Oh man! I waste so much time searching for products that would be obvious for anyone who thinks practically about consumer electronics gadgets. Product manufacturers are just simply stupid and cheap it would seem.
They’re cheap because they hire some dyslexic foreigner who hardly speaks their 1st year of English to write manuals and product overviews and detailed specifications. They don’t proof-read anything – EVER. They often get technical terms wrong, such as Plug & Play or Hot-Plug which are sometimes written as "play and plug!" when meant to say hot-plug which is an entirely different terminology!
They’re stupid because they don’t have anybody sensible and brilliant who can come up with a truly valuable product with the features we’re all looking for.
Seriously, I have an example right now. I want a simple TV-Tuner device for my laptop which will support HDTV. It only makes sense that if you’re going to make a card that’s capable of tuning into one type of over-the-air broadcast, that you make it capable of all types. So, why not include a freaking AM/FM radio receiver on the dang thing? Oh, yes, they have done such a thing, but it seems they quit doing that when they started making the tv tuner devices capable of HDTV. WHAT?? How obnoxious!
While we’re on the subject of radio reception included on a TV tuner device, why not also include a simple FM transmitter for broadcasting your PC’s audio to a nearby stereo or FM walkman? Why should we bother with having to purchase 5 separate devices to do what should only make sense to any common man (or woman) in one unit?
Dear idiot-run profiteering cheapo non-consumer-conscious pc-electronics manufacturing companies,
Please create a bullet-proof all-in-wonderful product which includes the following:
+ USB, PCI, PCIe, PCMCIA (cardbus), ExpressCard, & Firewire versions.
+ SDTV/HDTV Tuner w/ good drivers and PVR software, and MCE/Vista Premium compatible.
+ Include a heavy-duty dongle for attaching composite (RCA-plug), SVID, AV, and COAX video.
+ Allow dongle to also attach composite and mini-jack (stereo headphone) audio input.
+ Allow dongle to also attach similar connections for output as well. (SDTV & HDTV out) (allow the PC’s video display to be sent, or choice of any particular input source or window)
+ Digital AM/FM radio receiver, sends audio to PC’s sound card just like the audio for the TV/Video.
+ Slick Remote Control for controlling the included software. Make it MCE/Vista Premium compatible.
+ Software to capture video and/or audio from the dongle’s alternate video input sources.
+ Digital FM Transmitter (high powered) with software (to choose what broadcast freq. and audio source incl. PC mix audio)
+ Include either a built-in digital HDTV antenna or an attachable portable one so that watching TV can be done anywhere without having to connect any wires. Example, sit in a car or coffee shop and watch the news.
Other feature ideas:
- Include a TV broadcasting transmitter to broadcast your inputs or PC display without wires to a nearby TV.
- Broadcast in HDTV?
- Include additional USB 2.0 & Firewire ports (both type A, and B (or regular sized and mini/powered and non-powered))
- Include a built-in high-speed blue-tooth interface.
It seems like people would be willing to pay quite a bit to have all of this all wrapped up into one decent unit. However, if you could get it rather inexpensive, in say, the $100-200 range, that’d be great. Although, several competing manufacturers would likely need to be creating such devices for the price to be driven down that low.
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