<span class="highlight">Satellite</span> <span class="highlight">TV</span> on Laptop

Submitted: Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 16:27

ThreadID: 83155 Views:4677 Replies:8 FollowUps:12

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Satellite TV

Satellite TV systems enable viewers to receive free to air and/or pay TV channels in remote locations where land-based television reception is either poor, or non-existent. In fact,

Alan S (WA)

Hi, all I have done some searching in the Archives, Google and some other forums and I can’t find an exact answer.

I am aware that you can get a TV Tuner Card for a Laptop in order to view the picture on the Laptop screen, this way there is less equipment to carry. These Tuner cards are the actual tuner and therefore only need a TV/HDTV aerial to be connected, via a RF type connection.

I have a satellite setup and the Satellite box acts as the tuner, so I need to connect the output wires (Red, White & Yellow) to the laptop. The TV tuner cards I have seen only accept a RF aerial connection. And my Satellite box only outputs Yellow/Red/White.

I have found a Video to DVD convertor that allows for connection of Y/R/W cables to the laptop via the USB ports and I can now see the Satellite picture on the laptop.

Now the problem, the picture is shown in a small window on the screen and there is no way to make it full-size. I have tried various Video/DVD convertors with no joy. Being a USB input I have tried some Web cam programs and again it sort of works but I still can’t get a fullsize screen.

Can anyone suggest some suitable software, preferably freeware or cheapware as It is getting to the point if I spend much more I might as well just by a cheap LCD TV.

Alan

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Reply By: Witi Repartee - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 20:32

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 20:32

Hi , can't help you on the technical side.
However a couple of years ago we set up our laptop for TV reception....and it was moderately successful. However we found using it as aTV compromised our laptop use. My partner is a keen photographer, so she needed the laptop most nights for editing and sorting her trip photos.
I needed it to write up my trip log and record mileage etc...plus the inevitable emails and correspondence. We ended up buying a cheap LCD TV that traveled nicely on the bed...and eventually also bought a second laptop so we weren't competing for it's use in the evenings. Cheers Witi.

AnswerID: 439436

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:53

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:53

Witi

The poor reception is because it is being used as a tuner as well, I have satellite receiver and all I want to do is display the picture just like aTV would.

Competition is not a problem as we only use it every few nights and only for catching up with the news etc. Watch tha an then turn it off.

Alan

FollowupID: 711349

Reply By: mikehzz - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 20:38

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 20:38

Are you sure there is no way? Every tv application that I have ever used has had a full screen option. Sometimes the resolution has been horrible and everything is blocky on full screen but it has been there. I've had 4 usb connectors that take either the aerial wire or the component red/yellow/white connectors. Try right clicking in different spots on the window to see if menus appear. Mike

AnswerID: 439437

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:50

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:50

Mike

I have tried all that, the problem is that most TV software (that I have tried) needs to detect a Tuner, and in my case there is no tuner, so they dont work.

The other software i have tried isn't actually designed to show fullscreen, i.e webcams etc.

Can you recall what software you were using?

Alan

FollowupID: 711347

Follow Up By: mikehzz - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 00:26

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 00:26

I was just using the bundled software with the USB devices. It does sound like you hav covered all bases. What software gives you the little window?

FollowupID: 711351

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 18:17

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 18:17

Mike

It was a Kaiser device and the software that came with it only showed a small window. I downloaded a number of other Video-DVD conversion freeware programs and Webcam software and all have the same problem.

The TV software I tried was cyberlink but as there was no tuner it wouldn't see the USB device at all. I have used Cyberlink before as my old laptop had a build in TV tuner, and if i could get it to work it would solve my problem.

Alan

FollowupID: 711407

Reply By: Member - res.q.guy (Vic.) - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:11

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:11

Hi Alan
Are you sure the satellite decoder doesn't have an RF output (tv antenna sockets) on the rear. The few boxes I have seen, have an RF output and RF loop. Your normal TV antenna is plugged into the rear of the satellite decoder box, and the out put of the sat. box (usually a selectable uhf channel) is mixed with the stations from the tv ant.
For example, if your normal tv ant gets channels 2, 7, 9 and 10 and is plugged into the sat. box. And if the uhf output of the sat box is say uhf 38 (usually selected in the sat box menu) the output to the tv, via the antenna cable will be 2, 7, 9, 10 and 38.
I hope I have explained it clearly !
Cheers
Neil

AnswerID: 439444

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:47

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 22:47

Hi Neil

No there is a RF input but no loop. There is a loop on the satellite feed.

The controller allows for switching between Normal Tv an satellite for output to the tv.

The only output is the Y/R/W leads.

Alan

FollowupID: 711346

Follow Up By: Member - res.q.guy (Vic.) - Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 23:44

Monday, Dec 20, 2010 at 23:44

Hi Alan
The other way would be to use a modulator like one of these below,
Dick Smith UHF Modulator
or
Jaycar VHF Modulator
Cheers
Neil

FollowupID: 711350

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 18:19

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 18:19

Neil

Yes i suppose it would solve the problem but it is another thing that draws power and needs to be setup and packed away.

I am getting to the point that I mayjust buy a 12vlt DC TV

Alan

FollowupID: 711408

Follow Up By: Member - res.q.guy (Vic.) - Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 08:04

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 08:04

Hi Alan
We also ended up buying a 12v tv.
We bought a Kogan 16" HD digital with built in dvd, which has all the inputs you need, inc usb and sd card, and can even use it as a second monitor for the laptop, works great.
Kogan TV
Cheers
Neil

FollowupID: 711433

Reply By: DOEY- Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 01:17

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 01:17

i was going to suggest you keep looking for a usb tv tuner with AV in, as i bought one just over 12 months ago at wow sight and sound (kaiser??? brand) but i thought i would just double check if they still had them, not on the website anyway, then i tried ebay and dick smith, nope- none with AV in..... they musnt have been real popular. I used mine to plug a playstation in and have the laptop act as simply a monitor, but it was too busy around the usb plug so just opted for a headrest lcd type tv with dvd, much better option.

Other than that, i cant really offer you any advice. good luck finding a solution.

Anth

AnswerID: 439459

Follow Up By: Member - Laurie K (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 01:22

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 01:22

Just a stab in the dark. Have you tried resizing your screen to a smaller pixel count, which would in theory give you a larger picture?

cheers
Laurie

FollowupID: 711352

Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 19:24

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 19:24

You should in your Control Panel/Display be able to alter the size of the image on your screen.

I have a Nvidia graphics card and it allows you to do that.

What you put in from the video(yellow) input is scaleable as to size on the screen.

Some lappys have a video OUT but not in. Dont know what make you have but a read of the manual will tell U I guess

AnswerID: 439536

Reply By: sastra - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 19:53

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 19:53

Hi Alan, did you say you have a TV tuner built into laptop or do you have a separate TV tuner card which you plug into a usb or express card slot? I'm pretty sure you will need one or the other.
We have an express TV tuner card which has the software program included and provides excellent viewing. Full screen no problem.
The cable adapter plugs into the card and away you go.

Cheers

AnswerID: 439539

Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 20:42

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010 at 20:42

Hi Sastra

I have neither, the Satelite decoder acts as the tuner, so I am trying to use the Laptop as a simple TV screen. The USB adaptor is simply a convertor from Y/R/W cable to USB for input to the computer.

Alan

FollowupID: 711414

Follow Up By: sastra - Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 10:41

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 10:41

Alan, we have Strong sat receiver and I'm sure you will still require a TV tuner card with its software to get the result you want.

Cheers

FollowupID: 711452

Reply By: _gmd_pps - Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 13:25

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010 at 13:25

I use a S-VHS in into the PC from an Open Box and it works fine.
It works with both a ULead dedicated analogue capture dongle (to USB) as well as a TV tuner with Video Input for S-VHS.. have no experience with Y/R/W.
If I ever change it I will go DVI (HDMI) ..
sorry that I cannot help further but maybe your box has a S-VHS out too ..
good luck
gmd

AnswerID: 439574

Reply By: kidsolo - Monday, Dec 27, 2010 at 21:06

Monday, Dec 27, 2010 at 21:06

depends on what video inputs you have on your laptop, but you should have a hdmi port, then you just need a vga to hdmi converter plug and plug the sat box straight into the laptop. going via the usb port will lose a lot of the quality

AnswerID: 439966

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Monday, Dec 27, 2010 at 21:35

Monday, Dec 27, 2010 at 21:35

Most laptops have an AVI socket which is OUT only

Those outputs are to run a second screen as is the Video connector.

And with a Strong box you wont need a TV Tuner as the Strong is the tuner and just outputs a video and audio feed.

We had our DVD recorder running off a strong box using RCA connectors..

Could have used the Component outputs or the S/PDIF audio out as well

You have to ascertain which ports are IN and which are OUT.

FollowupID: 711834