Twinhan Magic Box USB
 

Hi... I need some help with the Twinhan Magic Box please.

I'm thinking of buying one so I can watch freeview on my laptop, but I
was thinking, is it possible to connect a vcr to the magic box using an
RF cable through the aerial IN so that I can watch whatever is on my
vcr tape on my laptop? This is for the sake of recording whats on my
tapes onto my laptop, but aalso being able to watch freeview using the
same device.

I remember reading that the software allows you to scan certain
frequencies, so if this is possible, can I also connect my telewest
cable box to the laptop?

Any help would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance

"Sho" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi... I need some help with the Twinhan Magic Box please.

I'm thinking of buying one so I can watch freeview on my laptop, but
I was thinking, is it possible to connect a vcr to the magic box
using an RF cable through the aerial IN so that I can watch whatever
is on my vcr tape on my laptop? This is for the sake of recording
whats on my tapes onto my laptop, but aalso being able to watch
freeview using the same device.

I remember reading that the software allows you to scan certain
frequencies, so if this is possible, can I also connect my telewest
cable box to the laptop?

*****

I don't have one, so my answer can't be definitive, but I'd be amazed
if the answer to both questions isn't 'no'.

The Magic Box is looking at the RF coming in through the aerial socket
and trying to find *digital* muxes, from which it will recreate the
television pictures and sounds and send them to your laptop's screen
and speakers. Your video is outputting an *analogue* signal on its RF
cable and the Magic Box will regard it as noise.

For the second question, it depends whether you mean connecting the
*output* from the Telewest box (which normally goes to your TV) to the
Magic Box - in which case, it's the same as for the VCR - or whether
you were thinking about connecting the *input* to the TW box to the
Magic Box. If the latter, then it depends on (a) the RF frequency used
by Telewest, which may (I don't know) not be within the range of the
input frequencies the Magic Box can scan, and (b) the way the digital
signals are carried on Telewest's RF. Others can answer more
definitively, but I believe the DTT system for cable is different from
the DTT system for over-the-air broadcasting. Twinhan produce a
separate card for cable systems (though not, AFAIK, for laptops).

André Coutanche

André Coutanche wrote:
"Sho" wrote in message
oups.com...

Hi... I need some help with the Twinhan Magic Box please.

I'm thinking of buying one so I can watch freeview on my laptop, but
I was thinking, is it possible to connect a vcr to the magic box
using an RF cable through the aerial IN so that I can watch whatever
is on my vcr tape on my laptop? This is for the sake of recording
whats on my tapes onto my laptop, but aalso being able to watch
freeview using the same device.

I remember reading that the software allows you to scan certain
frequencies, so if this is possible, can I also connect my telewest
cable box to the laptop?


*****

I don't have one, so my answer can't be definitive, but I'd be amazed
if the answer to both questions isn't 'no'.

The Magic Box is looking at the RF coming in through the aerial socket
and trying to find *digital* muxes, from which it will recreate the
television pictures and sounds and send them to your laptop's screen
and speakers. Your video is outputting an *analogue* signal on its RF
cable and the Magic Box will regard it as noise.

For the second question, it depends whether you mean connecting the
*output* from the Telewest box (which normally goes to your TV) to the
Magic Box - in which case, it's the same as for the VCR - or whether
you were thinking about connecting the *input* to the TW box to the
Magic Box. If the latter, then it depends on (a) the RF frequency used
by Telewest, which may (I don't know) not be within the range of the
input frequencies the Magic Box can scan, and (b) the way the digital
signals are carried on Telewest's RF. Others can answer more
definitively, but I believe the DTT system for cable is different from
the DTT system for over-the-air broadcasting. Twinhan produce a
separate card for cable systems (though not, AFAIK, for laptops).

André Coutanche





As already stated, the VCR output is analogue and the Twinhan has a
digital tuner so you can't watch anythin from the video.

The Telewest set-top output is also analogue and so can't be watched
using the Twinhan either. The Telewest digital cable signals use the
DVB-C standard but the Twinhan has a DVB-T tuner, so that won't work either.
The only way you can watch the VCR or Telewest channels is to get an
analogue tuner, but then you wouldn't get Freeview!

Thank-you all for your help :)

I did some more research, and I found 2 devices which claim to get
freeview and have another analogue input.

LifeView FlyDVB-T PCMCIA Digital TV/Radio Card
http://www.cannings.co.uk/acatalog/l..._tv_cards.html

Nebula DigiTV USB2.0 Freeview Digital TV Box w/ Remote
http://www.theglowlounge.com/catalog...roducts_id/453

I'm hoping that I can connect the Video OUT of my VCR to the Video IN
of these devices, so I can get the best of both freeview and this
functionailty.

Will this work?
Thanks in advance (again)

"Sho" wrote

I did some more research, and I found 2 devices which claim to get
freeview and have another analogue input.

LifeView FlyDVB-T PCMCIA Digital TV/Radio Card
http://www.cannings.co.uk/acatalog/l..._tv_cards.html

Nebula DigiTV USB2.0 Freeview Digital TV Box w/ Remote
http://www.theglowlounge.com/catalog...roducts_id/453

I'm hoping that I can connect the Video OUT of my VCR to the Video IN
of these devices, so I can get the best of both freeview and this
functionailty.

FWIW, the USB version of the Nebula receiver does *NOT* have an analogue
input. The spec they have quoted is for the PCI card. Check out Nebula's own
web site for accurate information.

John Howells