Functions and features of receivers. HDMI receiver. Functions and features of receivers Key features of AverTV CaptureHD

Many desktop PC users purchase TV tuners not only for watching and recording TV programs, but also for use as inexpensive video capture cards. First of all, for the digitization of old video tape recordings that have remained from time immemorial. It would seem that the use of digital technology, including DV video cameras, should have put an end to the difficulties of video capture - just connect the device via the FireWire or USB 2.0 interface - and download the resulting video sequence to your computer, but that was not the case. Today we are looking at the first TV tuner with a built-in HDMI input, released by AverMedia, and our main task is to find out why an HDMI input is needed on a computer today.

Digital input for digital data

HDMI is most often used in home theaters to connect a receiver, media player or BD player and a TV. Therefore, in most cases, content transmitted via HDMI is available in static form - these are disks, disk images or various media files. Naturally, capturing such content through an additional board makes no sense - it’s easier and faster to rewrite a file from one medium to another or make a (BD/DVD)Rip if we are talking about a movie on disk.

But there is also a certain part of the content that is not available to the user in a static form. For example, this is a satellite television broadcast, the operation of a computer or game console. If you want to record the playthrough of the game, make a video out of it and post it on the Internet, you have a problem. If you want to record a movie from satellite channels in HD quality, you again have a problem if you don’t have a recorder. And again, like many years ago, TV tuners come to the rescue.

AverTV CaptureHD

A modern TV tuner, according to AverMedia, is already a hybrid with DVB-T support, with a PCI Express 1x interface. It would not be possible to create such a model on the already well-known NXP chips, so the developers had to re-develop the board design. So for those who are used to enjoying modern technical solutions, the AverTV CaptureHD tuner will be interesting. But first, about the traditional.

The TV tuner comes in a beautiful cardboard package. The packaging of the model we received for testing was not Russified, although knowing the AverMedia company, you can be sure that in the retail versions everything will be translated as it should. The equipment, in general, is without any frills. In addition to the TV tuner itself, you will also get:

socket for installation in low-profile cases

IR remote control sensor

Remote control with batteries

FM antenna

10-in-1 splitter cable

User's Manual

Software CD

Body sticker "Aver Inside"

There is not enough HDMI cable, but given the unreasonably high cost of these products, this is for the best. A cable of the required length can be purchased at any store. But what I would like to see, but is missing as a class, is a traditional Aver DVB-T antenna. In good areas it was possible to receive both analog and digital broadcasts. But not critical.

Key features of AverTV CaptureHD

Reception of analogue TV (PAL/SECAM/NTSC), digital TV (DVB-T) and FM radio

Stereo audio support (A2/NICAM)

Support HDMI/HDCP interface 1080i

Ability to use a game console and video camera under Windows Media Center

• Composite RCA

  Stereo RCA

  Component YPbPr

  PIP (Picture in Picture) mode is designed specifically for users who prefer to play HD games in the main window and simultaneously watch TV in a secondary viewing window.

  One antenna input for TV or radio

  MPEG2 recording (for unprotected content), H.264 320x240 recording for playback on iPod or PSP

  Support Windows XP/XP MCE/Vista/Vista MCE

What should you pay attention to in terms of characteristics? First of all, to one antenna input, which is used for TV or radio - in some cases this is convenient when an over-the-air antenna is used. But if you have a collective broadcast, without radio channels, then you will have to bother with switches. The TV tuner does not have a hardware MPEG encoder, since it is not needed to work with native HDMI resolutions, and inexpensive desktop processors are sufficient for recording in the iPod format. Support for the PiP mode with the ability to simultaneously play and watch the news is certainly interesting, but for a niche application, for example, for some kind of information board, because any news broadcast on NTV will turn even the kindest toy into a Horror shooter. :). Well, supporting resolutions up to 1080i is also a difficult question. I would, of course, like 1080p, but more for confidence in my computer than for real tasks, since this is not important for recording video from a game console. Well, HD channels are also tolerable, while 1080i is still more widespread in broadcasting. Even NTV+ broadcasts its HD channels in 1080i. And then - this is a TV tuner, not a video capture card. Let's take a closer look at it.

Design of AverTV CaptureHD

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, AverTV CaptureHD is not just a “tuning” of an existing TV tuner by simply adding an HDMI port - it is a new board designed from scratch.

The TV tuner board itself has a low-profile form factor, which is good in itself - it can be used in HTPC cases; the socket required for this is included in the kit. The TV tuner looks quite modern - PCI Express 1x interface, single-chip RF unit and... only three green electrolytic capacitors spoil the picture of the Hi-Tec new product. But this is so, for the picky. On the board panel we see only an antenna socket, one HDMI port and something else, covered with a “10 in 1 Cable” sticker. Let's remove this sticker.

"Bah! This is the second HDMI port!" - I want to say so, but no. This is just an "HDMI-like connector" that is used to connect all analog devices. The format is HDMI, so it’s very easy to confuse them blindly. Please note that the tuner panel does not even have the now mandatory socket for an IR sensor. We repeat again - all analog connections are made through a splitter.

In fact, this cable is not a 10-in-1, but an 8-in-1, because its analog audio inputs are duplicated for component connection and regular RCA/S-Video. But on the other hand, this is very convenient - you can connect two playback sources at once, one old, the other HD (via component video input), without switching audio cables each time. Together with this “tail”, the TV tuner already looks much more serious than its predecessors, but even if you do not plan to use analog inputs, you will still have to connect it for the IR sensor of the remote control. I wonder if such a 20-in-1 splitter will ever be invented?

Despite the fact that digital television has long ceased to be a curiosity, not everyone has a TV with a digital tuner. I want to tell you about a device that is quite successful, in my opinion, which allows you not only to organize viewing of digital television on an old TV or VGA monitor, but also to record TV programs and view movies and photos on a USB drive.

Characteristics of the tuner-media player from the store website:

RF antenna input: IEC-TYPE, IEC169-2, female
Frequency range: 174MHz-230MHz (VHF), The -862MHz 470MHz band (UHF)
Signal level:-15~-70dBm
Video decoder: MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 SP, DIVX13.11, 4.X, 6.X, FLV format, H.264 MP@HL, VC-1,RM and RMVB
Audio decoder: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (layer I / II), MP3, AC-3 ,E-AC-3 (optional), AAC-LC, HE-AAC5.1
Image format: 4:3LB / 16:9 WS / Auto / 4:3 Full / 4:3 PS
Video output: CVBS, VGA, HDMI
Modulation: QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM
Interface:

• Tuner: Antenna INPUT x 1
• data: USB socket
• HDMI: HDMI OUTPUT x 1
• RCA: V/L/R x 1
• VGA: VGA output x 1

Delivery format – OEM. Spartan complete set:

• tuner,
• power supply with EU plug,
• remote controller.

The tuner is quite miniature. Overall dimensions – 12.1 x 7.5 x 2 cm. At the top there are control buttons that duplicate the main functions of the remote control - menu, channel switching and volume control (they also perform navigation functions in menu mode).


On the front there is only a window for the power indicator.


The RCA connector is on the right.


On the back there are VGA, HDMI, USB, power and antenna input connectors.


There are grooves at the bottom for vertical fastening (though it’s not entirely clear where).


Disassembling the tuner is not difficult; just peel off the legs and unscrew the mounting screws. There is a board like this inside. The soldering quality is normal, but the markings of the control chip are erased. The reason for this has remained a secret from the Chinese collector - perhaps it is some kind of copy protection, or maybe just a banal hiding of counterfeit goods.


Power supply 5V/1A with European plug. The length of the cord is 1 m. In principle, it’s normal, but it would be better, of course, if it were longer – 1.5-2 meters.


The remote control is miniature. Dimensions: 12.2 x 5 x 1 cm. Powered by one LR2032 lithium battery (the kind used in computer motherboards).


The buttons are clearly labeled and not overloaded with functionality.

Testing

The tuner was tested using a kit that I would call “build a TV from improvised means.” It was a 22-inch TFT monitor with a VGA input, speakers with an RCA input and the simplest “horn” antenna.


First of all, naturally, it was necessary to configure the tuner. I did this using the simplest method - through auto-search for channels. To my surprise, even with such a simple antenna, 22 channels were picked up. Before searching, you could select regional settings, but the list of countries is not complete, although Russia is there.

That's all. You can start watching TV programs.

For more detailed settings, please refer to other sections of the menu.

You can edit the list of detected programs in the section "Program"


In chapter "Picture" you can change the video display settings.


In chapter "Time"- set up time zone, sleep time or on/off time.


In chapter "Option" There are language options. This section is basically not interesting, since the tuner does not support the Russian language.


In chapter "System" you can set a password, reset settings or update the tuner firmware. The latter hardly makes sense, since there is no information about compatible devices.


And finally, section "USB". Here you can configure the display of videos and photos, as well as TV recording (PVR). TV programs are recorded in MTS format.


Direct work with a USB storage device (flash drive or card reader) is carried out through the item "Multimedia". Here you need to select what type of data to display, and then the location of the data (file or folder) using the built-in browser.


To give you a more complete impression of the tuner's operation, I have put together a short video demonstration of its operation.

Here you can see:

• switching channels,
• viewing the channel's program schedule,
• change screen resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p supported),
• recording programs and viewing saved programs,
• viewing videos, photos and listening to music from a USB drive.

During operation of the tuner, slight heating is observed, but this does not affect its performance in any way. Everything works stably. If something happens, the heat dissipation can be improved by connecting a fan to the USB connector or by attaching a radiator to the main chip.

Conclusions:

For a relatively low price, this device allows you to not only adapt a TV with an analog tuner to digital television, but also expand its capabilities with the function of a media player, and the presence of a VGA interface allows you to assemble a TV-media center from a computer monitor, speakers and a simple antenna. The lack of Russian in the menu is of course somewhat inconvenient, but the interface is so simple and intuitive that this should not create a problem.

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

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FullHD video has already become a part of everyday life. You won't find stickers on any product that informs you about working with it - on media players, laptops, monitors, video cards, and sometimes even on phones and communicators! Well, without exception, all modern video equipment is equipped with a digital HDMI interface (versions from 1.1 to 1.4). TV tuners are no exception. First of all, manufacturers ensured compatibility with HD video in standalone models, but now it’s the turn of internal receivers for the PCI Express bus. We received just such a device in our laboratory, manufactured by AVerMedia Technologies. This is the world's first TV tuner equipped with an HDMI input, operating at resolutions up to 1080i/720p.

⇡ Technical specifications

AVerTV CaptureHD
Interface		PCI Express x1
Analogue broadcasting	Video	NTSC/PAL/SECAM
	Sound	Stereo sound, A2/NICAM
Digital broadcasting		DVB-T
FM radio		Present
A/V inputs	Video	HDMI/HDCP (up to 1080i/720p) Composite (RCA) S-Video Component (YPbPr; up to 1080i/720p)
	Audio	Stereo (RCA) Work in 4:3 and 16:9 modes
Peculiarities		Software compression with any codec installed on the system Time shift function TV scheduler Teletext
price, rub.		3000

⇡ Equipment

The tuner comes in a cardboard box in the traditional AVerMedia colors - orange and black. Inside, in addition to the tuner board, the user will find the following set of accessories:

• a short metal strip for installing the tuner in barebone systems;
• remote control with two AAA batteries;
• FM antenna;
• remote infrared receiver with sticky base;
• 10-in-1 A/V cable;
• CD with software;
• installation guide in Russian.

It must be said that the equipment package is no different - no worse and no better than most other TV tuner models.

⇡ Design

The classic green PCB board for AVerMedia TV tuners is made in a low-profile format and is intended for installation both in regular full-size computers and in various kinds of barebone systems. When getting acquainted with the new product, the eye of a user experienced in the matter of computer television receivers is immediately attracted by the spartan simplicity of the connector panel. There are only three of them here: a socket for connecting a TV antenna, an HDMI port and... another HDMI port! “Something is wrong here...” - the user will think and he will be right. Firstly, the AVerTV CaptureHD TV antenna socket is combined with the FM antenna socket. It would be a stretch to call such a scheme convenient. Without additional splitters, you'll have to connect one antenna to watch TV and another to listen to FM stations. Considering the quite standard dimensions of the tuner, there could be two antenna sockets on the board.

As for the second HDMI port, everything is simple. Unlike the first, the second port only superficially resembles HDMI (or rather, the same connector is used), but in fact it is connected to the 10-in-1 cable included in the tuner's delivery package. This “multi-head” cable is used to implement all the A/V inputs stated in the specification, as well as to connect an external IR signal receiver.

Now let's look at the elemental base of the new product. The tuner has one-sided printing of elements. It is almost impossible to find fault with the quality of soldering - it is simply perfect, which is traditional for AverMedia. The board has three electrolytic capacitors, which are rarely found in modern tuners. As for the main design elements, the developers presented several surprises here.

The decoder chosen is very unusual. This is a 10-bit TM6200 chip manufactured by Trident Microsystems, Inc. Unfortunately, even on the manufacturer’s website there is no detailed information on it, and therefore it is not possible to talk about any characteristics in this case.

We have already encountered the used RF unit earlier when getting acquainted with other models of TV tuners. We are talking about the semiconductor hybrid TDA18271 produced by the company

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