Best HDTV/FM Tuner for carPC?

**optimatez** · 11-04-2009, 12:14 PM

I would really like one of those HDTV/FM Tuners for the PC, what is the best one concerning reception? The FM radio is what i'm mostly looking for as i still haven't found a way to get FM in the car yet (that has good reception).

Thanks,
Will

**VegasGuy** · 11-04-2009, 12:35 PM

The tuner isn't really the issue. I've used several (pinnacle, EVGA, Hauppage) and they all work well, provided you have a strong signal.

And that's the problem in a car. Short of mounting a home antenna on your roof, most of the "portable" antenna solutions don't work all that well. In most cases, assuming you have an external antenna of some kind, you can get reasonable reception if you are stopped and fairly close to the signal source. Forget about using it on the move...it's just doesn't work very well.

I use a full-size set of rabbit ears in my truck and get "OK" reception in most areas of town, if I'm stopped. Moving, I get exactly 1 out of about 15 stations in Las Vegas. And that one is in Spanish, which I flunked out of in 8th grade (too too many years ago).

VegasGuy

**soundman98** · 11-04-2009, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by VegasGuy

Moving, I get exactly 1 out of about 15 stations in Las Vegas. And that one is in Spanish, which I flunked out of in 8th grade (too too many years ago).

for fm, most go with a hd radio tuner, and use mitches cable to control it.

for tv, most don't use it, because of the poor mobile reception issues that vegasguy listed

**kross** · 11-05-2009, 02:36 PM

North American HDTV and mobile don't get along. The 8VSB modulation scheme used by ATSC does poorly in dynamic multipath environments (moving vehicles) and in environments with poor signal-to-noise ratio. There are enhancements to 8VSB, such as E-VSB (which very few stations and hardware manufacturers have adopted) and A-VSB (not yet approved by the FCC) which promise to improve mobile reception of HDTV. But for now, you need to be parked to watch TV in your car.