KWorld DVBT 395U TV Stick and HDTV (UK)

[Cole]

KWorld DVBT 395U TV Stick

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this (or similar item)? I received one of these as a present recently and on the box it states that it can receive and record free-to-air HDTV (BBCHD, ITVHD etc). HDTV is something that I have yet to be able to capture and this seemed to be an easy way to start.

However, it is only receiving the SD freeview stations and isn't picking up the HD stations at all. I have checked and I do live within the area where free-to-air HD is being broadcast and am using an external (loft) aerial. I have a good signal and I live aprox 15 miles from the transmitter.

I am hazarding a guess that this item is too cheap to have a HD receiver or my aerial isn't good enough but, as I previously mentioned, the function is advertised on the box.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[[_chef_]]

Do you really know this hardware is capable of receiving HD via DVB-T???
Probably you cannot because you need a DVB-T2 receiver or DVB-T with mpeg4 support.

[itsonlyme]

You need DVB-T2 in UK. To the best of my knowledge there is, as yet, no computer hardware available.

There is however a number of stand alone boxes for direct connection to TV.

Malcolm

[Cole]

The packaging stated that the stick could receive HDTV but, admittedly, when I did an on-line search of the item there was no mention of this.

It says, on the box, that when recording HDTV it uses H.264 and gives minimum computer specs that are requires to watch and record HDTV; it just doesn't seem to pick the channels up in the first place.

I sent an email to Kworld requesting advice and said that I lived in a good signal area and within the area that HDTV is broadcast. I got back an automated answer giving advice which told me to use an external aerial (I am) and check my region (I had). At this point I came here.

If it can't do what it says it can then that goes against The (UK's) Trades Descriptions Act. This came from Maplins, which is why I'm surprised it doesn't *seem* fit for purpose.

The only other thing I can think of is that the signal strength isn't strong enough for HDTV; although I do get perfect SD reception.

[Cole]

It seems I may have found an answer in an old thread (2006) posted by Offline:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/241284-HDTV-on-a-stick

I can't speak for the US & Japanese market but almost every where else you are going to struggle for a decent signal. Keep in mind existing digital broadcasts by law, operate at a lower power level to reduce interference to redundant analogue networks. Hence in part the rush and interest for digital mobile solutions, currently at final phase testing in Europe, Australia & the US.

The London (Crystal Palace) transmitter is still broadcasting analogue (until 2012) so the HD signal *may* not be powered enough for me to pick up the HDTV stations as I am so far away from the transmitter. Interestingly, I was also considering getting a Freeview HD television; this has now made me wonder if it is currently worth it.