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Portable TVs will fade away after February

August 12th, 2008, 6:56 am by

10/2/2008 — UPDATE to this question: There is now a battery-powered converter box. Read the post, “50% more coupons available for digital TV converter box program”

Stump the GadgetressStump the Gadgetress isn’t really back. I’ve just been answering a ton of digital converter box questions and this one seemed worthy of sharing my research with all readers.

Question: Will my portable TV not work after Feb. 2009?

Gadgetress: Nope. You’re out of luck. 

**UPDATE** WineguardDirect.com now sells a battery-powered converter box.**

My initial research shows that nearly every portable TV will need a converter box because they are analog TVs. And everyone should know by now that on Feb. 17, 2009, TV broadcasts for the major channels will switch to digital only, leaving analog TV viewers in the dark. But you don’t need to get rid of your TV — you just need to buy and install a digital converter box. Lots of info on that at “Guide to the Digital TV transition.”

The lone exception to ditching the TV is the portable TV. There are no battery-operated cAccurian 7″ Portable Handheld TV sold at Radio Shack is one of the rare digital portable TVsonverter boxes available and no manufacturer has stepped up to make such a product. It’s probably because the portable TV market is so small, no one can make any money developing such converters.

This is quite sad for many folks out there who rely on portable TVs for news during emergencies.  Guess you’ll have to rely on TV on your cell phone during those tough times.

However, there are portable TVs that have the digital tuners built in, but that will set you back at least $200. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: news • • • • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Questions about Digital TV and the February deadline?

May 13th, 2008, 12:01 am by

Digital TV deadline looming**UPDATE on June 3, 2008 ** The answers are in. I tried to get to everyone but if I didn’t, feel free to ask again. Thanks all!

In February 2009, digital television broadcasts finally takes over. That seems so far away but I know there are readers out there with questions because I’ve already been receiving them.

If you like TV but never upgraded to digital cable or other digital broadcast service, your TV will go blank after February, thanks to a federal mandate. Why is the government so cruel? Why do I need to buy new equipment? Why can’t TV just be TV? These questions and more will be answered in an article soon.

All I ask is that you ask me questions about the transition and I’ll do my best to get them answered. Everything will be published in an upcoming issue of the Register. So, ask away by leaving a comment below.

UPDATE on May 16: Thanks everyone. I’m aiming to get answers to as many questions as possible by May 27. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to my blog by email HERE.

Some helpful sites for those who can’t wait for me:

Posted in: news • • • • • • • | 15 Comments »

Stump: Laptop battery lifespan

December 24th, 2007, 3:00 pm by

helpme!Q: Does a battery last long for a laptop? I’m going to buy a laptop for my son. He is in high school. Thank you again! ~ Shirley

Gadgetress: I asked the folks at FreshBattery.com to handle this one. The Irvine e-tailer sells laptop batteries and is also a resource for people who want to get more out of their batteries.

Todd Rapparport, FreshBattery’s Vice President of Marketing, reminds that even though computer batteries are rechargeable, they have a limited life.Stump the Gadgetress

While modern technology has enabled us to extend the life of rechargeable batteries, they only last for a certain number of ‘charge cycles’ before they lose their ability to hold a charge.

A lithium-ion notebook battery typically provides at least 300 discharge/charge cycles before its runtime is greatly diminished. How long this takes depends on how you use your notebook. Typically this will be between 1 and 3 years of use.

Keep in mind that your son can probably work with his laptop plugged in when he is home, which means he won’t be draining the battery at all. That will extend the battery’s life tremendously.

If you’re worried about the battery running out while away from a power source, you can always buy an extra one. They are pretty easy to switch out and not too expensive. You can buy a battery for a Toshiba laptop, for example, for around $100. A battery for an Apple laptop is about $129.

Posted in: Uncategorized • • | 1 Comment »

Stump: Watch TV on a computer

December 17th, 2007, 3:00 pm by

helpme!Q: How can I watch TV on my laptop (suppose i have cable or satellite)? Thank for your help. ~ Yesteryear

iGirl: There are a number of ways to do this. Let me list a few…

Hauppage WinTV USB 2.0

The most convenient solution is a TV tuner, such as the WinTV-USB2 family of products from Hauppage . Plug the tuner into your computer’s USB port, and plug an antenna or cable box into the tuner.

Tuners typically include software and a remote control. Some even have personal video recorder (PVR) functions so you can record shows to your computer. The many different versions of WinTV include a variety of features and can be found from about $60 to $150.

For Mac users, there is Elgato’s EyeTV line of tuners. The hybrid version sells for $150 on the manufacturer’s site. Hybrid here means that the device can pick up both analog and digital TV signals.

If you only want to watch specific shows on your computer, this page on Microsoft’s site explains how to bring TV shows from a Media Center PC to a laptop computer by burning them to a DVD or copying them to the computer’s hard drive.

Check out hdtvtunerinfo.com to learn more about how to use an HDTV tuner with a computer. Also, laptopmag.com has five tips about using a laptop to watch TV on your schedule.

Posted in: news • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Stump: Control Yahoo! advertising

December 11th, 2007, 3:00 am by

helpme!Q: I have Windows XP. I use AT&T Yahoo Mail Classic. I click on the Mail button. Then I click the Inbox. I don’t get a list of my e-mails but an advertisement. I have to click on the Inbox a second time to get a list of my e-mails.How do I get rid of the extra step. Help! ~ Lawrence Lang

iGirl: You can control what ads Yahoo! sends or shows.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Stump: Listen to TV from other room

December 4th, 2007, 3:00 am by

helpme!Q: I live in a condo of 1,025 sq. ft. The only TV is in the living room with Time Warner Cable. I want to hear the programs on TV without turning up the volume real loud in the office. There is the kitchen between the TV and the office of two walls. Is there a listening device that I can wear to hear it while I work on the computer in the office? If so cost is not as much a problem as space. Please let me know what is available and where I can get it. ~ Joy Taylor

iGirl: Joy, it sounds like you are looking for a wireless headphone. One example are Acoustic Research’s wireless stereo headphones. These, for $50.99, lock in a frequency allowing you to hear clearly up to 150 feet away from the signal’s source.

If you’re looking to see and watch the TV from another room, look into getting a system that transmits audio and/or video from one source such as a TV to another source such as a PC or other type of receiver. These require that you both buy a device to send the signal from your TV, and a receiver (a TV or some other device) to display or play the signal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • | 1 Comment »

Stump: Playing VHS tapes on digital TVs

November 19th, 2007, 9:30 am by

helpme!Stump the GadgetressQ: With the forthcoming requirement for digital TV’s and digital receivers in 2009 will we be able to play back our analog recorded VHS tapes, of which most of us have a pile, through the digital equipment? Should we plan to convert the tapes to digital DVD format or keep them piled up on a shelf in the garage gathering dust? Thanks.

Gadgetress: Yes, you should convert those old tapes. VCR tapes don’t age well. Besides, what’s the point of wasting garage space to store last century’s technology?

Read the rest of this entry »

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Stump: Organizing your favorite bookmarks

November 13th, 2007, 3:00 am by

Stump the GadgetressQ: I am running MSN through Verizon. I am not able to organize my favorites. I’ve tried checking the internet and there appears to be a problem but there does not appear to be a solution. Do you know of a solution?

When I click on organize it says “loading” and “done” and just sits like there. I can’t organize, including deleting any sites that I saved as a favorite. Yes. I checked some chats and MSN Explorer seems to have a problem that no one seems to know how to fix. Maybe you can lend a hand. ~ Clinton Char, Fountain Valley, CA

Gadgetress: I’m unfamiliar with the browser that Verizon’s MSN service offers.

But since MSN is part of Microsoft, I’m assuming features and functions are pretty much Internet Explorer. I did check with Verizon and Microsoft and both were unfamiliar with your issue.

Read the rest of this entry »

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