[wayne10788]

Hi There,

I regularly go camping and use a Casio Pocket televison, i understand that after swicth off it will be obsolete, I sthere anyway of making it a DTT tuner by maybee ading something, or is there a desent pocket TV freeview version on the market,

Regards

Wayne10788

[Jarrak]

Not seen one but that's doesn't mean much
The trend seems to be in the mobile market and it's network to distribute digtial TV, no doubt that will become mainstream just like cameras and mp3 playback.

[wayne10788]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrak

Not seen one but that's doesn't mean much
The trend seems to be in the mobile market and it's network to distribute digtial TV, no doubt that will become mainstream just like cameras and mp3 playback.

It seems obsene,

They still sells these items and knowing they will not work in a few years.

Cheers

Wayne

[russellelly]

Dixons/Currys are selling one which you get free when buying LCD/Plasma packages over £1499. £299 otherwise IIRC. Doubt it'd be much use unless you camp under a transmitter though - of course after analogue switch off increased power should make recpetion on such devices much more reliable.

[wayne10788]

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellelly

Dixons/Currys are selling one which you get free when buying LCD/Plasma packages over £1499. £299 otherwise IIRC. Doubt it'd be much use unless you camp under a transmitter though - of course after analogue switch off increased power should make recpetion on such devices much more reliable.

I have a Casio and get a good picture at most campsites

[yBSy]

If they did make a handheld digital TV it would lose the audio every 5 seconds.
I wonder why they don't use digital technology for RF cams or onboard F1 cameras.

[David (2)]

A few portable pocket tv's have AV input. In theory you could hook them up to an external digital box - although it wouldnt really be very portable. Some also have an Aerial input which is usually used for an fixed aerial at home. This could be connected to a digital box which has an RF Modulator, but again not portable. Some pocket tv's dont have either option, they are self contained devices.

So in most cases, you will need to get a brand new Freeview pocket tv. I think Thomson are going to make one - wasnt that on the internet a while ago? At the moment, depending on where you live, the reception using the portable aerial will be variable. Where we live, portable aerials dont pick up any freeview, not even upstairs. So many (read, most) people will have to wait until analogue is switched off where they live (or where they use the pocket tv) before Freeview Pocket tv reception gets better.

One more thing, battery life, battery life, battery life. Analogue pocket tv's dont last long on battery power, so adding a digital decoder will drain the batteris even faster - a bit like what DAB does to battery life.

Dave

[Harry, it sucks]

I thought I read somewhere recently that Archos were going to release a portable with a seven inch screen, twin tuners and 40GB HD. Supposedly able to maintain reception in a car travelling at 70mph. I couldn't be bothered googling it again, though.

[sancheeez]

I'm hoping DMB will be launched in this country. (Mobile Digital TV)

My Portable Media Player should work with it if it does (Cowon A2). There is already a DMB add-on available for it which is about the size of a box of matches and works fine in Korea where DMB is already up an running.

Not much use in this country yet though as there'd be no signal for it to pick up if I got one.

But you're right about analogue sets. Unless someone comes up with a very small, very receptive, freeview receiver, they'll be obsolete.

The snag with DMB could be that there are alternative architectures out there as well (ala HD DVD type argument) so we won't know for while which one is likey to become the standard.

More info ...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02...dab_mobile_tv/

[russellelly]

Details on the one I mentioned go to currys.co.uk and enter 422543 into the search box. It's reception I worry about.

[marshmallows]

It's a total scandal selling analogue pocket TVs right now, they're absolutely guaranteed to be totally useless in a few years time. Even selling VHS video recorders is more forgiveable because at least you can still watch tapes and record with them.

As far as a replacement goes, there seem to be three main standards trying to replace pocket analogue:

1. DVB-H, a variation on the DVB standard used by Freeview and other television services. It's basically digital terrestrial TV but intended for handheld devices. Some upcoming mobile phone models support it, for example the Nokia N92 ( http://www.europe.nokia.com/n92 ). Because it's a broadcast standard, there's no internet connection involved so there's no costs involved either except a monthly fee to the channels themselves (or whoever sells the package of channels). It's technically similar to having a pocket TV with a set top box built into it.

2. Another mobile broadcast standard whose name escapes me, but it's pretty much the same idea as the one above except it's a totally incompatible system which will require you to buy a totally different phone. I think it's based around the DAB radio standard rather than DVB, if I remember right. It's unclear right now which of the DVB-H and DAB-based standards will win because so many major companies are backing both, I guess people would be best advised to sit this one out until a clear victor emerges.

3. Internet TV through your phone, using a 3G broadband speed connection. This is the most flexible option and can offer an unlimited number of channels, however it uses quite a lot of the mobile phone network's resources because each phone needs its own video feed, and it's more expensive than either of the broadcast methods. You could also in theory just get internet TV at a wi-fi hotspot, but that's not really portable because you'd have to get near a hotspot and stay there, which is unlikely if you're on a bus or camping or whatever.

[wayne10788]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marshmallows

It's a total scandal selling analogue pocket TVs right now, they're absolutely guaranteed to be totally useless in a few years time. Even selling VHS video recorders is more forgiveable because at least you can still watch tapes and record with them.

As far as a replacement goes, there seem to be three main standards trying to replace pocket analogue:

1. DVB-H, a variation on the DVB standard used by Freeview and other television services. It's basically digital terrestrial TV but intended for handheld devices. Some upcoming mobile phone models support it, for example the Nokia N92 ( http://www.europe.nokia.com/n92 ). Because it's a broadcast standard, there's no internet connection involved so there's no costs involved either except a monthly fee to the channels themselves (or whoever sells the package of channels). It's technically similar to having a pocket TV with a set top box built into it.

2. Another mobile broadcast standard whose name escapes me, but it's pretty much the same idea as the one above except it's a totally incompatible system which will require you to buy a totally different phone. I think it's based around the DAB radio standard rather than DVB, if I remember right. It's unclear right now which of the DVB-H and DAB-based standards will win because so many major companies are backing both, I guess people would be best advised to sit this one out until a clear victor emerges.

3. Internet TV through your phone, using a 3G broadband speed connection. This is the most flexible option and can offer an unlimited number of channels, however it uses quite a lot of the mobile phone network's resources because each phone needs its own video feed, and it's more expensive than either of the broadcast methods. You could also in theory just get internet TV at a wi-fi hotspot, but that's not really portable because you'd have to get near a hotspot and stay there, which is unlikely if you're on a bus or camping or whatever.

What agreat idea, i didnt think of accessing TV via a wifi connection,

Some of the campsites i have stayed at in the past have had wifi.

I will have too look into it and maybee stay at one that has it and give it a go.

Cheers for all the users input,

Regards

Wayne10788

[blind_ambition]

i found this if it helps http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/20/m...vb-t-receiver/

[technologist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbsx

If they did make a handheld digital TV it would lose the audio every 5 seconds.
I wonder why they don't use digital technology for RF cams or onboard F1 cameras.

BBC Resources have nothing BUT digital Radio Cams as does BBC news ..... Gets around all sort of video problems over multiplath analogue! - but gives horrendous lip synch issues!!
And there are HD ones made!!!

[woodysdad]

VHS recorders could stay for years. You only need an RF output from the digibox to record your programmes. (and please don't bring up the multi channel record thin..we managed without that for years.)

[Orbitalzone]

You could argue that selling a VHS video or DVD recorder that only has an analogue tuner is just as bad as selling an analogue only TV...... they all won't receive anything once analogue is turned off but all will work with an additional device like a set top digibox......

I kind of agree that analogue only TV's are now a bit limited but many millions of people do pretty much only use a Sky or cable box with their TV and never really use the inbuilt analogue tuner.

As for Digital pocket tv's I think that battery consumption might be the real problem, digital receivers still generally use more power than analogue receivers and therefor a pocket TV that currently gives 5 hours viewing might only give 2.5 if digital (guesswork figures)

I also can't think that the pocket TV market is very large at all and not worth Casio or similar in spending much in research and developement for a DTT Pocket TV when TV on mobile phones is already happening and will likely be the pocket TV replacement over the next few years.