Lil' Gadgets on the Go!

The Bare Necessities - Part 2

I figured a trip to Best Buy was my best bet, no pun intended. Because they have onsite installation. Now all I had to do was pick out a card.

There were 10 cards available, but I had a price range that I wanted to stay in. The best one that I found for its value, was the ATI TV WONDER PRO PC TUNING CARD, model number 100-703138, I got it last September at $79.99 with a $20.00 rebate, right now it's being offered for $69.99 with a $20.00 rebate. Basically you just apply the rebate money towards the installation fee if you do not feel comfortable doing that on your own. The installation was performed by a member of the Geek Squad and the fee was around $50.00 with tax. So for a little over $100.00, I had a TV built in to my tower.

Here are the functions of the ATI TV WONDER PRO:

• GUIDE Plus+ interactive TV guide and channel preview software lets you see what's on TV at a glance

• THRUVIEW lets you watch TV in a window while you surf the Internet or use other applications (requires an ATI RADEON series graphics card, not included)

• HOTWORDS provides closed captioning and real-time word notification that lets you know when certain words or phrases are detected

• Zoom-in, pan and freeze video action functions

• Save text, images and transcripts from TV programs to enhance multimedia presentations, Web sites and more

• Capture video and still images in MPEG-2 format for increased capacity (requires an optional DVD or MPEG-2 decoder for playback, not included)

After I got back to my dorm room, all that was left was to hook everything up. I love this card because it gives me the ability to record things just like TiVo. It saved me space, and if needed it has the outlets available for me to hook up my DVD/VCR unit.

One down side, some networks are digitally blocking signals through cable for certain shows and will not allow you to record through digital cable, like Rowan has.

So, if you are interested in buying an ATI tuner card, here are some things to look out for.

First, decide if your computer is worth investing money in. Or are you better off buying and financing a new unit with a built in tuner. Many new PCs and Laptops are coming with the tuner cards already installed out of the box. Also make sure your computer is capable of handling such processing as a TV, this takes up speed and memory. It's recommended by the manufacturer to have a current system with specs such as: PC with Intel® Pentium® II/III/4, Celeron®, AMD-K6® or compatible processor; Windows 98, 98 SE, 2000, ME, XP; PCI slot; CD-ROM drive; sound card and speakers; cable TV signal or amplified antenna. If you do not know the specs of your computer, locate the MY COMPUTER ICON and Right Click your mouse on it. A drop down menu will appear and then Left Click on Properties. There you will see how fast your computer runs and how much memory it posesses.

Next, decide on what computer you want the card to be put on.

If you only have a laptop then I recommend the ATI TV WONDER External USB 2.0 Tuner Card Model: 100-703156, $99.00. This unit relies on an open USB ports which are really handy. Also, because it uses the USB, that means it's portable. Here's a tip: If your computer only has 2 USB ports, you can buy a hub that will allow you anywhere from 2-10 extra ports. Prices range from $14.99 to $49.99.

The External USB Tuner offers the following:

• Watch high-quality digital TV on your PC monitor in fullscreen with digital stereo

• Built-in 125-channel TV tuner features GemstarGUIDE Plus+ TV guide, so you can see what's on at a glance

• TV-ON-DEMAND lets you pan, freeze or zoom in on live TV at your disposal

• Record program transcripts, save images and texts from selected programs for powerful presentation tools

• MULTIMEDIA CENTER software delivers a streamlined user-friendly interface to manage the TV player, video CD player, audio CD player and digital VCR

• REMOTE WONDER provides over 30' of wireless freedom, so you operate your PC mouse without being tied to your system (not included)

I highly recommend both of these products. The ideal user for them would truly be dependent on how often you are going to use it, and on what.

I hope this piece has helped those starved precious space and maybe given some ideas to those who want to do something new.Here are some images to help you locate the cards and what my PC/TV looks like in my dorm.

posted by Jaime @ 6:49 AM 0 comments

The Bare Necessities- Part 1

Leaving home and moving in to a cramped dorm room screams compromise from the very moment you walk through the halls toward your tiny room. For some it means you have to share a space, for other's it means you hit the jackpot and get your own room. But one thing remains the same- How on earth are you going to fit everything in your room that you had planned on bringing with you?

I did, and that's when it hit me. Where was I going to put all my stuff, I didn't think I brought a lot with me, but it sure didn't look like it was gonna fit in this glorified janitor's closet called a suite. Speaking from experience- "All I can tell you is, Condense, condense, condense!!!"

Reality began to hit me when I realized that obviously my 27" TV was "so" not going to fit in my room. "Ok," I thought, "I can handle this." But that left me with some decision making. Like what should I buy, and where to put it?

Rowan University graciously provides students with furniture for their rooms. But I didn't want a TV on my desk where I have my laptop, and I couldn't put it on the bureau that is just threatening to topple down upon me. Where oh where was I going to put my one electronic that connects me to the outside world at 3 a.m. when I'm up and trying to meet deadlines?

I spent one night in my room TV-less, I ran streaming CNN and MSNBC feeds throughout the night so that there was noise and the somewhat comforting glow of what I once knew to be TV. I promise you I'm not an addict, but there is something comforting to the glow and soft noise that comes from the news late at night when you awake suddenly and then wait to drift back off.

Then the little lightbulb began to flash above my head, Eureka!

Did I really just say Eureka?

In any event, I remembered when having a geek day with friends a few months back at Best Buy, that there were graphics cards that can be installed in PCs and laptops that allow you to view cable tv! So, I weighed the odds, "Should I spend some money on a tiny TV that I'll only use for a year and have no place to put it? Or... Should I invest some money, maybe even a little less than a TV costs and have a card installed on my PC?"

My answer was, "Yes." But I was left with a lingering nagging question, what kind and where to go? In Florida, I had childhood friends who worked at the local stores, who knew more crap about crap than I did. It always was useful, whenever I needed something I knew little about- I knew they wouldn't lie. But, I don't know sales people up in New Jersey. I was on my own.

I decided to research, call some friends, and then carry my heavy tower across campus to my truck and head to the nearest store. To be continued...

posted by Jaime @ 5:32 AM 1 comments