by Terpfen (New Democrat Party motto: les enfant terribles)
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To: hispanarepublicana

I dont think you would need MCE for a USB tuner and you will NOT need a special card for it. try pricewatch.com or newegg.com. :D if you use pricewatch.com check the stores rating with resellerratings.com i suggest newegg.com they are good


4 posted on 05/13/2005 11:00:13 AM PDT by Echo Talon (http://echotalon.blogspot.com)
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To: hispanarepublicana

As someone said, a Vaio would probabley be best. I seem to remembe most at around 1200 dollars having t.v. tuners. You should try to get 80GB of hard drive and at least 512 MB of RAM, and whatever you do, don't get a Celleron processor.


5 posted on 05/13/2005 11:01:28 AM PDT by Asphalt (Join the NFL ping list ... All thing football ... FReepmail Asphalt to get on or off)
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To: Terpfen; hispanarepublicana

For about 800 dollars you can get a slightly better desktop then if you spent 1300 dollars on a laptop with the same or even worse specs.


6 posted on 05/13/2005 11:03:39 AM PDT by Asphalt (Join the NFL ping list ... All thing football ... FReepmail Asphalt to get on or off)
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To: hispanarepublicana

They've been around in USB for many years.

I bought one for my wife's XP laptop, but with all the other things she runs on it I've never had occasion to actually install and use it.

I'd suggest you try Ebay. The one I bought was under $100 new, and operation sounded simple. No extra cards were required.


7 posted on 05/13/2005 11:05:23 AM PDT by jimt
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To: Asphalt
From a desktop standpoint, I had considered a Dell Dimension 4700C, since the tower on those is about the size of a large laptop. I JUST DON'T WANT A BIG OLD CLUNKY TOWER, and I really didn't want to have to drill a hole in the countertop where I was considering putting it so that cords could connect.
8 posted on 05/13/2005 11:07:14 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (I was Lucy Ramirez when being Lucy Ramirez was't cool.)
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To: Terpfen

What's an HTPC?


9 posted on 05/13/2005 11:07:30 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (I was Lucy Ramirez when being Lucy Ramirez was't cool.)
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To: hispanarepublicana
Get a Mac and an Elgato EyeTV - then you can watch high-definition television (HDTV) on your computer screen.
10 posted on 05/13/2005 11:08:37 AM PDT by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
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To: HAL9000

No hablo MAC.


11 posted on 05/13/2005 11:09:33 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (I was Lucy Ramirez when being Lucy Ramirez was't cool.)
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To: hispanarepublicana

For a very substantial sum of money, you can get a vaio that consists of a keyboard and a screen about the thickness of a Harry Potter book, and that's your computer. No tower. very nifty, but you pay dearly for the feature. Other than that, small towers can be found if you look enough, and it is certainly worth the 500 dollars you save.


12 posted on 05/13/2005 11:10:57 AM PDT by Asphalt (Join the NFL ping list ... All thing football ... FReepmail Asphalt to get on or off)
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To: hispanarepublicana
Using Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, you can set up a properly configured PC to do all you talk about. Find the video prentation Dell has about it at their Home and Sm;ll Business site HERE.

Scroll down, it's on the left side under the section "New at Dell" talking about Media Center 2005. They've had this for one or two years I believe, since Media Edition came out.

13 posted on 05/13/2005 11:13:03 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: hispanarepublicana

bueno, mac es muy horrible, XP es bueno


14 posted on 05/13/2005 11:13:08 AM PDT by Asphalt (Join the NFL ping list ... All thing football ... FReepmail Asphalt to get on or off)
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To: hispanarepublicana

I think you've hit on the solution, if you're set on a laptop. You don't need MCE for a USB tuner, and unless you're planning on the laptop doubling as a home theater, just about any laptop screen will comfortably handle non-HD TV resolution - DVDs top out at 720x480, and laptops pretty much have a bare minimum resolution of 1024x768 these days


15 posted on 05/13/2005 11:17:44 AM PDT by general_re ("Frantic orthodoxy is never rooted in faith, but in doubt." - Reinhold Niebuhr)
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To: Asphalt

Señor, usted está fumando obviamente la cocaína. Mac es muy bueno, XP es terrible, horrible, tremendo y las cucarachas uniformes son bastante elegantes no utilizarlo para el trabajo de los medios.


16 posted on 05/13/2005 11:21:33 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: general_re

Are you saying that basically a $850 notebook w/ a decent screen/speakers and a $150 USB TV Tuner plugged into a cable outlet will allow me to watch TV on my kitchen countertop?


17 posted on 05/13/2005 11:32:26 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (I was Lucy Ramirez when being Lucy Ramirez was't cool.)
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To: hispanarepublicana
Well, yeah. And so will a $500 laptop with a $99 USB tuner ;)

You'll still have to run your input source to the kitchen, if you haven't already - have to get the signal from somewhere, after all, and rabbit ears in the kitchen probably won't work very well.

18 posted on 05/13/2005 11:42:07 AM PDT by general_re ("Frantic orthodoxy is never rooted in faith, but in doubt." - Reinhold Niebuhr)
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To: HAL9000
Is there anything to go with it that provides tivo like capability?

I guess two components would be necessary. First software that could save the broadcast to a hard-disk. And second a constantly updated broadcast schedule that the recording software would use to start and time the recording.

Does anything like that exist yet?

19 posted on 05/13/2005 11:42:10 AM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: general_re

I have cable outlets ALL OVER my house & kitchen (except the patio--but there's an idea) :-)


20 posted on 05/13/2005 11:48:49 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (I was Lucy Ramirez when being Lucy Ramirez was't cool.)
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