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dar77777 · Jun 10, 2003, 04:40 PM

The only major feature the Powerbook lacks is a TV Tuner. My PC desktop All-in-Wonder 9700 setup is great and even offers real-time Photoshop effects during video editing.

The new Eurocom 17" has an integrated TV Tuner: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/hard...?A=HOME&O=FPIN

An optional cable-ready internal TV tuner allows users to watch TV in a resizable window, right on the large 17-inch LCD notebook screen as well as record incoming video from a TV, a camcorder or DVD-ROM to the CD and DVD Burner through the auxiliary audio/video input (S-Video port). With a CD-RW or DVD-R/-RW drive you can save personal home videos or memorable TV clips to MPEG I/II format to store on CDs and in DVD format to store on DVDs and simply mail the disks or e-mail the clips to your friends and relatives. With this cost-saving feature, you will be using CDs and DVDs instead of VHS tapes in no time.

Karim · Jun 10, 2003, 05:09 PM

I'd prefer they added an integrated video camera first for vid conferencing.

[APi]TheMan · Jun 10, 2003, 05:14 PM

I think that I'd be interested in having a TV tuner in my PowerBook... mainly because I am not interested in spending the $200 for an eyeTV just to... play with... and experiment with... I'd like to have the functionality built in so I could try it and have it not be a waste of money if I don't use it ever.

Angus_D · Jun 10, 2003, 05:34 PM

Originally posted by [APi]TheMan:
I'd like to have the functionality built in so I could try it and have it not be a waste of money if I don't use it ever.

I don't follow your logic. If it's built in, you (and everyone else) is paying for it in the price of the computer. If you don't use it, you've paid for it. If you don't even WANT to use it, you've still paid for it. Sound slike a silly idea to me.

DVD Plaza · Jun 10, 2003, 10:43 PM

That's always the case anyway! My 17" has bluetooth, firewire, a PC card slot, DVI, etc and I'm not using any of those...

dettociao · Jun 10, 2003, 11:08 PM

Originally posted by DVD Plaza:
That's always the case anyway! My 17" has bluetooth, firewire, a PC card slot, DVI, etc and I'm not using any of those...

Well WTF did you buy a 17" for then? Why not just get an iBook and a ForMac 17" display or something... jesus.

Maquero · Jun 10, 2003, 11:21 PM

Originally posted by dettociao:
Well WTF did you buy a 17" for then? Why not just get an iBook and a ForMac 17" display or something... jesus.

cant brag with those on a coffe shop

djjava · Jun 10, 2003, 11:39 PM

Originally posted by dar77777:
The new Eurocom 17" has an integrated TV Tuner: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/hard...?A=HOME&O=FPIN

that eurocom 17".... oh boy... once you bring that thing up to comparable specs of the PB17 (most of these specs are NOT standard, or when maxed out, meet the specs of the PB17) it costs about the same as PB17. If you max out the specs to bring it up to the "top of the line" specs, it costs a TON more than the PB17... and to top it off, it runs Winblows.

[APi]TheMan · Jun 11, 2003, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
I don't follow your logic. If it's built in, you (and everyone else) is paying for it in the price of the computer. If you don't use it, you've paid for it. If you don't even WANT to use it, you've still paid for it. Sound slike a silly idea to me.

Allow me to explain:

The somewhat larger price tag is something that we've come to expect with "PowerBook" label, it's for the advanced users. So, while two years ago when I bought my PowerBook G3 I never would have fathomed using its S-video out, Ethernet, Sound Out, or FireWire ports... now I use them all (and rather often).

People buy PowerBooks because they want the power and the advanced features, or else they'd buy iBooks. Apple adds new features to the PowerBook line quite often without increasing the price tag (Firewire, s-video, bluetooth, DVI, backlit keyboard, 1000Base-T Ethernet, etc). I think that, if Apple could find space to include a TV tuner in the current line of PowerBooks, that it'd be very nice to have one in there.

Also, as someone said in another thread, Digital Hub, anyone?

DVD Plaza · Jun 11, 2003, 11:14 AM

Originally posted by dettociao:
Well WTF did you buy a 17" for then? Why not just get an iBook and a ForMac 17" display or something... jesus.

Yeah no worries... shall I tape a dolphin torch onto the keyboard for backlighting, pull a 1Ghz G4 out my ass and wedge it into the G3 iBook, racetape a 17" LCD monitor onto the iBook, cement a car battery and inverter onto the LCD for power, superglue aluminium all over the flimsy plastic piece of crap of an iBook, etc?

No thanks - I'll just respect the fact that you're a shortsighted moron.

parsec_kadets · Jun 11, 2003, 01:17 PM

Originally posted by dar77777:
The only major feature the Powerbook lacks is a TV Tuner. My PC desktop All-in-Wonder 9700 setup is great and even offers real-time Photoshop effects during video editing.

I see a few problems here. First, it would add at least $100 to the price of the computer. People already complain that the 17" is too expensive, I don't think the additional cost is worth it for those few who would use it. Second, I personally don't like the All-in-Wonder because it's always at least $100 more than the video card without the TV tuner. That means you have to pay this $100 every time you upgrade the card. Similarly, you would have to pay that $100 every time you bought a new PB. I'd rather pay $200 for a separate tuner once than $100 several times. Finally, have you taken a look at how big the TV tuner is on the All-in-Wonders? Fitting everything into a laptop is tough as it is. How much harder would it be if you had to add a component in there that was as big as the TV tuner on the All-in-Wonders? Personally, I have an All-in-Wonder in my PC too. But the next time I upgrade my video card I plan on buying the TV tuner separate from the video card. I'll be able to reuse it in the future, and I won't have to pay for it again and again.

clf8 · Jun 12, 2003, 06:54 PM

Do you want a TV tuner, or a Digital TV tuner, or a cable tuner, or what? Not that digital TV is coming nearly as soon as the government would like. Would you want an antenna attachment for that too?

Hozie · Jun 12, 2003, 07:24 PM

Originally posted by DVD Plaza:
Yeah no worries... shall I tape a dolphin torch onto the keyboard for backlighting, pull a 1Ghz G4 out my ass and wedge it into the G3 iBook, racetape a 17" LCD monitor onto the iBook, cement a car battery and inverter onto the LCD for power, superglue aluminium all over the flimsy plastic piece of crap of an iBook, etc?

dar77777 · Jun 12, 2003, 08:13 PM

The digital tuners are quit thin compared to the analog ones you are talking about: http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/...hot_8500dv.htm

Karim · Jun 13, 2003, 02:30 AM

Not only would it increase the cost of the Powerbook, it will be yet another thing to suck power from the battery in some amount even when not being used. We'll need another port squeezed in somewhere to take the input and it would have to use a dongle if were talking a RF input because the case wouldn't likely be able to fit the connector because of its thickness without a dongle.

I'm happy with my USB solution for antenna input. I mean your not going to be portable connected to a cable line right? So whats the big deal if your dongle is really a USB capture device than a RF input dongle to some tiny connector.

Angus_D · Jun 13, 2003, 03:05 AM

Originally posted by clf8:
Not that digital TV is coming nearly as soon as the government would like.

Lucky you. It's already quite popular here, and is actually lower quality than the old school analogue stuff

rm199 · Jun 13, 2003, 03:21 AM

Quality is an interested word to use. Pre digital I could not eliminate ghosting and interference from buildings in the city. Now it is crystal clear... the 'quality' might be lower but for some the picture is an order or magnitude better.

RM

parsec_kadets · Jun 13, 2003, 12:28 PM

Also, how many times are you actually in a situation where you have a cable TV outlet but no TV and you HAVE to use a laptop? Being at home doesn't count since you could use a desktop. Every hotel in the world gives you a TV in the room. The only situation I can think of where this would really be advantageous is if you own an RV and don't want to stuff a 17" TV in there.

Camelot · Jun 14, 2003, 03:34 PM

What a complete waste of time.

Another wire to tie yourself to your desk with! who needs that!

What would work better would be a separate wireless tuner that streamed the video over a 802.11g network so you could walk around while still getting your fix.

vmarks · Jun 14, 2003, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by Camelot:
What a complete waste of time.

Another wire to tie yourself to your desk with! who needs that!

What would work better would be a separate wireless tuner that streamed the video over a 802.11g network so you could walk around while still getting your fix.

look at VLC. you can do video over your wireless network, especially if you use their server as well.

Also see, http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/h...owse_link=true

Crusoe · Jun 16, 2003, 11:11 AM

A built in tuner no, but atleast analog video in would be nice (and cheap) if the mobile video chip supports it. That way you can hook up TVs, VCRs, Analog VidCams, etc. Granted it's not a portable TV but quite useful for recording, editing, etc analog input.

TAZ · Jun 16, 2003, 02:12 PM

Not to be mean or anything, but why would you wish to watch TV on a $4000 17" unit, when for $400 you can get a nice 32" flat screen now days. Its not like there are that many places in this country where TV are not available. It seems to me putting a TV tuner into the PB would be an unwise use of space and power. I'd much rather have a better processor or maybe 2 of them or better graphics card

parsec_kadets · Jun 16, 2003, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by Crusoe:
A built in tuner no, but atleast analog video in would be nice (and cheap) if the mobile video chip supports it. That way you can hook up TVs, VCRs, Analog VidCams, etc. Granted it's not a portable TV but quite useful for recording, editing, etc analog input.

Now this would be a far more reasonable solution. They could do what ATI does. That is, include a proprietary SVideo in port that handles video and audio. Then include a converter that takes SVideo and RCAVideo/Audio and converts it to the proprietary in. However, I still don't think this will happen just because of the limited space in a laptop. I think there are other things they could add that would be more useful to most people, like more USB and FireWire ports.

Spheric Harlot · Jun 16, 2003, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
Lucky you. It's already quite popular here, and is actually lower quality than the old school analogue stuff

I think you're mistaking the 100-Hz digitally-buffered TVs for "digital television".

Those are indeed quite inferior to "old style" standard TV's, which are sadly becoming less and less available, especially in 16:9.

Reason being, the ANALOGUE signal is digitally buffered to an odd (meaning interpolated) and artificially higher framerate and then converted back to analogue. Reduces eyestrain due to higher framerates, increases headache due to shitty picture and the slow realization that, once again, you've been had.

-s*

Edit: just realized that I'm not sure if the age of digitally-broadcast TV itself has already begun.

beanman · Jun 17, 2003, 01:10 PM

With streaming technology getting better and better, why slap a tuner into the thing? Even though you get a tuner in the PowerBook, you'd still have to pay for cable TV access. So why not wait until broadband technology gets better along with streaming and then pay for monthly cable access over streaming? Then you are no longer tied down to a piece of coax.

Putting a tuner, especially an analog one, into a PowerBook would almost be like taking a step backwords in terms of technological progression. It's almost like asking to put a radio tuner into the thing, but with Internet radio(thank god!), you wouldn't even think of that.

Yes, think digital hub, but also think wireless internet. Internet TV is already here, some one just needs to make it better.

slffl · Jun 18, 2003, 05:19 PM

I was thinking about this the other day. The 17" would be the perfect laptop with an integrated tv tuner. No outputs or inputs, just off the air.

And of course when I had the chance the next day to tell the apple rep who called me for a survey about the 17" and asked what I would add/change about it, my mind went completely blank!

Please add a tv tuner card apple!