# laptop tv project started .



## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
just won an ebay auction for a laptop which is going to be my new tv. ive just been browsing for usb tv cards but cant decide whether i want digital or analogue . i remember the ariel at home had to be top notch for my digibox to work ok and get all the channels so im leaning towards analogue for those poorer reception areas i sometimes visit .
am i right ?
whats youre thoughts ?
cheers
kenny+stella


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

I put a digibox in my M/H then found I couldn't be bothered with it so took it out again, no regrets so far ( I use a CRT TV not a Laptop ).

Amonst other things I use my laptop for GPS and I have to play the sound through the AUX input on the dashboard radio to get the volume, you may find you will have to similar to get the volume/quality you require

Happy listening
Ken


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi ken 
thanks for the tip , i never really thought about sound but assuming the laptop speakers arn't up to it i will give this a try .
cheers
kenny+stella


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Hi kenny+stella.

This is exactly how I intend to proceed with a tv in the m/h next year - a laptop with a USB card (I was looking at Pinnacle, but I know there are others). I hadn't got round to considering the digital/analogue situation.

There are previous discussions here:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/postlite2670-laptop.html
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/posts1910-0.html

When you eventually get the system you desire, I'd be very grateful if you'd post the results here, for my and other's benefit.

Many thanks.

Barry


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi all

The only Computer TV's I have ever seen have been very poor quality, a small "screen" within the main screen and poor quality Picture. This as been the case even under Demonstration conditions in store so what the out in the field quality is going to be like I dont Know.

Have any of you considering this actually seen it working well in a camper ? Its been a while since I saw a PC TV in operation have they improved tremendously ?

George


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## 89813 (May 1, 2005)

I used to have a TV card years ago it worked very well. It can be used as a small screen so you can work on the computer and watch TV at the same time, or it can be used as a full screen.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys

barry and sue : thanks for the links i was looking for them !
some good points raised , my laptop will have 512 meg of ram , a good size graphic card and ive noted the idea to change the bios to give more ram to graphics (great tip ). its running athlon 2.6 ghz so no worries there .
im thinking about buying the huppage usb card (analogue ) around £40 ,
the digital is about £80 , 
i do expect the quality to be less than a tv but after seeing some of the lcd tv's working in-store i think it will be nearly equal to them and i also get a free computer which will be easy to store .
will let you know how i get on soon !
i will also be getting one of the 12 volt adapters i read about here recently that fits the cigar lighter so ive now got 12 v tv without an inverter . 
cheers
kenny+stella


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi 

Went and had a look today at a top of the range PC with TV, I've really got to say not impressed at all go full screen and its choppy go to a little window and you dont want to watch it for long.

It did play dvd's full screen and they looked good, but Ive been playing DVD's on a mac for years.

For around £55 you can have a real TV and a new invertor. Which will blow the Laptop TV out of the water. add £25 and have a DVD too.

George


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

Thats the way I've gone - TV quality isn't the best, but for the amount of TV I watch it is quite satisfactory.
I have a 15" screen and a graphics card with dedicated memory, so DVDs play well on it.
I also use a 12v adaptor rather than an inverter and have no problems at all.

If I want to improve the sound, I use a pair of portable speakers I use with my MiniDisc player. I use NiCd batteries in my digital camera for which I carry a charger, and these also fit the speakers.
For most use though, the Comp speakers are O.K.


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## fjmike (May 10, 2005)

I have been thinking along the lines of having a pc for a tv as well as sat nav and everything else a pc can do, what caught my eye was the toshiba qosimo multi media laptop can be seen here http://www.qosmio.co.uk/homepage.asp
Because it is built to play tv I would think that it has a better picture than using an add on (it certainly looked good in the shop). Another advantage is that if you want just to use the tv it will quick boot to that without using windoz


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi FJ

Thats a TV and DVD player operating as "normal" which could work quite well when used outside windows.

Reading the bumpf they include Harman Kardon Speakers in a never before heard yada yada (macs used Harmen Kardon Speakers in 1999 even in the entry level stuff) only 5 years to catch up !

If there was no other way to get TV on the move I would understand it, but there are so many better and Cheaper ways to have TV and "home" entertainment systems.


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

*laptop tv*

Hi depending on the laptop model it may alreadt contain a tv card so would play tV at full screen
Most new models will play CD's DVD's
and if you have an internet connection lots of British Radio & TV Stations from the internet


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

fjmike - That Toshiba Qosmio is a brilliant bit of kit. I read this review however:


> The E10 represents an ambitious attempt to merge computing and consumer electronics. Some good ideas are evident, but it's stuck in limbo: portable but not portable enough; instant-on yet no support for MP3s; a quality but not widescreen panel - the 16:9 version is a few months away. There will be more companies entering the fray, so watch this space.


The "portable but not portable enough" doesn't bother me (us?) as we're in the motorhome. It'll play mp3s, just not instantly (no big problem, is it?). No widescreen (not a problem now, but in the future??? A widescreen version is on its' way). Aha! - there'll be more companies bringing these machines out, will there? That'll mean cheaper prices (as the competition hots up) and better products (answering some of these criticisms).

I have to say, though, that if this Qosmio came down to around £1,000, then it compares very favourably to the combination of a tft TV (at around £300) and a very cheap laptop (at around £600).

Any thoughts on this, anybody?

Barry


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
sorry i left this one a bit long( been a bit busy) anyway finally sent for the huppage win tv external usb1 card today , will be getting it on tuesday and will play about with it during the christmas holidays , ive read the posts with great interest but im still up for it as the only thing i want to carry is my laptop and a telly wont let me do the stuff i want to do .

ive read some other posts elsewhere but cant find all the info i need . !

im still looking for a cigar lighter adaptor for the laptop incase we do the wild thing , had a quick look at maplins website today but was unsure what to choose , i noted somewhere about voltage changes when zig is running ( good point ) my laptop runs on 19 volts 6.3 amp from the mains adaptor but the battery is a li-ion 14.8volt 4.4a/hr , now there seems to be a bit of a variation there , i noted that some adaptors are 3.5 amp max on maplins which i didnt expect possibly wasnt even a 12 volt one but theres some pretty good electrical techies on this site and hopefully somebodys gonna point me to the best one . im not too interested in price as long as its under 50 quid and i dont want an inverter , but i dont want to harm the pc , just a thought has anybody bought one from a computer store as as opposed to an electrical store as the net is full of them , many thanks again in advance. look foreward to youre input guys !
cheers
kenny+stella.
*ps: wishing you all a great christmas and all the best for 2005 !
happy motorhoming !*


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## james (May 15, 2005)

I have been working on a similar project as Theflyingscot, using an old laptop that we have upgraded from as the campervan TV. It is smaller, lighter and uses far less power than a conventional TV. It has a dvd drive so the kids are taken care of and can watch endless Disney films through headphones but I have yet to purchase the usb TV card. I had no aux input on the Sony cd player/radio for playing through the speakers, and have therefore installed an FM modulator that turns the sound output into an FM signal and pipes it straight down the aerial wire into the Sony. I have a preset button tuned to it. 
By the way, these Sony cd players/radios have the facility for using a little "joystick" control mounted behind the steering wheel so that you can have the radio in the living area and still control it while driving. Very neat!
Also, I read with surprise the lack of quality observations for computer TV cards. I have used a Hauppauge "WinTV" in my main computer for years and the quality is simply brilliant! Admittedly using a CRT display. It certainly beats all the other TVs we have around the house. (Those kids again)
Have fun, James


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Kenny

Got to ask what have you got against invertors?

Powering any 12v domestic device from a vehicle supply is fraught with difficulties. The major problem being the range required, 10v up to 15.5v so trying to a get regulated 12v is tricky. Most domestic orientated devices work on 12v +- 5% (11.4v-12.6v) come with a 240v-12v transformer. Putting them on a vehicle battery can cause serious damage and is definitely outside their warranty!

This is the perfect solution if you want to run computers, TFT monitors, Sky Digiboxes and all manner of other equipment in your car, van or motorhome.










Features

Input Voltage 11-16V DC Car battery Power

60 watts output

Short Circuit and overload protection

High effeciency and low energy consumption

Power LED monitor to indicate proper output setting

Dimensions

Length: 105mm

Width: 40mm

Height: 26.5mm

Weight
Approximately 220g

Parameter

Input voltage range 11~16Vdc norminal 13.5Vdc

Maximum input current 7.0A at norminal input

Inrush Current No damage to the relative components

Output voltage load regulation 11.40~12.60Vdc at full load~no load and 12V input

Input line regulation 11.40V~Vin-0.7V

Output voltage regulation Maximum +/-5%

Maximum rated output power 60W Continuous

Maximum output voltage ripple & noise 150mVp-p

Input Voltage Protection Shutdown if input voltage is above the range of 16.0~20.0Vdc with Car recovery

Over current protection Shutdown if short circuit or output load exceeds 125~150% Maximum load, with recovery mode.

Input (Current) 10.0A Fuse on PCB

OVP 16V Maximum

OTP Shutdown if internal temperature higher then 110 degrees when abnormal condition occurred. Efficiency Minimum 80% at nominal input

Available from here, Action Replay £34.99 + £3.50 P&P


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Well done kenny+stella for pursuing this, and thanks too, James, for that input. There's nothing like practical use to prove/disprove theories.

George's point about the inverter is very valid - computers more than anything need a good, stable supply as he points out. My only reservation regarding the cheaper inverters is this "square/modified" wave question. Someone with practical use is needed! Any more thoughts on that, George?

I have an old laptop but it only has a USB1 input - can this be used by one of these TV cards?

Barry


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## 92400 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Guys, I've got a Toshiba laptop with a WinTV USB card and the results are, to say the least, c**p! I think the problem is that you need a very good signal and then it all works ok but the average camper arial does not give a good signal. I tried the same set-up with my house arial and it's great but with the omnidirectional one on the camper well. forget it.

Happy motoring, Keith.


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## phylymann (May 9, 2005)

Have also been toying with the idea of laptop/tv. My main computer needs upgrading and is running very slooow, and the portable tv is showing its age.

Tiny make a laptop with 17" screen and internal tv card for £1000, but have not yet seen one operating.

http://www.tiny.com/packages_techspec.php?id=12614

Does any one know if the these tv cards will work in France etc.

:reindeer: :santa: :santa: :santa: :reindeer:


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

I Have tried several computers and laptops on Sterling and lately Maplins (Nikkia) Invertors they work without problem.

The only Stability issue that needs addressing for most people is available battery power, ie if they could see how long they have left, for this even a voltage meter would do.

Whats not so clever is seeing an item with a 12v power supply and assuming that it will work off the leisure battery, the voltage here even on poor system will be between 11 and 13.8v, on a good system it will always be between 12.0 and 15 Volts.

Some items (like the power supply above,Sterling and Nikkia invertors etc) are designed to allow for the variation.


Re the computer Haupage and others TV units, I used to own one, the picture was useless either to small or unwatchably bad, I have been to a PC shop recently although they have improved, they are still very poor when compared with any half decent TV. VIA USB they were again Useless (Max Headroom style TV)

If all you want is the news or odd scrap of TV, Those little B&W portables for £15 will do.

George


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## 88847 (May 9, 2005)

Just want to add my own thoughts

i have had a tv card in my pc for years and the main reason i had a good quality picture is because it is connected through sky, connection through terrestial tv the quality is no where near as good..

My reasons for buying a tv (flatscreen) aswell as having the laptop are

1 obvious picture quality
2 when wife is watching tv i get to use laptop for other needs, such as route planning, etc


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Kenny & Stella,
There is a very good cigar lighter laptop power source on Action-replay (http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computing/laptop_power_adapter.shtml).
I have bought one and it works fine, the only possible problem is that it is rated at 90w output. You are quoting a much higher wattage for your laptop.
Could I suggest you check your wattage and have a look.
They also have some other very good gear, such as a heavy duty tyre pump (7 years guarantee!) and Info Navigator using a laptop for navigation - I have bought both of these also and will report back in due course.
That's my Xmas presents sorted!!
BillD


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Phylyman

I have seen the laptop one by Tiny naff, better than old haupage but still not what you would want.

Buying all this gear as seperates ensures they work well, ie LCD Flatscreen TV, DVD player total cost now less £300, why compromise pay over the odds just to suffer poor performance from a PC or laptop, does not compute.

Having them all in one unit means pc down everything buggered, why risk it, it cant be the weight saving (most of us could lose more weight than would be saved) space saving flatscreen dont take up much room and is far easier to accomodate than CRT ever was.

George


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

You're forgetting the 'X' factor, George - I already have the laptop. So, for £50 or so, I can get colour, 14" TV+DVD (and be able to use my laptop). I might agree with you if I didn't already own 90% of the kit!

Barry


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## fjmike (May 10, 2005)

George you assume everyone has a motorhome to the same dimensions as yours ie big. I put my old portable tv and bracket on the scales- 8 kilo this is no small weight saving and your sums don't add up flat screen lcd tv = £300 ok £250 if your really hunting, small dvd player = £100, sat nav = £600 plus and so using a pc for all three does make it a better bet finacially but also there is for some of us the space consideration as well


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Barry

Not 5 posts ago you were cnsidering the Qsio or whatever if it came down to £1000

For £50 you will get an unwatchable 14" tv what you will get is a tiny tv box which will probably annoy you to watch very quickly. Thats if you can get A VERY GOOD signal.

for £50 little portable and £15 for Invertor suddenly good TV, Obviously thats CRT, but its definately OK to watch.

So thats £50 for annoying tinee little window within the 14" screen or Proper TV for £65 add in decent speaker set so the tin can noise from laptop doesnt drive you scatty, suddenly its cost you more fannying about with the laptop to get a terrible TV, so forget the fact you already have a laptop its not going to cost any different really.


when the Olympics were on everyone was crowding into my van to watch TV, all these Laptop TV's and Roadpro 12v Mini's and such were suddenly not good enough, everyone wanted to see the action On a proper 17" LCD Goodmans.

Actually trying to save you time and money. Many of the people we camp with are now swapping over to better systems. If they hadnt seen such riches they could live with being poor.


Of course its your choice

George


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

HI Mike FJ

DVD players tiny at ASDA £25, Flatscreen LCDs can be had for £275 easily anywhere in country and if your good £219

And like I said Mike most of us could lose the weight that the TV would be saving.

SAT NAV even seperate units Like tom tom boxes can be had for under £400

But I never suggested taking The GPS away from the Laptop that can work OK, TV will be BAD, you wont enjoy it.

I went flatscreen in the bus to save space and make it easier to put in a great viewing position.


George


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Sometime in the next year I should upgrade my laptop (which doesn't have USB2, only USB1), hence my interest in the Qosmio multimedia unit, George.

My choices are:
tft screen tv + DVD + Freeview box (possibly) + upgrade to new laptop = getting on for £1200ish, or
Multimedia laptop (if satisfactory) = around the same price, or
My current laptop + tv card (if satisfactory) = £50ish, or
Stick with our little 7" JVC crt set (a lovely little set) = Free!

It's the "if satisfactory" bit of the tv card equation that I'm trying to resolve. There have been replies here saying that these cards are fine, and others saying they're unwatchable. I also think that the aerial is critical in all this.

Has anyone used a Freeview box in conjunction with a laptop and a decent aerial set-up, please? We really need to nail this question "Is it possible to get a decent tv picture on a laptop?"

Thanks for all your posts so far - we're going to nail this question once and for all!

Barry


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## fjmike (May 10, 2005)

Yes George I was considering the Qosimio and when PCworld were offering 10% discount I couldn't resist the temptation. I weighed up the pros and cons and decided it was for me the best solution, I realise it may not be for everyone but it means that I can sit outside my M/home in the summer and watch Le Tour on my laptop and still not miss it when it goes past.watching a DVD where and when I want, not being tied to one area of my M/home and I can still get on to Motorhomefacts when I hit a Wi Fi zone. Like Barry and Sue I would have bought a laptop anyway so it made sense to combine the lot in one package.


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

I have a Haupage USB TV to use on my laptop, picture quality is reasonable as long as you are getting a good signal or have a good aerial. I used to use an inverter but as the laptop battery is now useless I wouldn't recommend it. I now use Kerio 12 volt adapter from Maplin, you can adjust the voltage up to 20 volts, there is a leaflet with it that lists most laptop makes & what voltage they are. Sound isn't that great from most laptops, I use a pair of small battery powered amplified speakers I picked up for a couple of quid from a car boot sale.
If you have the room I agree that a cheap convetional 240 volt TV + inverter will give better results, my Renault Trafic is limited for space & the laptop is a good comprimise for TV, DVD, MP3, digital photos & for use as a computer. If we are abroad then TV is out of the question but we can still watch DVD's, even so we don't tend to watch that much TV/DVD's when away.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

A good site here:
http://www.tv-cards.com/
for analysis of tv cards.

Barry


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

*laptop tv*

Hi There are different quality of output from the various LCD TV, Computer screens

Another topic somewhere on here

Much depends on the firms that make up the LCD screens

Some 20years back I was a technician in a research group one topic of work was coloured LCD's for tv's

We were one of several groups on this project in the UK each one being sponsored by diferent manufacturers

This probably accounts for the variation in quality

The LCD on this laptop is OK for moveing objects some (like the cheapo TV in the kitchen give blured movement images)


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
been a bit busy doing festive stuff , firstly thanks for the replys , i may go for georges 12 volt adapter , i now have the win tv usb and have been playing with it , i connected it to my house ariel and i think the picture is fine to watch you do have to change the display settings to 800x600 and i used the seperate sound output cable instead of usb sound and it sounds fine in the house and my laptop has stereo speakers , it would be better plugging the cable into something other than the pc and i liked the rf modulator idea and im keeping that one in mind , im having a problem with the picture freezing and im in the process of getting new drivers for my video card which aint straight foreward as mobile or laptop video cards have different chipsets to normal pc's but thats another story . picture quality was ok for me and its what i expected but it would be better with a big telly but i already new that anyway , worth noting with some laptops you will probabally have to install the latest drivers and software as these have been upgraded quite a lot and may explain some folks quality issues .
more info soon when i get time.
cheers
kenny+stella


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Hi all, I use my laptop for TV, DVD, Navigation, Communication (radio email) and a whole host of other things.

The TV is a Hauppauge WinTV USB and the picture is as good as any other LCD display on both small and full screen display.

Of course its possible to spend thousands of pounds to achieve marginally better results and there are some how would recommend this but I dont have that kind of money.

Doug


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Doug

Sorry but if its as good as any LCD you have seen, you must have been looking at some really Naff LCD TV's

Even the latest "TV in" computer is still poor compared to any half decent real TV, Passable is about the nearest to a compliment that it deserves.

"Of course its possible to spend thousands of pounds to achieve marginally better results and there are some how would recommend this but I dont have that kind of money."

Way OTT, thousands indeed, Decent LCD's are a few hundred pounds, any that I have seen have far better picture than any laptop with USB TV

George


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
connected my win tv card to my desktop tonight and it works excellent and my graphics card only has 32 mb so it should work on my laptop once i find a better driver unless its something to do with the power management of my processor , i will hopefully get to the bottom of the picture freezing soon as i feel it must be something to do with the way laptops are set up compared to desktops . 
picture quality is great though so its nothing to do with usb connections or graphic memory size and disabling other programmes on my laptop dosn't fix it either . 
any ideas aybody ?????
cheers
kenny+stella


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

I don't know what size you have set your video screen at but try setting it at 50% and give it a try, if this works I would think it's a processing and /or memory problem.

KenS.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi ken
have used lots of different resolutions , currently 800 x 600 and it still freezes , also freezes whether its in small window or full screen .
think this is what you ment .
cheers for the reply.
kenny+ stella

ps : a happy new year to you all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Kenny

Did you know that there is a Forum at the UK Hauppage site:

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/index.php

try posting the problem there.

Mike


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
firstly a huge thanks to barry and sue for the tv card website links , a bit of forum searching provided the answer i needed and i can now recommend you get a win tv usb card and usb 1 works fine , im now using higher resolution viewing again and no freezing of picture and if anyone has problems with laptops its fixable in xp pro by setting processor priority of useage in task manager by giving youre tv software a higher priority . next task is getting the power supply ordered . thanks to all who posted . 
hi mike
youre right ! sometimes the dedicated forums are the place to go .
many thanks
kenny+stella
ps: just tried a little telescopic antenna i used to use in the camper and its giving same results as domestic tv . wehey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

That's brilliant, Kenny - it shows it can be done. I'm still cautious because of George's experiences, but I'm a bit more confident now, particularly regarding your USB1 experience (I'd thought that may be too slow).

Barry


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi kenny+ stella

Glad to hear that you have it "sorted"

Mike


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## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

Bearing in mind all the comments and pros and cons re laptop tv.
I have received information from Morgan Computers about a USB2.0 unit for tv. It utilises Phillips components and can be remote controlled it also appears to have a radio facility and video grab etc. it is about the size of a credit card and slimmer than a mobile phone, the price is £50. It can be bought from www.morgancomputers.co.uk or from their shops, which are nationwide. On their site there is a link to the unit's manufacturer whish is MSI.
Yer pays yermoney, yer takes yer choice.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
ok more problems , i bought the dc-dc adaptor from action replay as advised in an earlier post here and it dosnt charge my battery or power the laptop  i put a multimeter on it and it is outputing 12.6 volt when connected to cigar lighter so it obviously works .
i then connected my domestic laptop adaptor to the multimeter and it reads 19 volts , is this where im going wrong ?????
just for clarity my domestic adaptor outputs 19 volts and has a marking of a solid line and a broken line underneath and 6.3a and the laptop battery has li-ion 14.8v and the solid and broken line symbol and 4.4ah on it as i said in my earlier post so question is am i doing something wrong or if ive got the wrong adaptor can somebody please tell me where to get what i need to power the laptop from the cigar lighter .
many thanks
kenny+stella


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Kenny,
I think it was me who suggested the Action-replay adapter.
Mine has on the back provision to adjust the voltage, 15/16/18/19/20/24 volts, have you set that to your voltage (19 volts). they provide a number of different size tips to plug into your computer - it is obviously important to get this right as well.
Hope this helps,
BillD.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Kenny
Sorry to have to tell you kenny but the Dc-Dc adaptor is not for use with a laptop it is designed to be used with an LCD television or other voltage sensitive device. It will make sure that the voltage to the device never exceeds 12.5 (appx).

The bit of kit you needed from action replay was the Laptop Power adaptor, this is a variable voltage adaptor that comes with various connectors to fit a variety of Laptops.

http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computing/laptop_power_adapter.shtml

From what I have heard the guy at Action replay is a "good guy" so I would get in touch and explain that you ordered the wrong adaptor and hope that he will change it.

Or put the Dc-Dc adapter up for sale on here ..I am sure that there are enough folks running LCD TVs from the leisure battery (12 volts until you switch on the charger then more like 14v) and risking damaging them...someone will buy it.

Mike


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Ken

For a Laptop requiring 19V and 4.74 Amps 90w Max, its this one on the other page http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computing/laptop_power_adapter.shtml

But are you Sure of the Ampage ? 6.3 A is 120w at 19v thats a bit high.

There are a list of laptops on the Above page see if yours is amongst them.

George


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Mike, 
Happy New Year.
Sorry to argue with you but the link you provided (correctly) says distinctly that it is for use with a variety of laptops.
I have been using it with my laptop and it works fine,as you will see I have made some points for Kenny to check,
BillD


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Bill

Mike is like me posting a link to the other action replay page the one we are suggesting is for laptops, the other one 1 always reccomend for powering 12v Items.

If someone wants to run say a Goodmans LCD TV that needs 12V plugging it directly to a leisure battery could cause damage especially when on Hook up and charging when the terminal Voltage can be anything from 13.5 to 15+ Volts.

Its seems that Kens as bought the regulator described above and not the specific Laptop power supply, Which is the one Mike and I have now posted links too.

George


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Bill
Happy New Year to you both.

I think we are at cross purposes....I agree with you but Kenny has bought the Dc-DC adaptor which is not the Adaptor you suggested. He has made a mistake and ordered the one in the link below
http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computing/12v12vDC_power_adapter.shtml

At least in the reading of his message I think that is what he has done :lol:

Best regards

Mike


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
ive just checked back the posts and i used georges link and bought the one george suggested as his post looked very knowledgeable with pics and stuff unfortunately bill also replied and i should have re-read all the posts as bill's suggestion was the one i now think i need ( sorry bill ) i did take a while to get back to this one and remembered i saved the link for quick purchase when i was ready . please note that the voltage stuff i took from my transformer was exactly as its stated and it does appear my laptop gets 19v from the domestic adaptor probabally so it can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously . never mind i will phone the dealer tomorrow and try and explain and hopefully it will only cost me some postage for my error . if it all ends in tears like mike says its for sale .
thanks for the replies !
cheers
kenny+stella ( who dont know much about elecricity )


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Guys,
Clearly a case of "wire crossing".
George earlier said,
This is the perfect solution if you want to run computers, TFT monitors, Sky Digiboxes and all manner of other equipment in your car, van or motorhome.

Unfortunately,it is not perfect for laptops as we now know.

When I had a chat with the owner of A-R he seemed a very nice chap and I expect he will co-operate with the exchange.
Let's hope it is all sorted!
My suggestion is this stream should be ended as it has got a little convoluted.
BillD


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Kenny

The post on page two was a general post re 12v Items, the mistake manypeople make is to assume that a leisure battery is 12v, in reality the only time its 12v is if its flat! Sorry if my post on page two isnt that clear.

the problem with these adaptors is ; The cost for one, an invertor that will power many more items simultaneously is far less than one adaptor (or regulator) the amount of these you need to run several items.

This is one of the reasons I suggest using invertors simple to wire up and very useful for many different items.

George

PS Bill The paragraph your quoting was me Quoting from the regulator webpage on this page here http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computing/12v12vDC_power_adapter.shtml

It also says LAPTOP POWER in the left and Side bar


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
just for clarity if you go to page one of this thread you'll see georges post with the picture and all the technical data of the adaptor and thats the link i used and the adaptor i got is exactly the one george suggested but not to worry i will let you know how we get on tomorrow .
cheers
kenny+stella :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi kenny

Lets hope the chap at Action Replay is a good as I have heard and changes it for you with no bother. Please let us all know if he does change it for you, it will reflect on Action Replay if he doesn't...................I wonder if he reads this forum?

Mike


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi all

Lets Just hope that non of our wiring as as many "crossed wires" as this thread.

I am extremely sorry that my post as lead to all this confusion.

George


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

no appologies necesary guys its actually quite funny to look back and see just how long it takes me to get things done and i must admit ive lost more money falling out of a taxi after a good night out ( at least i think thats where my money goes ) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
cheers
kenny+stella


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
spoke to the guy at action replay today and pleased to say hes a very nice chap and has agreed to exchange the item so all i lose is a bit of postage but as the other item is cheeper i should break even .
cheers
kenny+stella


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi kenny

That is good news....hope you get on OK with it when it arrives.

Mike


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys
got the correct adaptor today and set the whole thing up in the camper and everything works even better than expected , picture quality is excellent , please note i am using status 530 with booster and i get better reception on channel 5 than i do indoors :lol: 
cheers
kenny+stella.

ps :starting new gps project - see gps section . :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
thanks to all who posted .


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi all

Just spotted this on SB site

http://www.mediaatlantic.com/product.php/874/0/

Turns a monitor into a tv and is a freeview box too.

George


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