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Turn your laptop computer into a portable TV with this tiny TV tuner
Add digital TV to your computer with this device
If you're looking to turn a laptop computer into the ultimate portable TV, then the AverTV Volar HD Pro A835 TV tuner could be the answer.
With its sleek white design, USB installation and minuscule proportions, the Volar HD Pro is clearly aimed at mobile computer users. It will, of course, work with desktop PCs too and it's potentially a good choice for those who don't want to open up their computer's case to install an internal TV tuner card.
Setting things up was a case of plugging the stick into a spare USB port, installing the software, attaching an aerial and tuning in. The Volar HD Pro comes with its own AverTV software that lets users view and ‘timeshift' live digital TV broadcasts (in other words, pause and rewind them) as well as recording them to the computer's hard disk.
The software comes with a basic built-in Freeview electronic programme guide (EPG) and the ability to record directly in formats that are compatible with portable devices, such as iPods and Playstation Portable games consoles.
The tuner is also fully compatible with Windows Media Center. This is the entertainment software that comes built into most versions of Windows 7 and Vista. Adding the Volar HD Pro to the computer will allow you to utilise the TV features of Windows Media Center to view, pause, rewind and record programmes in a friendlier fashion than using the AverTV software.
If there's one major drawback with the Volar HD Pro it's that the device only includes a single Freeview tuner. Unlike the more expensive AverTV TwinStar A825, the HD Pro can only record or display one channel at a time.
In addition, the bundled portable antenna wassn't particularly good at picking up Freeview signals. The tuner worked much better connected to a standard rooftop aerial.
On other problem is that although it has ‘HD' in its name, the Volar HD Pro is not compatible with British digital terrestrial high-definition broadcasts (Freeview HD, which uses the DVB-T2 standard). As such, the product's title is misleading, at least as far as British viewers are concerned.
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Our verdict
If portability and simplicity are your priorities, the AverTV Volar HD Pro A835 is good but don't be fooled by the ‘HD'
Small and portable; comes with a remote control; easy to set up; compatible with Windows Media Center
Not compatible with Freeview HD; performance is variable when using the portable antenna; only one tuner
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TV Channels
Cannot get BBC 1,2,3 or 4. ITV 1,2 or 4. Using Windows Media Centre on Woindows 7. Can get other freeview channels including Sky 3 very clearly.It advises to retune but does not give details. Same antennae gets all channels on my lounge TV
Posted by Jim , 05 Apr 2011
@jim
hello jim have you managed to get all the channels yet using Windows Media Centre on Windows 7
Posted by brian carr, 23 May 2011
Software
The software that came bundled with the USB is not fully compatible with Win 7. However, if you go to the manufacturers website and download the latest drivers and latest TV application software (106 meg download), it works perfectly using the software and even using Media Centre.
Posted by Steve Roberts, 27 Dec 2011