Page 2: Testing, Conclusion
Testing:
After the installation is complete, you are free to start using the program. Since the primary purpose of this device is for mobility, your best bet is to try out the ATSC feeds first. While QAM is nice, when are you going to use a cable connection when you're on the road? When you're at home, this is fine.
You can see the program scanning ATSC channels for my area. You may be surprised how many it finds. I know I was. Even with the tiny antenna and a bad location (inside the house), it found 18 stations with ATSC.
You can see the stations it found using the channel manager. Many parts of the software remind me of a developer release. Very little polish, but the interface is direct and gets the job done with little fuss. I respect that. Yes, the GT can also pick up analog stations as well, but most stations have gone to ATSC already.
I actually have something playing in that window, but you can't see it due to DirectX being the way it is. The player itself is very straightforward and the remote control makes using it a breeze. I doubt you'll be taking the remote with you, so the player itself controls everything fine as well.
The OnAir also acts as a generic capture device. You can input raw composite and S-Video into it and capture the input. It does not have a built-in encoder, so you will be using your CPU to encode anything you capture.
I'm very impressed with the quality of ATSC channels. This digital TV thing may catch on. AutumnWave has pieced together a nice package with the OnAir HDTV GT.
Conclusion:
Amazon sells this for $180. That is a pretty good price for the package you get. Think about taking your notebook around and being able to pick up ATSC channels from anywhere on the go. The GT works extremely well and while the product lacks some polish in certain areas, the package as a whole is well worth the cost.
AutumnWave even has a special for ASE Labs readers. Purchase through AutumnWave. Use coupon code: ASEGT08. You get $20 off. Very good deal over Amazon.
I'd like to thank Ryan from AutumnWave for making this review possible.
After the installation is complete, you are free to start using the program. Since the primary purpose of this device is for mobility, your best bet is to try out the ATSC feeds first. While QAM is nice, when are you going to use a cable connection when you're on the road? When you're at home, this is fine.
You can see the program scanning ATSC channels for my area. You may be surprised how many it finds. I know I was. Even with the tiny antenna and a bad location (inside the house), it found 18 stations with ATSC.
You can see the stations it found using the channel manager. Many parts of the software remind me of a developer release. Very little polish, but the interface is direct and gets the job done with little fuss. I respect that. Yes, the GT can also pick up analog stations as well, but most stations have gone to ATSC already.
I actually have something playing in that window, but you can't see it due to DirectX being the way it is. The player itself is very straightforward and the remote control makes using it a breeze. I doubt you'll be taking the remote with you, so the player itself controls everything fine as well.
The OnAir also acts as a generic capture device. You can input raw composite and S-Video into it and capture the input. It does not have a built-in encoder, so you will be using your CPU to encode anything you capture.
I'm very impressed with the quality of ATSC channels. This digital TV thing may catch on. AutumnWave has pieced together a nice package with the OnAir HDTV GT.
Conclusion:
Amazon sells this for $180. That is a pretty good price for the package you get. Think about taking your notebook around and being able to pick up ATSC channels from anywhere on the go. The GT works extremely well and while the product lacks some polish in certain areas, the package as a whole is well worth the cost.
AutumnWave even has a special for ASE Labs readers. Purchase through AutumnWave. Use coupon code: ASEGT08. You get $20 off. Very good deal over Amazon.
I'd like to thank Ryan from AutumnWave for making this review possible.