Advanced Media, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of the popular RIDATA brand of recordable CD and DVD media, electronic storage products, and digital media accessories, is set to introduce a USB-powered digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) tuner. The unit allows over-the-air or broadcast digital television signals to be received by and shown on PCs, laptops, or other mobile devices such as PDAs. It will be introduced at 2006 International CES. The DVB-T standard is applicable in Europe, Taiwan, and Australia.
The company expects to have available a similar device for the American ATSC standard when ATSC-compliant Transport Streams to be transmitted via terrestrial broadcast include the necessary embedded digital compression components in the Program and System Information Protocol is available.
“Until recently, it was not possible to enjoy over-the-air digital television programming on anything other than a television set,” stated Harvey Liu, Advanced Media president. “Our USB DVB-T tuner now makes it
possible in an easy, one-step, plug-and-play device. That means anyone with a PC or laptop, among other devices, will have instant access to their favorite digital programming as well as be able to record it without needing a television.”Its compact, easy-to-transport size (it resembles a RIDATA EZ Drive portable storage device) assures users will be able to take and use it virtually anywhere. All it takes is a simple connection to a compatible unit’s USB port.
Too bad the rest of the world will have this before us in the States. I can’t wait to have something simple like this that can tune in TV on my notebook.