USB antenna for digital TV

4 replies [Last post]
jakel
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Joined: 10/06/2009

Does anyone happen to know of a USB or PC-card-based digital TV antenna that is compatible with Trisquel, something similar to this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DVB-T-USB-2-0-Digital-TV-Stick-With-IR-Remote-Tuner-Receiver-USB-Dongle-Wand-TV-/300694518198?pt=UK_Computing_Video_Capture_TV_Tuner_Cards&hash=it...

I'd like to record and playback over-the-air (OTA) digital HD stations on my laptop (in the US). Thanks in advance!

Chris

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Joined: 04/23/2011

The best answer to this question is maybe. Right now there is one chipset combo (should work in the USA & Europe!!! although only in GNU/Linux) that in theory we should be able to get working although I haven't been successful in doing so. I'm not sure if there is a problem with the device, distance (wrong antenna, etc), or something else.

I'm waiting to get back the device after it is “repaired” (assuming there is even something wrong with it). There are a number of possible explanations as to why I couldn't get it to work. For one model numbers don't equal chipsets. I'm not 100% sure it has the right chipset. I don't believe that was the problem though. I think it might be that I need a different antenna. Even with a better antenna hooked up to a TV I have issues with reception around here. This is despite being pretty close to 3-4 four major international cities in the north eastern USA. I also tried with cable although because it is primarily analog I'm not sure if it should have worked. By primarily I mean there were unencrypted digital channels at one point. I don't know if there were when I did the testing though. Comcast is the cable provider and the company is evil. I don't personally subscribe to cable and we obviously don't have it at the office. I had to borrow the connection to test it.

MagicFab
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Joined: 12/13/2010

I am using a network tuner, the HD Homerun by Sillicon Dust. It's unptractical for use in a mobile context - it needs extra power, external antenna, and a local network to access it - but perhaps you'll consider having a permanent setup somewhere and downloading transcoded recordings/copying full-HD recordings instead if nothing else works.

jakel
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Joined: 10/06/2009

Thank you for the suggestions! Yes, I can set up the antenna in my office, so that would be fine - capturing from a stationary setup and viewing from wherever. I found this article on Linux Journal: http://www.linuxjournal.com/magazine/over-air-digital-tv-linux, and http://linuxtv.org/, I just wasn't sure what I was looking at on http://h-node.org/acquisitioncards/catalogue/en

Chris

I am a member!

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Joined: 04/23/2011

Just be careful. I'm not familiar with this device in particular or how it works although I know most digital TV tuners with USB chipsets to receive digital broadcasts in the USA are not free software friendly. If it is for a desktop you might have better luck finding a PCIE chipset that is free software friendly. At the moment I've only investigated the USB ones as this would in theory be the easiest for less technical users.