Sigmacom SIGMA HDTV5: hi-def TV for your laptop

Sigmacom just announced their new SIGMA HDTV5 tuner for receiving over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. This compact ATSC-lovin' USB 2.0 tuner targets those of you with the insatiable desire to watch HDTV on your laptops. It features a 1920 x 1080 resolution, composite and S-video inputs, time-shifting live TeeVee, Dolby digital surround, and Internet EPG support to easily schedule your recordings. Available in red, white and green just like auntie's festering log of untouched fruitcake.

 [Via MobileKorea]

[Michael Dulitz @ Jan 1st 2006 12:12PM]

It looks pretty cool, how much does it cost? I couldn't see on the website. I'd get it if it was cheap, Poor Mans HDTV :)

[Samuel McConnell @ Jan 1st 2006 4:00PM]

I don't see why ATSC receivers cost so much more than NTSC receivers. I mean, it's just an MPEG-2 stream, right?

[Grifon @ Jan 1st 2006 4:23PM]

I wonder how it compares to the Dvico Fusion5 HDTV usb device? I own the fusion5 and it's a pretty slick device but it has serouse issues with MCE and dosn't work at all with vista (not sure how the managed to get MS hardware certification with MCE). Plus channel changing is a twitch slugish. Dose a great job of tuning Digital channels though (and analog).

[BobbyW @ Jan 1st 2006 4:33PM]

What about the antenna? My DirecTv HD tuner is pain to get aimed right for OTA broadcasts. Does this thing need an antenna?

[jorellh @ Jan 1st 2006 8:46PM]

USB 2.0

[BobbyW @ Jan 1st 2006 10:23PM]

Is USB 2.0 an answer to my antenna question? I'm not asking how it plugs in, I'm asking how it pulls the signal out of the air without an awkward antenna like the one on my DirecTv OTA tuner.

[Grifon @ Jan 2nd 2006 12:27AM]

Yes it needs an Antenna, everything pulling in OTA needs an Antenna to get any kind of decent reception in doors. The dvico one can use clear cable so you might be able to do something along those lines but if you want OTA you need a Antenna, if you want sat you need a dish if you want cable... etc. Even if they said that it had an internal antenna that just means it would be useless in doors in most areas. I'm sure there is jack on one of those sides. That being said my HD tivo did a only a so so job of tuning in signal, the fusion HDTV usb device dose a much better job with same roof top antenna so the quality of the amp the tuner does make a difference, so this device might less or it might need more manual adjustments.

[Kawika @ Jan 2nd 2006 1:47AM]

I recently moved and do not have tv anymore. Is this or other products like the fusion hub something to purchase if you don't have cable or satellite? Is this a free way to get cable?

[Bjarke Andersen @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:07AM]

Now we just need a monitor that can do 1920 x 1080

[Patrick @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:26AM]

We have one. The Inspiron 9300 comes with a nice 17" display that does 1920x1200. That's close enough to it that it will only have a little bit of black bars on the screen, but it won't shrink the image any.



I wonder if this will be more or less then the $150 for the Fusion HDTV device.