When you are stuffed into cramped quarters, there’s a good chance that your computer also has to pull double duty as your television. Naturally, not all computers come with a built-in TV tuner, so you may have to consider external options like the recently released COMPRO Vista U890F TV Stick.
Whether you are rocking a notebook or a desktop, the U890F USB TV Tuner from COMPRO appears to be a remarkably simple solution, because all you have to do is shove this thing into any available USB port. Of course, there’s a little more to it than that, but that’s the gist of it. How does it stand up against other similar products? Let’s have a look-see.
Features and Specifications
The COMPRO VideoMate Vista U890F TV Stick is meant to be a remarkably easy-to-use TV tuner on just about any computer, but it also comes with a few extra functions that could set it apart from the rest of the TV tuner pack. Among the features and specs are the following:
- Watch TV on laptop or desktop PC with USB 2.0 interface
- Worldwide analog TV (NTSC/SECAM/PAL) and FM reception
- Bundles with Microsoft certified remote control for Windows Media Center
- Included Microsoft certified MPEG-2 encoder support TV watching/recording
- ComproDTV 4 software with Vista Gadget and DTV Add-In
- S3 (standby)/ S4 (hibernation) mode power up scheduled recording
- USB bus powered, no external power adaptor required
- Timeshift and instant replay live TV
- Customize channel order and my favorite list
- Single/Multiple still frame captures and remote snapshot
- Capture analog video from Composite or S-Video
- Certified for Windows Vista 32/64 bit
The U890F USB TV Tuner is perfectly compatible with both Windows Media Center and Windows Vista, including the ability to use the provided remote control, just as you would with a real television. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, but it’s still very much appreciated. Unfortunately, the Apple crowd is slighted with this product so no joy for Mac OSX users…at least officially. I guess that’s why they call it the “Vista”.
Looking Inside the Box
Poking around inside the box of the COMPRO U890F, you’ll find just about everything that you need to transform that budget Dell laptop into a full-fledged television. Naturally, you’ll need a proper TV signal if you want to watch anything. Contents are as follows…
- VideoMate Vista U890F USB TV/FM Tuner
- Vista/MCE remote control
- USB 2.0 extension cable
- FM antenna
- 3-in-1 A/V input cable
- I-type to F-type converter
- Software installation CD
- Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 SE CD
- Start Up Guide
Unlike some similar USB TV tuners that I’ve seen around, the COMPRO VideoMate U890F does not come with an antenna for you to grab free over-the-air ATSC HD signals. That’s not a huge deal, considering that most parts of North America are severely lacking in this area, but it would have been a nice inclusion.
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Connectivity Options
You know that fat TV cable that comes out of the wall? That’s pretty much the default connection option for this particular TV tuner. This is in line with many of COMPRO’s competitors, but what’s a little strange is that you need to attach an adapter at the end of the USB TV tuner before it can accept this cable. This is likely a throwback from its Taiwanese roots as this is likely the connection that TV’s over there use. Thankfully, the I-type to F-type converter is included in the box.
I’m pleased that COMPRO included a short USB extension cable, because when I tried plugging this TV tuner directly into my laptop’s USB port and then to the TV cable out on the other end, I experienced quite a bit of flex within the USB port. I’d imagine that this could result in some connectivity issues or a bent USB adapter (or worse, a broken one). Using the extension cable, this issue is essentially non-existent and its nice to see that COMPRO took care of these little touches.
If you don’t like the straight-from-the-wall TV connection, COMPRO also offers a couple of other options for you to consider. Both of these are accessed using the same provided miniUSB adapter, which is inserted in the miniUSB port on the side of the U890F. From here, you can connect an S-Video source or a composite source. Audio comes by way of a standard 3.5mm stereo mini jack, which I find a little strange. Wouldn’t it make more sense to include a pair of RCA stereo jacks (red and white) instead? That’s pretty much the norm for A/V, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for any better video quality, you’ll have to look elsewhere. There is no way to get a component, DVI, or HDMI connection going on. This is unfortunate for all the HD junkies in the audience or even people who want to use the TV tuner as a way of connecting a home gaming console to their laptops.
TV Tuner User Interface
After going through the relatively simple installation process using the provided CD, I was treated to quite an attractive on-screen user interface for the TV tuner. The actual “TV window” can be resized to your liking, filling up the entire screen or just a portion. You can also select to have it always on top (or not).
Below the TV display itself is a small user menu. As mentioned before, you can flip through the channels using the provided remote, but the on-screen interface is pretty handy as well. COMPRO has a series of preset keyboard shortcuts too, so you can switch to SAP audio, adjust the volume, and do a series of other things from this little widget.
If you need to further adjust your preferences, you’ll need to access the main user options area, which looks pretty much like every other settings area in Windows. From this settings area, you can scan for available channels, set your video/audio preferences, adjust your recording options, change the user interface, and so on. It’s pretty straightforward and easy enough for even novices to understand.
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Time-Shifting, Scheduled Recording, Screen Capturing…Oh My!
Serving as a simple TV tuner is enough for a lot of users, but the COMPRO VideoMate Vista U890 TV Stick allows for a few extra functions as well. Assuming that you have enough hard drive space to spare, you can take advantage of both the PVR and time-shifting functions. Pause and rewind live television and set up scheduled recordings for the PVR side of things.
Most of these functions can be accessed from the aforementioned on-screen widget, as well as through the series of keyboard shortcuts. Hitting the space bar, for example, performs an instant screen capture of what you happen to be watching at that time. The picture file is automatically saved in your chosen folder.
One of the cooler features has to be the channel surf. This flips through the TV channels for you, changing channels about every second. What’s more, the screen is populated with a grid of these channels, so you can see what’s going on with several channels at the same time.
It would have been pretty crazy if all of those channels provided live feeds, but they stop as screen captures as the software flips its way through what’s available. If your computer is on the slower side of things, you may experience a bit of lag as well.
In addition to watching TV, the COMPRO U890F also lets you listen to FM radio stations in your area. There is a provided FM antenna, just like you’d find with a home stereo system, but you may even be able to achieve some limited reception without it. The radio interface is similar to that of the TV tuner.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Admittedly, the USB TV tuner market is not exactly the sexiest or most exciting aspect of your computer, but handy devices like the VideoMate Vista U890F TV Stick from COMPRO are certainly useful. Installation and setup was a breeze and it’s great that this compnay included everything (aside from a Cable TV subscription) that you’ll need to enjoy The Office, CSI, and Oprah from the comfort of your notebook.
At around $70, the U890F is priced competitively and comes with a series of features that you may not find with other USB TV Sticks. It’s got time-shifting, for example, as well as full PVR functionality (including scheduled recordings). The FM radio is a definite bonus too.
If you’re in the market for a USB TV tuner and you want something that’s both easy to use and relatively robust, this COMPRO USB TV Stick could be your ticket.
Pros
- Great-looking user interface
- Time-shifting and scheduled recording features
- FM radio reception is a bonus
- Channel surfing feature is pretty neat
Cons
- Cable/unit gets pretty warm
- No support for any true HD content
- Remote control feels flimsy
- Does not include antenna for over-the-air ATSC content
Overall Rating: 8.0 / 10.0
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COMPRO Vista U890F USB TV Stick Photo Gallery
Real-Time Price and Stock Check – Find More USB TV Tuners Here