topic Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 11:51:13 GMT

We are not into... telly via the phone line... or ... satellite telly... we have FREEVIEW (free to air) through an aerial on the chimney. ... It serves our purposes "indoors"..

What I would like to be able to do, is... especially on days like today... take my laptop outside in the garden, to a shady spot. and watch telly there...

I can watch about 14 German T.V. Stations on-line.. ( with a VPN)... I can watch a few French T.V.stations on-line.. I could also find numerous other countries national T.V. on line...but I cannot find any UK terrestrial TV live, on line.

which is annoying when you think about it !. Pity I don`t understand German.. or French. or any other language, ..

Anyone got any ideas on how to get FREVIEW/Terrestrial UK t.v. viewable via WIFI on my laptop outdoors ? ? ? Preferably independent of the existing telly in the lounge, which the missus will be watching her favourite progs on ! .

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 11:58:43 GMT

@shutter

I think you can go into TV Guide Freeview and watch on a laptop by clicking on a programme

You have to log in

https://www.freeview.co.uk/tv-guide

Let us know if it works

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:39:08 GMT

@Anonymous Thanks for that.... just done a quick look about.. it seems that if you click on the red circle with a red sideways triangle

You are then offered the program info fly out...

Then you have to click on the "watch now" icon...

and then you have to "register" or "log-in" to that particular station...

So.. if I want to channel hop, I will have to "Register" and "log-in" to about 20 different channels/stations and remember the "Log-in" for every one of them, every time I want to change channel...

cos I tried BBC1.. and it offered that... and said.. why do I need to register with BBC.. ( so presume ITV is the same.. and Yesterday is UK TV... etc etc etc ) .

Unless... of course.. someone can tell me different...

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:54:39 GMT

It'll cost some money but what you need is a Freeview DVB-T HD TV Tuner you can buy them on Amazon or Fleabay of course, just make sure you get the right one.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:47:41 GMT

Hi @Mook Got two of them... tried to use them for my Amateur Radio listening...but can` t seem to get them to work at all.... as for getting TV on the tiny micro/mini antenna supplied... I doubt it....

we are "over the hill" from the Main transmitter on the Isle of Wight.. and our tv sig is showing 70 percent on the tuner on the telly... with a "proper" aerial on the chimney..

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Baldrick1 — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:48:54 GMT

@shutter

If you don't want to log in to the net then the other option is a receiver that plugs in to your laptop. A Google search for Freeview Receiver Dongle will throw up all sorts. Whether one will work with Mint or through Wine is the question though?

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:57:38 GMT

Maybe time to give them another try. Where you are uou should be able to get Freeview with a wet bit of string never mind a roof aerial.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

198kHz — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:58:16 GMT

You can stream live or catch-up on BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub. I think Ch 4 have something similar. Ch 5 is catch-up only.

If you've saved the password in FF you don't need to keep logging in. I assume other browsers have similar.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:03:20 GMT

@Baldrick1 That is what @Mook was advocating...

As an experiment.... ( see my orignal answer to @Mook ) I chopped off the aerial lead, and made an adapter plug to plug it in to my HF and VHF aerials, as well as the TV aerial, on the chimney.. but still no reception

It also depends on certain software being installed to make the HF section active.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:06:36 GMT

@Mook wrote:

It'll cost some money but what you need is a Freeview DVB-T HD TV Tuner you can buy them on Amazon or Fleabay of course, just make sure you get the right one.

There are some special managers specials direct from Humax at good prices

I have purchased direct from them before and have been pleased with the deals

Humax no longer make freesat boxes where you use a dish

https://www.humaxdirect.co.uk/special-offers.html

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:20:51 GMT

Sorry @shutter but what do you expect when you only pay 10 for a piece of 💩like that and it no doubt source from fleaBay too.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:22:11 GMT

@Mook Nah... that was just a pic that I found....

I think the two that I bought a few years ago, were about £25 each...

(same sort of thing though) !

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:33:40 GMT

Well that's what I'd consider paying myself if wanted one but disappointed to find that they wouldn't work.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:59:02 GMT

@Anonymous Yeah.. but... I don`t want another "box" to carry about with me.. (would probably need the mains for power, too ! ! ! ) ..

The dongle idea would be great... if it worked...but alas.. it does not.. ( just dug out my two dongles, and despite me running WINE with Linux Mint 20.1 they do not seem to be "compatible" with the system... so a total failure with the driver/install discs too ! .

ah well.... case closed. then !

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:22:03 GMT

@shutter Don't close the case. Plug one in and let's see what errors you're getting.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:31:56 GMT

@Mook The errors come when /after install is complete... it shows an error message saying the program has experienced a fatal error and must close...

This happens when some DLL is missing, or some part of the "fake" windows, setup in WINE is missing... 95 % of windows progs install with no problems... however, this is the same error notice I get when trying to install MSPUBLISHER 98.. and I have to use VIrtual Box to get that working as it should do.

I`ll start VB and Win7 and see if it works on that...

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:00:29 GMT

@Mook Well, Kinda, Partial success... PVR installed from the driver disc... but on starting the program.. it states that the device is not ready... check the connection.. Tried it with both dongles... maybe it`s the wrong program for the wrong dongles !.

GIve up !.. will see if I can do some research on Google about it, and maybe have to buy another dongle , with the correct driver disc.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:04:47 GMT

Progress is progress.

See what information you can glean from the devices in question, enter this information in to a search engine of choice and see if there are revised drivers available.

If it's recent hardware you may even get native Linux ones but you may have to buy a new one to get this.

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

shutter — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:49:48 GMT

@Mook the device is not ready... check the connection.

Is the ONLY information given out by the software.... apart from plugging and unplugging, there is no way to "check the connection".. ( yes I did try it in other USB Slots ! )

there are two small led`s on the dongle, neither of which "Light up", when plugged in...

I have checked the battery on the Remote Control unit, and it registers 3.3v. (Its a CR2032) which, considering it is over 4 years old, it compares to a more recently acquired new one.. of showing 3.2v ! .

Checking the PCB`s inside the dongle... one has WL-04 as an Ident.... this has a driver disc, but the drivers do not want to install, either on Linux or on VB win7...

the other has M-DVB218 REV A on it, so may be I can source a driver as you suggest..

cheers

Re: Watching Telly on my Laptop

Mook — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:02:56 GMT

By information @shutter I meant Maker / Model No etc.