USB - PAL, NTSC - Retail - MPN: TVUSB20
Strengths: relatively easy to set up. Cheap.
Weakness: does not seem to work with Vista after it has been upgraded with service pack 1. May also have problems with XP and its service pack 3.
If you have installed Service Pack 1 for Vista you will not be able to install the driver software for the TV Tuner/Video Capture Box supplied on the Sabrent website for Vista. You can install the supplied XP software in Vista sp1 but the sound will not work properly.
The stored signal quality is marginally acceptable for standard definition TV sets.
The price you pay reflects what you get I guess.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Stylish Design?
Weakness: Problematic TV Tuner (described below)
When I first saw this TV tuner from Amazon, I was amazed about what it could do given its specifications and price, as well as reviews given by users on TigerDirect.
However, things didn't go so well when the item arrived.
Opening up the box
-----
Umm, well, I was quite surprised that when I opened up the box that they did not include ANY cables any all! Despite how it said Left and Right for Audio input, you will actually have to buy a 3.5mm RCA Y split adapter if you plan to capture from Composite RCA Audio inputs. (It only has 3.5mm jacks for audio input and output, not the phono jacks that are commonly used by video devices) Also, you will have to get yourself a coaxial cable if you need one since again it doesn't provide you with any cables. (Please disregard the product's image)
Hooking it up
-----
Now, time to hook up the device! Windows XP detects the drive nicely and installation works only if you do it from the CD. (If you download the driver from their website, the installer fails to install due to its buggy software.) As for a lot of products that are manufactured in China, they commonly have misspellings and other things that affect how professional a product is. (It goes for this product, of course! - Unlike other driver installation setup, this one does not guide you through any wizards and the only thing that appears on the screen is an "ok" message if the driver "claimed to be installed".) To add to this, I am also able to see that the company had used a CD-R for their driver's CD. (By reading the ATIP off the CD-R disc that they have used - the ATIP does not occur on pressed CDs - see image for proof)
Anyways, back to the installation. I am able to install this device by either:
1) Using the ones on the CD and press the XP button.
Or
2) Using the downloaded ones and by using the Add New Hardware wizard that goes with Windows.
WinDVR3 Installation
-----
After installing the drivers for this device, I fired up the WinDVR3 installer bundled with the installation but ended up on a serial number screen. I looked at the documentation "paper" that they provided, which says "enter the product's serial number" and then I used the S/N on the bottom of the tuner. Didn't work. Finally saw that the serial number is separate on the WinDVR "CD-R" that they used. (The documentation is really bad, it only guides you through the setup process (basically telling you to click Next >) and doesn't provide any documentation for the WinDVR3 program that they have bundled on the CD.)
If you cannot survive using a program without its manual, you should bail out of this product at this point.
Using WinDVR3
-----
Finally got WinDVR3 running. Hooked up my "cable" coaxial cable. And fired the channel scan feature in WinDVR. The tuner worked for 3 seconds and then the TV screen in WinDVR turned totally black. (Even when I restarted the program, it continues to stay black). The only way I see that solves this problem is unplug the tuner and plug it back in and then restart the DVR program. (In that case, the tuner works again for a few seconds and shuts itself off again - the remote still works as if I press numbers on the keys, the corresponding numbers appear as if they were typed by a keyboard - the power or off key doesn't work though)
Using this "unplug and play" technique, I was able to get it to work at max 5 minutes without any interruptions. (Even when the tuner works, the picture is grainy and looks distorted even when using cable TV) After that time, the screen just suddenly turns off and it would be time to unplug the USB cable once again.
To verify that this problem is associated with the tuner and not the software, I have used another TV capture software, but the same thing happens there as well. (Same grainy picture and random shutoffs)
Just a note on the remote: In order for the remote to work, you will have to point straight at the IR sensor which is the triangle part of the device. (If you point to it at an angle, it would not work - otherwise the remote works at a reasonable range if you point straight at it)
Note on uninstallation
-----
If you decide to uninstall this device at any time after, you will probably have a hard time doing so if you are not familiar with Windows yourself. This is because the manufacturer did not provide one for the end-users. You will have to manually remove the files off your system if you want to uninstall the device. (Remember the "ok" dialog I told you earlier?)
Conclusion
-----
Cheap tuner, but not worth the money. Everything is a mess after installing this tuner and you cannot even uninstall it under Add/Remove programs. The tuner turns itself off randomly at times and you will have to unplug the USB cable and plug it back in in order for the tuner to work again. (It could shut off from every 3 seconds - 5 mins).
I would not recommend this product to others because of this, but if you do decide to try this anyways, do get yourself proper A/V & coaxial cables.
|
92% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopI COMPLETELY AGREE WITH 'SOFTWARE GUY'!!!!!
PLEASE NOTE: It isn't the packaged InterVideo software that's screwed up, kept it...it's worth every penny and easy to use, but buy a different chunk of tuner hardware to go with it!
I'm trying to decide whether to return this item to the reseller as "BROKEN" or keep it just for the software.
hey,
well the review really tells the same story i had with this product. Although I would like to hear if there's any solution to the black screens (i get it after 5 secs) or do i need to send the product back to the manufacturer.
Strengths: Work right out of box. Good quality for the price. Fairly small and lightweight.
Weakness: Remote not great, Sound pops and clicks when watching programming. PC must have the mins listed otherwise no tv.
Average TV Tuner
This TV tuner is not the best on the market, and makes no such claim so don’t expect to have a perfect picture or sound.
On the other hand if you are in a similar situation as me and need something cheap and quick that gets the job done this might very well be the product for you. My experience started off frustrating until I realized that the box really did mean USB 2.0, do not even attempt to install on system not so equipped. While I did not suffer any ill effect from installing on my 1.1 system I almost wrote this product off and returned it. After correcting my mistake I connected it to its intended system, my laptop. Follow the instruction and all should go well, although there are a few things to note:
1. this device is not compatible with anything except WinXP and WinXP home, as stated on the packaging and Company website.
2. this device will not run on a machine equipped with less than USB 2.0
3. this device require DX 9.0c do not run on machine that do have this, your video card does not necessarily need to be DX 9.0c compatible, my isn’t.
4. follow the instructions included, remember your serial number is on the cd sleeve not on a separate sheet.
If you make sure you have these things at a minimum you probably will have an easy install. Others be prepared to fiddle to get it to work.
Some things to consider, you should adjust the setting in WinDVR (brightness, contrast, etc) this will make a dramatic difference in picture quality. I have this attached to my satellite receiver and the picture is pretty good, this is through a 30 foot composite video cable, I have my audio hooked up to a surround sound system.
Problems: Ya there are a few but nothing that ruins it for me.
1. sound seems to have some static and the occasional pop/click noise; solved by running thorough surround sound and not the device.
2. the remotes range suxs, no solution :O(
3. Documentation is very light and novice user will find this annoying; for instance no instructions on what certain remote control buttons do, (note do not press the power button on the remote as this will turn off your computer, lol.
Overall this product saved me from having to buy a tv for my kitchen, since I use my kitchen as my home office this was a perfect fit and allows me to eat and watch the evening news. YMMV of course but I think if you keep your expectation in check you will be happy with this product, consider this I spent $100 for an ATI capture card that does the same thing and is only marginally better.
92% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Price, easy to install, compact size and remote.
Weakness: Mediocre video quality.
As I installed on my laptop with USB 1.1 port, the application software caused a fatal error and forced laptop to reboot. Add insult to the injury was the DVD/CD combo driver was disabled. Had to re-install the DVD/CD combo before I got the software correctly installed the second time (don’t know why the first time not working). However no signal was received except screen flashing, probably due to low transport rate of USB 1.1.
Then I installed the software on my second PC with USB 2.0 and everything worked instantly. Got TV video signals, remote worked just fine.
However, video quality is mediocre at best. At full screen mode, video image is scratchy for channels up to 12, more so for channels up to 70 (Cablevision). If you need a decent video quality, only 320x320 mode is acceptable.
Software navigation is easy and remote is a plus if you like to use it, However, I find it easier to control/surf channels using PC/laptop keyboard, which responds much faster than using the remote. Recording programs worked as designed.
At the end, you get what you pay for. This inexpensive TV turner works for you if you can watch a mediocre video quality TV.
89% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: The remote works.
Weakness: Still did not get more than static on the screen. No manual on how to use the software, just how to install it.
I wish I would've bought an internal PCI card instead. The device is recognized but will not allow audio or video to get to the TV screen only static. I am going to try this device on another computer to make sure that mine is not the problem.
75% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Tiny little box with possibilities
Weakness: None that i could think of after a days use
This is a tiny little box with remote which was a big plus.
Manual could have be better. Picture clarity need to be better. Need to experiment more...
Was a good deal for $29.95 delivered.
63% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Cheap price, usb 2.0, small and good looking, comes with remote.
Weakness: Remote is cheap and dosen't work from a far distance. Software (winDVR ) that is included is very buggy and is not anything like something you can view from across the room.
This TV tuner is good but nothing spectacular. It is very cheap and you get what you pay for. The TV Tuner itself is a very good product it is just packaged with a cheap remote and horrible software. Installation was simple on my laptop but it took a while on my desktop because the software froze a lot. Once I got it installed it was excellent except that sometimes it takes long for the software to load. The TV tuner gives a pretty good picture. I had to adjust the brightness because it was way too bright. Sometimes if you keep it on for more than about 2 hours or less sometimes you get a slow video which makes the words not move with the peoples mouths on the screen. The remote is cheap and sucks. I can't use it at all! I have to have the remote right in front of the TV box for it to work which defeats the purpose of the remote since I have to get up to use it. Luckily I found another remote that worked that cost 15 bucks. Another minus is that it is not compatible in windows media center's media center program. It is also not compatible with tvedia 4.0 or sage TV. Recording on this thing is a bit of a hassle because setting a time record takes about 10 min. Overall if you are looking for a good TV tuner without a remote this is it. Great for traveling but don't think for a second this can replace your TV.
50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: small, nice program and easy to use
Weakness: THere is no cables included. remote too weak and big
I think this is an acceptable product at a good price. The quality is ok but not for professional. It is good for personal use. The Remote is too big, it si longer than the TV box.
50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: price is good for a learning experience, I suppose
Weakness: no manual. no cables. XP installation must use CD.
If you have video capture experience you won't want this product ... it's mediocre at best. If you have never used one (as was my case) BEWARE because there's no manual in the box or online that I could find.
I have cable TV and it should have been easy ... noooop ... but will continue to plug away at it rather than ship it back. The remote either doesn't work or I'm aiming it wrong (I'd like to think I'm not that gadget illiterate).
I suspect this hardware can be made to work but if you are 1) needing something way user-friendly or 2) in a hurry or 3) wanting USA quality this is not for you.
BUT if you are someone who's up to the challenge, has a slow fuse and doesn't require a perfect image, this product will be a good enough first attempt.
Who knows, maybe it's just that my cable connection is at fault ... (not!) ....
|
50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: good speed
Weakness: no capture
this is a good stuff. speed is high. very easy to use. no addition power supply needed. but I can not add the cc on it. and can not receive the teletext.
0% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Easy installation Low price
Weakness: Consume computer resources Low quality video and audio
This item attracted me by its low price. However, I feel dissapointed when I have it in hand. The video is too bright with a line running up the screen. The audio comes with a high pitch irretating noise. WinDVR, a software comes with this item, consumes lots of resources, but WinDVR work well with the other model of TV Tuner. In short, it is better to spend few more buck to get the better one.
0% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Uhm...it shows Something...
Weakness: That which it shows, it does badly and the software is buggy.
I have owned a few TV tuners in my day and this one is the worst. The remote and the unit look cheapish and the software froze my computer on a number of occasions. The quality of the picture is pretty mediocre as well.
0% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: Can keep papers from blowing away off your desk.
Weakness: It doesn't do what you think it will do.
I tried to find some kind of software that would work with this thing. All I want to do is convert my old VHS tapes into dvd's. No instructions, no cables, outdated software that is incompatible with windows vista, no software license key, no support from Sabrent in any way, shape or form. In fact, when I looked for this product on the Sabrent website, it wasn't even listed. I am still looking for a way to make this product work on my computer.
Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
Top
yotaruvegeta
- Oct 24, 2009
Strengths: If you have a small form factor(SFF) tower this is a good solution
Weakness: Not many TV tuner programs seem compatible with it. Needed to buy a 3.5mm Stereo Male To RCA Female Y-Cable adapter to get it to work with my PS3; that's really a specific issue, though
What a mess. The Sabrent website provides a .rar file with programs, text files drivers, etc. but the drivers are now useless and the help file isn't helpful for any basic troubleshooting.
Doesn't seem to work with Dscaler, which is probably the best free program out there for TV tuners. As an alternative, I found Sage TV, which is trialware that allowed me to get video, but the video is delayed. Not ideal for use with a PS3 gaming system.
Sometimes it's better to go with the newer model, with the more expensive model, or both. Plug-and-play should be a piece of cake.
Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
Top
Good value for the money
Strengths: Great video quality even when blown up to 1680 x 1050
Weakness: Remote control has to be used fairly direct (line of sight) in relation to receiver
I needed a video capture card. I am a professional composer with nearly Mil in equipment. Tried using a Pinnacle Movie Box. That was a disaster!!! Tried every trick in the book to install in a brand new, absolutely top of the line laptop that runs very efficiently. After a few hours of trying to get it to work, the audio was constantly out of sync and the video rarely locked-up properly. Went to my local electronics store- Roger's Systems and they let me give it a try. Five minutes later, I was capturing video and watching live VHS. When the video is enlarged to maximum, the VHS signal looked close to DVD and others agreed. I have not tried to use the tuner portion- I do not need this feature. I need to archive music videos and transfer video to digital for ease in scoring music. I even "over-paid" $59 for it. I used to be a video professional decades ago with cameras with $50K lenses and Grass Valley switchers. I do not understand the bad reviews. I don't crash with Windows Professional (unless it was with the buggy Pinnacle software) and run an Intel Dual Core laptop. This little box saved my butt. And my budget pretty much allows for anything. Maybe I'm getting the same model with better drivers/software. I'm using WinDVR. Find a local store where you can try it out or where a newer version exists. The Pinnacle box, for what it is worth had marginally better audio. Call me crazy...
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?