Engadget HD

picoStick USB Digital TV tuner is insanely small, but only in Europe

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:33:00 EST

It's not like we've ever felt particularly overwhelmed by the size or heft of the USB digital TV tuners already on the market, but Hauppauge's latest has us feeling positively overwhelmed at the thought of lugging one of those other, nearly credit card-sized behemoths ever again. The PCTV Systems picoStick, launched at PlayBite 2009 in London today, is being billed as the world's smallest DVB-T (Western Europe) tuner, requires no antenna, costs £50 (about $83) and should be available from Amazon.co.uk and Play.com next week. One more pic after the break.

[Via Richard Lai]

Continue reading picoStick USB Digital TV tuner is insanely small, but only in Europe

picoStick USB Digital TV tuner is insanely small, but only in Europe originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macrovision re-invents itself as Rovi, kicks off with new guide "Liquid"

Ben Drawbaugh — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:17:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Set-top boxes, Tuners

Hold on to your hats folks because the company that we love to hate is turning over a new leaf by kicking off its old DRM shoes and leveraging its acquisition of Gemstar in a big way. What we mean is that this is the first time in the history of Macrovision that we can remember being excited about an announcement; and boy does it make perfect sense that it comes with a new company name. Rovi's first consumer product should be available in various HDTVs next year, and among the new jazzed up looking guide you can expect a full DLNA client that is designed to be a single access point for all of your content. This includes internet sourced content like Slacker radio, YouTube XL, BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand, and CinemaNow; as well as anything you might have on your PC like pictures, music and even videos. Add in a little social networking from sites such as Flixster and we might have ourselves a new way to watch TV. No word yet on what new TVs will feature Liquid, but we'd expect to hear more at CES '10. The full release is after the jump.

Gallery: Rovi's Liquid guide

Continue reading Macrovision re-invents itself as Rovi, kicks off with new guide "Liquid"

Macrovision re-invents itself as Rovi, kicks off with new guide "Liquid" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI Theater 750 HD chip can bring OTA HD to PCs around the world

Richard Lawler — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:52:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Tuners, Others

No matter what country one finds themselves in, a PC equipped with a TV tuner powered by one of ATI's new Theater HD 750 chips should be able to tune into any over the air TV broadcasts available. These give a step up over the hardware in the company's old TV Wonder 650 line by adding PAL, SECAM and DVB-T support to NTSC, ATSC and ClearQAM access. Of course Media Center PC owners can set up all manner of DVR features, and for that all-ATI feel combines with ATI Stream software and videocards to transcode video into a variety of formats. Expect the new tuners to come out in PCI Express, USB stick and other flavors later this year, if you can't wait, try a glimpse of the preview trailer embedded after the break.

Continue reading ATI Theater 750 HD chip can bring OTA HD to PCs around the world

ATI Theater 750 HD chip can bring OTA HD to PCs around the world originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget HD: What's the best digital TV converter box?

Richard Lawler — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ask Engadget HD, Set-top boxes, Tuners, OTA

As we can tell, not everyone is the type of person that gets ready for things ahead of time, there's always one guy waiting until the very end of the deadline to get things done and for once, it's not us. Enter Sam, owner of an older analog HDTV that isn't currently hooked up to satellite or cable. With a DTV converter coupon burning through his pocket, his question is simple, what's the best DTV tuner out there?

"I bought a brand new HDTV before the holidays and moved my old Toshiba down to the basement, right now there's just an antenna and an old DVD player connected to it. I figure a second Blu-ray player wouldn't hurt, and at least until I get another satellite receiver hooked up I'll just use an antenna to watch the game on Sunday. Of course, I didn't think of picking up a digital TV tuner until now and I'm already missing a few local stations, but there's so many to pick from, any suggestions?"

Alright, we know a few of you are still kicking it old school with strictly antenna setups and have been ready for the analog shutoff for quite some time, so you probably have plenty of experience with different digital TV converter boxes by now. Give Sam (and everyone else) the benefit of your knowledge before it's too late.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Ask Engadget HD: What's the best digital TV converter box? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 27 May 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hauppauge puts a fresh coat of paint on its newly-acquired PCTV tuners

Steven Kim — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:28:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Tuners, Others

It looks like it took a little longer than expected, but the sale of Avid's Pinnacle PCTV line of TV tuners to Hauppauge has finally gone through. The handoff certainly seems to be getting started on the right foot -- Hauppauge has already fired up the PCTV Systems brand as a separate entity to keep things moving nice and smoothly. The new company's webpage offers a cornucopia of tuners in USB, PCI and PCMCIA flavors, all brandishing a revamped but strangely familiar logo. The PCTV products certainly are right in line with Hauppauge's other offerings, but from the looks of things, the PCTV brand will get treated to a little more colorful and polished marketing.

Hauppauge puts a fresh coat of paint on its newly-acquired PCTV tuners originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 15 May 2009 22:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HD 101: What is ATSC, PSIP, QAM, and 8-VSB?

Ben Drawbaugh — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Industry, Misc, Tuners, Cable, OTA

Once you buy an HDTV it doesn't take long before you get confused by all the acronyms. We love us some HD, but the days of simply bringing a new set home and plugging into a coax cable are long over -- at least for most. It is pretty obvious by the latest surveys that most people don't understand exactly what it takes to enjoy HD on their HDTV, but even if you do, you may not understand what most of it means. Now while this isn't the typical make sure you have your HDTV configured to watch HD post, it will help you understand the different ways HD is delivered.

Continue reading HD 101: What is ATSC, PSIP, QAM, and 8-VSB?

HD 101: What is ATSC, PSIP, QAM, and 8-VSB? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 08 May 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audio Karma Fest going down in Livonia, MI this weekend

Steven Kim — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:13:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Speakers, Tuners, Others

If you don't have plans for this weekend yet and you're in the neighborhood of Livonia, MI, maybe pencil in some time to check out Audio Karma Fest. It sounds like it's going to be quite the playground for audio- and videophiles, with demos of the really expensive stuff from some high-end brands. For example, McIntosh will be showing off the limited-run Classic System and unveiling its MR88 AM/FM/XM/HD tuner. Paired up with McIntosh equipment will be some high-ticket speakers from sister company Snell; and if you want to boost your speaker design chops, you can't do a whole lot better than sitting in on a Joseph D'Appolito seminar. Also getting the "for your eyes only" treatment is the US unveiling of the Marantz UD9004 universal Blu-ray deck. Hit the links for more detailed info on what vendors are bringing to the party; playground admission is $25.

Read - McIntosh at Audio Karma Fest 2009
Read - Snell's lineup
Read - D'Appolito seminar
Read - Marantz demos

Audio Karma Fest going down in Livonia, MI this weekend originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 01 May 2009 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS adds 4GB of storage to its USB Express TV Stick tuner

Steven Kim — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:44:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Recorders, Tuners, OTA

We can't say that the market has been calling out for a USB stick that combines both a tuner and a flash drive into one tidy package, but that's just what ASUS has delivered with its new Express TV Stick. Aimed at markets outside the US, the Express TV Stick makes good use of the storage by packing all the software necessary to run the hybrid DVB-T / analog tuner right on the device itself. Plug into a USB 2.0 port, install a driver, and away you go. If you can record right to the flash drive -- and we don't see why you shouldn't be able to -- we think TV junkies who need a DVR with truly grab-and-go portability might find room for this among their gear.

ASUS adds 4GB of storage to its USB Express TV Stick tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco STA1520 SDV tuning adapter impressions

Steven Kim — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:23:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Reviews, DVRs, Tuners, Others, Cable

Cox grabbed some early SDV headlines by promising to supply its Phoenix-area TiVo customers with free tuning adapters, but it only recently made good on the deal in our central Phoenix location. Since the initial announcement, other cable markets -- both Cox and other providers -- have already delivered tuning adapters to users. Based on our poll, it seems the Tuning Adapter rollout is still in the early stages even though we feel like we've been waiting for a long time. Better late than never, though -- last week we got a letter indicating that our Tuning Adapter was ready for pickup at the local Cox office, thankfully still gratis. For our troubles, we got a Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) STA1520 that the Cox representative made abundantly clear was free only as long as we stayed a customer. Follow us past the fold to see how the rest of our Tuning Adapter experience shaped up.

Continue reading Cisco STA1520 SDV tuning adapter impressions

Cisco STA1520 SDV tuning adapter impressions originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Number of folks unready for DTV transition falls to 4 million

Darren Murph — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:53:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

Just days ago, we heard that the DTV voucher waitlist was completely gone, and now that those have started to flow again, the amount of Americans still unready for the switchover sits at 4.1 million. Compared to right around two months ago, that's definitely a marked improvement from 6.5 million still in the dark, and we fully anticipate that number to continually shrink as we inch closer to June 12th. Of course, there's going to come a time when the figure simply won't fall any lower, as a sliver of those still not ready will, frankly, remain that way. More power to 'em we say -- just keep the booze and bullets locked up and everything will be okay.

Number of folks unready for DTV transition falls to 4 million originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blu-ray and Freeview join UK consumption basket

Darren Murph — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:36:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Tuners, OTA

Far be it from the personality of Blu-ray (or the BDA, we should say) to reach for notoriety in any way possible, but Blu-ray has just gained one more modicum of staying power over in the UK. For the first time, the existing high-def movie format has been placed gently between the likes of fruit and kitty litter in the theoretical consumer "basket," which supposedly looks to best reflect UK consumer spending habits. We're also told that Freeview set-top-boxes have joined the fray, right along with DVD rentals and portable media players. Maybe that 396 percent surge in UK-based BD sales had a little something to do with it?

Blu-ray and Freeview join UK consumption basket originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp bringing dual Freeview tuning HDTVs to Australia

Darren Murph — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:49:00 EST

Filed under: Displays, Tuners, Others, LCD

Details are frustratingly sparse at the moment, but Smarthouse has it that Sharp is gearing up to offer HDTVs in Australia with a unique Freeview tuning system. Specifically, these sets will boast MPEG4 and MPEG2 tuners which will allow consumers to continue receiving their digital TV signals "without the threat of their TV recording being restricted." You see, the MPEG4 tuners would be used to restrict recording and limit ad skipping, but apparently no such strings can be attached to MPEG2 processors. It's said that the sets should be available "soon," but details like size, features and price have yet to be revealed. Patience, mates.

Sharp bringing dual Freeview tuning HDTVs to Australia originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another 158 analog TV stations flip to digital only

Darren Murph — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:11:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Tuners, OTA

Another one (hundred and fifty-eight) bites the dust, as they say. With the newly established June 12th cutover date looming, another 158 TV stations across America have decided that enough is enough. In a new list that was sent over the FCC this week, we're told that another swath of stations intend to shut off their analog signals prior to the mandatory June 12th cutover date. For what it's worth, the majority of the 158 are in smaller markets and don't broadcast any of the four major commercial networks, but we wouldn't be shocked to hear of more of this as more and more stations grow tired of waiting around.

Another 158 analog TV stations flip to digital only originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AVerMedia ships $70 AVerTVHD Volar MAX USB tuner

Darren Murph — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Others

AVerMedia's USB-enabled AVerTVHD Volar MAX, which was introduced just about two months ago to the day, has just started shipping out to retail locations and mailboxes everywhere. The tuner can easily pick up OTA HD channels as well as ClearQAM signals, and it even plays nice with both Mac and PC platforms. Furthermore, it makes compressing recordings for playback on an iPod or other PMP remarkably simple, but you'll have to shell out $69.99 in order to bring it all home.

AVerMedia ships $70 AVerTVHD Volar MAX USB tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New CableCARD diagnostic tool for Windows Media Center makes installation slightly less frustrating

Ross Miller — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Tuners, Cable

Let's be honest, getting a CableCARD to work with Windows Media Center is far, far, far from a smooth process. Thankfully, the Media Center Integrator Alliance -- this sort of the things is its bag, naturally -- are set to show off a Digital Cable Tuner Diagnostics tool at next week's Electronic House Expo. It'll provide all kinds of information on your tuner and CableCARD, including modulation type, format, frequency, carrier, PCR Lock, encoding level, and authorization -- and if all that goes way over your head, there's an option to export the data to XML and send it to someone who can help. No word on when we'll see an official release, but no matter what, it won't be soon enough.

New CableCARD diagnostic tool for Windows Media Center makes installation slightly less frustrating originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DTV coupons begin flowing once more, waitlist should vanish in 3 weeks

Darren Murph — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:12:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners

For all of you still waiting for a little governmental assistance in buying that DTV converter box that you should've purchased months ago (we kid... a little), we've excellent news. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is overseeing the program, has announced that it has finally begun to ship $40 vouchers towards the purchase of these very boxes once more. The waitlist has grown some 4.1 million deep since the subsidy program ran dry back in January, but the agency is hoping to have that cleared within three weeks. Of course, you better not procrastinate on your second chance -- who knows how quickly the $650 million it has left will last.

[Image courtesy of BreakItDownBlog]

DTV coupons begin flowing once more, waitlist should vanish in 3 weeks originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The original DTV transition: what could've been

Darren Murph — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:16:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, OTA

Exactly one year ago today, we sat as prepared as ever to embrace the forthcoming world of digital TV. After February 17th, no longer would Americans have to suffer through yet another poor analog broadcast, and no longer would we have to wait for all that spectrum to be freed up for much more spectacular things. With just a year to go, we laid out a simple six-step program that would help confused TV watchers ensure that they would be ready on the seventeenth day of February, the year two-thousand and nine. Fast forward to this very moment, and confusion about the cutover is still rampant. In fact, the cutover hasn't even happened. Well, it sort of has. Ahh... see what we mean? Come along after the break, it gets crazier.

Continue reading The original DTV transition: what could've been

The original DTV transition: what could've been originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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President Obama signs DTV delay bill into law

Darren Murph — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:39:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, OTA

No way Obama was going to veto this after driving it all the way through Congress, but technically, the digital TV delay wasn't actually official until now. Late today, America's President signed his name onto the bill which will delay the digital TV transition from February 17th to June 12th, though a provision allows stations to switch over beforehand should they choose. In fact, hundreds of stations still plan to kill analog later this month, as they've been planning towards that date for years now. Honestly, we can't figure out what the purpose of this is. Unless there's more cash for the currently dry voucher program tucked away somewhere in that mind-bogglingly large "stimulus package," delaying the pain won't solve a thing. Though it will confuse the hell out of people, so there's that.

President Obama signs DTV delay bill into law originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zip Express charges small fortune for DTV rescue service

Darren Murph — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

We've long since known that professional installation services were, at least in large part, another form of highway robbery, but this is just absurd. Zip Express is looking to prey on the confused, unsuspecting geriatric set by promising to completely save one's TV from death and destruction by taking care of all of their DTV cutover needs. The price? Just $199, which includes a presumably well dressed individual connecting two wires on a $50 DTV converter box and promptly leaving. Oh, and for another Benjamin, you can get an undisclosed (but likely low-end) Logitech Harmony universal remote "installed and programmed." Shameful, yet clever. But mostly just shameful.

Zip Express charges small fortune for DTV rescue service originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Do you agree with the DTV transition delay?

Darren Murph — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:10:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Polls, Regulatory, Tuners, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, OTA

We've already expressed our feelings on the matter, but now we're tossing the question out for you readers to debate: are you kosher with the DTV transition delay? Even if it ends up costing taxpayers millions more dollars? We've heard very convincing arguments from both sides of the table, and while we'd prefer you all put partisanship aside and debate the matter based on principle alone, we aren't holding our breath. So, should we delay this thing in order to get more people prepared? Or should things have continued as planned in order to teach lollygaggers a lesson?

View Poll

Poll: Do you agree with the DTV transition delay? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stations can still yank analog plug this month, though many won't

Darren Murph — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:01:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

Wow, this isn't confusing. At all. The on-again / off-again digital TV transition date -- which is now formally set for June 12th -- may or may not be honored by the hundreds upon hundreds of local broadcasters across America. You see, when Congress postponed the mandatory cutover date from its original place on the calender (February 17th), it also gave stations the option of sticking to that original date. Thus, what could end up happening is that half a city's local OTA stations would go all-digital in under two weeks, while the others delayed things until June. The good news is that most of the major US television networks (that's CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC) have reportedly decided to hold off until the new June date in order to prevent a chaotic series of events, but it's hard to say if each individual station will indeed abide. The bottom line? Get your converter box now if you need one, and if you're waiting around for one of those $40 vouchers, hats off to you and your patience.

Read - Optional cutover
Read - Broadcaster intent

Stations can still yank analog plug this month, though many won't originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Have you received your DTV tuning adapter?

Darren Murph — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Tuners

We've received reports from one side of the country (New York) to the other (Hawaii) from locals that have just received their long anticipated DTV tuning adapter. This week's poll question is quite simple, really: have you received yours? If so, how long did it take to arrive, and what carrier are you using? If not, chime in below with how long you've been waiting, where you are and what operator is being lazy on you.

View Poll

Poll: Have you received your DTV tuning adapter? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senate okays another digital TV transition delay

Steven Kim — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:24:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

Just to make sure that the digital TV transition gets delayed, the US Senate has approved another measure to postpone the transition date until June 12 and sent it on its way to the House of Representatives. If the House's mere indication that the delay would go through didn't dash our hopes of analog-free airwaves next month, the quick-fire nature of this second bill certainly did. Essentially the same as the first proposal, this version with minor edits cleared the Senate unanimously. With the House in recess until next week, we'll have to wait for any movement, but it's looking like we'll be stuck with analog for a while longer. Hopefully, this whole mess will be resolved, because the longer it goes on, the more people will become confused, and maybe join the 22-percent of Americans who are planning to give up on TV altogether.

Senate okays another digital TV transition delay originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zodiac and Alticast to power Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top boxes

Darren Murph — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:32:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Tuners

There stands a good chance that you've never heard of Zodiac Interactive nor Alticast, but if a Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top box ends up in your abode in the near future, there's an even better chance that those two firms will play a crucial role. The duo has just announced plans to plant its embedded software within tru2way STBs, with the combined solution enabling cable providers to "deliver interactive services and applications including next-generation interactive user interfaces, guides, messaging and advanced VOD." Additionally, MSOs will be able to more easily offer subscribers "advanced services such as TV widgets," though there's currently no timetable for when a completed box will be made available. Did we mention that the widget race was officially on?

Zodiac and Alticast to power Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top boxes originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digital TV transition delay bill fails to pass in House

Darren Murph — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

In an absolutely shocking move, the United States House of Representatives has failed to pass the digital TV transition delay bill that was all but certain to fly through just days ago. The bill needed two-thirds of the votes of the House under "special rules adopted for the vote," and reportedly, the vote was just 258 to 168 in favor of changing the date. As it stands, an estimated 6.5 million Americans are not yet prepared for the switch -- which is now back on track for February 17th -- and the money well for government-issued vouchers has ran dry. Honestly, we're elated to hear the news. The February date has been blasted from the rooftops for years now, and changing it this late in the game would wreak all kinds of havoc in the industry, not to mention instill even more confusion. Soon-to-be-vacated airwaves, we're ready for you.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Digital TV transition delay bill fails to pass in House originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: DIY antenna makes good use of wire hangers, spare time

Darren Murph — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:08:00 EST

Filed under: DIY, Tuners, OTA

We've seen a few complicated DIY antenna projects before, but we've yet to come across one that makes building one so easy. MAKE has hosted up an eight minute tutorial on crafting your very own short to medium range OTA antenna using just a block of wood, a few spare screws, a handful of old wire coat hangers and a few general tools that are surely collecting dust in your garage. Seriously, it's almost too simple. Head past the break for a look at the video.

[Thanks, Isaac]

Continue reading Video: DIY antenna makes good use of wire hangers, spare time

Video: DIY antenna makes good use of wire hangers, spare time originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senate okays digital TV transition delay to June 12th

Darren Murph — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

We knew it was bound to happen, and sure enough, it's happening. For the millions of Americans still waiting for their $40 voucher before buying one of those newfangled DTV converter boxes, the US Senate has just given its stamp of approval on providing them a four month reprieve as it attempts to get its act together. Oddly, there's no mention of Congress looking for new sources of funding, though we are told that consumers holding expired coupons can now request new ones. We suspect more details will flow out on all of this soon, but for now, you can bank on the digital TV transition -- originally scheduled to go down on February 17th -- now occurring on June 12th. Until it changes again, of course.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Senate okays digital TV transition delay to June 12th originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DISH Network's Draco project brings programming to Windows Media Center

Darren Murph — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Other hardware, Set-top boxes, Tuners, Satellite

Aw, snap! Just over a month after DirecTV went and killed its totally promising HDPC-20 tuner, in flies this. DISH Network is apparently gearing up to unveil some sort of HD-capable DISH-to-Windows Media Center liaison, with current test setups involving a modified ViP 211K receiver attached via Ethernet to a PC. The initiative is being coined Draco, and we're even told that dual tuner setups (most likely using dual boxes for now) are in action and working beautifully. It's tough to tell if this is the same project that was rumored way back in April of last year, but it's safe to say DISH is hoping to pick up the pieces that DirecTV inexplicably dropped. Windows Media Center, you've just regained our attention.

Gallery: DISH Network's Draco project brings programming to Windows Media Center

DISH Network's Draco project brings programming to Windows Media Center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AVerMedia comes clean with new line of TV tuners

Darren Murph — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:18:00 EST

Filed under: Other hardware, Tuners, Others

AVerMedia's starting off the year on a good foot, and it's introducing a number of new TV tuners for a variety of applications. Kicking things off is the AVerTV Hybrid PocketExpress ($89.99), which brings ATSC / NTSC / Clear QAM / FM Radio tuning to one's 34mm or 54mm ExpressCard slot. Next up is the AVerTV Bravo ($49.99), which slides into your PCI Express x1 slot in order to handle digital TV tuning and all the PVR functions (record, pause, rewind, etc.) you'd expect. The AVerTVHD Volar Max ($69.99) holds it down on the USB 2.0 front, while the AVerTVHD Duet can tune two digital signals at once for $79.99. Have a look at the read link for all the intimate details on each.

AVerMedia comes clean with new line of TV tuners originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTSA recommends June 1st as new DTV transition date, no one notices

Darren Murph — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners

Oh, brother. Have we really come to the point where just any random agency can chime in with recommendations for the FCC and expect to be taken seriously? As the NTIA, FCC and Congress wrestle with delaying / not delaying the forthcoming digital TV transition, the Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) has pumped out a recommendation that the FCC consider delaying the cutover until June 1, 2009. According to Richard Glikes, executive director of HTSA: "An extra three and a half months will allow more time for the government to work through issues with the coupon program and get converter boxes to the people who need them; this extra time will prevent any missteps that might occur once the analog TV transmissions are stopped." Right, because changing the date a month before the scheduled switch (February 17, 2009) is so not confusing at all. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading HTSA recommends June 1st as new DTV transition date, no one notices

HTSA recommends June 1st as new DTV transition date, no one notices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC's Kevin Martin proposes alternatives for delaying DTV transition

Darren Murph — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:07:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

Shortly after Barack Obama's transition team urged Congress to postpone the looming digital TV transition, FCC chairman Kevin Martin has hit back with suggestions to keep things on track. His primary concern is that delaying the cutover, which has been scheduled for years and advertised as such, will confuse consumers -- and honestly, we think he has a point. If the February 17th changeover date suddenly becomes meaningless, we could definitely see consumer confusion about this whole ordeal hitting an all-time high. Martin was quoted at an interview at CES as saying that "there are options they can do without having to delay to get coupons flowing immediately," suggesting that extra funding should be hastily given or that those 90-day expiration dates be marked null and void. Additionally, many broadcasters have already scheduled work to take down their analog equipment, and cancellations could be costly and disruptive. Oh, brother -- just call us when this mess is over.

FCC's Kevin Martin proposes alternatives for delaying DTV transition originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell USB Digital TV Tuner announced for Inspiron Mini family

Darren Murph — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Others

Unless you're picking up a Mini 10 with an integrated TV tuner, you'll need one of these (or something similar) in order to pull down OTA signals on your Inspiron Mini. Dell has just announced a thumb-sized USB digital TV tuner (complete with a built-in telescoping and articulating antenna that retracts) catering to the Inspiron family which will start at just $50. Also of note, the company is intending to offer "regional-specific versions of the Digital TV Tuner, designed to receive local broadcast standards, including mobile digital television standards like ATSC in the US, DVB-T in Western Europe, ISDB-T 1-seg (a.k.a. One Seg) in Japan, and the emerging CMMB standard in China." It'll play nice with the Dell-customized version of Ubuntu Linux (8.04), Windows XP and Windows Vista Basic, and it's expected to ship later this quarter in Europe, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific / China soon after.

Dell USB Digital TV Tuner announced for Inspiron Mini family originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama's transition team urges Congress to postpone DTV cutover

Darren Murph — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners

With the money well all dried up and a monumental transition looming, Barack Obama's transition team is urging Congress to take a second look at letting the cutover take place as planned on February 17th. According to a letter recently sent to Capital Hill, John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, stated: "With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date." Quite frankly, this has the potential to be huge. When would it be rescheduled to? Would additional fundage be applied? How would broadcasters react? Obviously, we shouldn't have to wait long to see how this all pans out.

[Thanks, Tommy]

Obama's transition team urges Congress to postpone DTV cutover originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elgato refreshes its EyeTV Hybrid tuner

Steven Kim — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:47:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Tuners, Others, OTA

It's been almost a year since Elgato refreshed its EyeTV Hybrid tuner, and while the addition of better reception and a FM radio tuner aren't earth-shattering, it's awfully hard to complain about how much the company has crammed into the Cear-QAM 1080i-tuning USB stick aimed at Mac users. The $150 dongle includes a year-long subscription to TV Guide for your scheduling convenience, but you'll have to fork over $20 per year for the service after that. There will be a new 3.1 version of EyeTV available later this month, but you can pick up the fresh hardware right now.

Elgato refreshes its EyeTV Hybrid tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eviant introduces 4.3-, 7- and 19-inch digital televisions at CES

Darren Murph — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:46:00 EST

Filed under: Displays, Tuners, Others

Can't say we've ever heard of Eviant, but it's tough to ignore a 4.3-inch television. No, we didn't mistakenly write "television" in place of "digiframe" -- the company is seriously pumping out 4.3-inch (T4) and 7-inch (T7) digital portable televisions, both of which are fully prepared to handle the looming DTV transition. Without any additional hardware, both sets can receive ATSC OTA signals, and there's also a built-in Li-ion battery and inbuilt speakers for good measure. In slightly less amazing news, it's also busting out a 19-inch (T19) digital TV with an integrated ATSC / NTSC tuner, HDMI / S-Video / VGA / composite inputs and a 1,440 x 900 native resolution. The whole trio is expected to ship this quarter for $169.99, $199.99 and $299.99 in order of mention.

Read - T4 / T7 release
Read - T19 release

Eviant introduces 4.3-, 7- and 19-inch digital televisions at CES originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digital TV subsidy program nearly dry: get your vouchers now

Darren Murph — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Set-top boxes, Tuners

When the FCC's Kevin Martin asserted that the 2009 digital TV transition subsidy program was nearing the end of its financial rope back in October, no one really paid him any mind. After all, this ain't the FCC's gig. Now, however, an AP report on the topic is confirming the fears, noting that the NTIA itself is "warning that unless lawmakers step in quickly with more funding or new accounting rules, it will have to create a waiting list for coupon requests." Should this occur, new vouchers would only be sent out once previously mailed vouchers expired without being used. As of now, only $68.2 million of the $1.34 billion set aside for this program remains free, and after February 17th comes and goes, you can bet the interest will skyrocket. Moral of the story? Get your request in now if you're in need (check here to see if you are).

[Via ShellyPalmerMedia]

Update: The well is dry! Yikes!

Digital TV subsidy program nearly dry: get your vouchers now originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIZIO seeks to trim the pork, joins the "CUT FATT" PR campaign

Steven Kim — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:22:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Displays, Tuners, Others

Apparently still stinging from its MPEG-LA licensing tussle, VIZIO is throwing its weight behind the Coalition to Terminate Financial Abuses of the Television Transmission ("CUT FATT," and no, we're not sure where the "U" came from). Claiming excessive and unregulated patent fees related to FCC regulations for producing DTV-ready sets that have already exceeded a Dr. Evil-esque one-billion dollars, the crux of the argument is that since 2007, US consumers have paid 20-30 times the licensing fees as compared to European and Japanese consumers for "essentially the same technology," and CUT FATT would like to see the FCC rein in these fees to competitive rates. VIZIO is claiming this is an effort to stand behind the American consumer, but we'd like to know how much the company would cut retail prices on its already relatively strong sales. Still, we can't argue with the company's rights to do what it can to seek higher profitability as it balances value and upscale marketing messages.

[Bacon briefcase image courtesy saynotocrack]

VIZIO seeks to trim the pork, joins the "CUT FATT" PR campaign originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: Are you ready for the digital TV transition?

Darren Murph — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Set-top boxes, Tuners, OTA

Hard to believe that next month will mark the official (though not really) end of analog broadcast signals here in the US of A, but it's true. February 17th is within spitting distance, and we get the feeling that loads of voucher requesters will be filing into retail outlets in order to get their DTV converter box soon. Our question is simply this: are you already prepared, or have you yet to become DTV ready?

View Poll

Poll: Are you ready for the digital TV transition? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ace Computers promises $999 CableCARD HTPC at CES 2009

Darren Murph — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Media PCs, Tuners, Others

HTPCs may still be a niche market, but getting one equipped with a CableCARD for under a grand could do great things for adoption. Little-known Ace Computers will reportedly debut such a rig at CES, and the machine will be known as the LMS 250. It'll be made available in a few configurations, one of which includes a triple-core AMD Phenom X3 and one that houses an Intel Core 2 Duo E7300; the former will be built around AMD's Maui entertainment platform, while the latter could quite possibly be the last to use Intel's own impossible-to-understand Viiv technology. Prospective customers with fatter wallets can upgrade the baseline rigs with a Blu-ray burner, but even the $999 edition will include 2GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, internal ATI Digital Cable Tuner and between 8 and 12 USB ports. Sadly, we're not tipped off on a release date, but hopefully we'll learn of that -- along with many other delicious, heart-healthy tidbits -- in just a few days.

Ace Computers promises $999 CableCARD HTPC at CES 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget HD: Best CableCARD-equipped HTPC?

Darren Murph — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ask Engadget HD, Media PCs, Tuners, Cable

Here we are. The final Ask Engadget HD posting of the year two-thousand and eight. And if you thought you were getting off easy here on New Year's Eve, you thought wrong.

"I am looking to purchase a HTPC with CableCARD and bitstreaming audio via HDMI. Normally I would build my own computer, but since you can't get a CableCARD device after the fact (actually, you can), I am stuck buying one already made. I am looking for one in a home theater case that can sit in my rack, not a tower. Any suggestions?"

For those of you who've splurged on a pre-fabricated media PC with CableCARD capabilities, how do you like yours? Any major gripes? Thumbs up / down? Make sure Jordan doesn't start 2009 off with a sour purchase, alright?

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Ask Engadget HD: Best CableCARD-equipped HTPC? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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