Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Special > Miscellaneous > CeBIT 2004 Day 3: Graphics, Cases, Coolers and More

Twinhan/VisionPlus: Specialist For Digital Television

06:00 - Thursday 25 March 2004 by THG Reporting Team

This Taiwanese producer TwinHan is known for digital TV cards. Solutions for TV standards DVB (Europe) and ATSC (North America) are a part of its product portfolio. In Europe, analog television will be completely phased out by 2008. The advance of digital channels has already begun. The following outlines the different standards:

DVB-T: terrestrial digital television via antenna; DVB-C: digital television via cable; DVB-S: digital television via satellite.

In Hanover, Twinhan is presenting a new USB box for receiving digital television via antenna (DVB-T). The Vision Plus DTV USB-Ter offers the most mobility, especially regarding the use of notebooks. Thus the box does not require its own power supply unit for power, but rather is connected to the USB port of a notebook or PC. The antenna comes free as well. The most remarkable feature of the USB box VisionPlus DTV USB-Ter is its small dimensions, which make it just as small as a pack of cigarettes.

Other functions of the USB box are real-time video recording (DVR), time shifting, snapshot recording, an electronic program guide (EPG) and video text. The box decodes MPEG2-files, features automatic channel search and generates a favorites list.

In addition to the VisionPlus USB box for antenna reception of digital television, TwinHan showcased its PCI solution. With the VisionDTV Sat, for the first time, digital satellite programs can be received on your PC. All that is required is a free PCI slot in the computer. The card is bundled with WinDTV software for showing the satellite channels on the screen. A CI interface for recording CAM and subscription cards for receiving pay-TV is also integrated.

Digital TV programs can be burned directly onto the hard disk without loss. Unknown by most, DVB allows for transmission to be done directly in MPEG 2, which is the DVD format.

Control of the VisionDTV Sat is done by bundled remote control. Additional functions of the TwinHan VisionDTV Sat are snapshot recording, FTA multi-channel preview, automatic transponder and satellite scan, an electronic program guide (EPG), software upgrades, favorites list and video text.