A Closer Look:

Retail front

Retail rear

Open box

Another shot

    The USB HDTV-GT comes packaged in a small retail box with plenty of information on the product within. The contents are the USB HD tuner with a removable antenna, a nice looking remote control, an installation CD, an assortment of cables and a soft carrying pouch. As for the manual, an online version is available for download.

Contents revealed

GT Tuner top

GT Tuner bottom

    Let's first go over the HD Tuner, which is slightly smaller than the XBox360 controller. The top and front of the tuner has a smoked piece of plastic that allows for the IR sensor to function, and allows the status lights to be seen without showing the printed circuit board within the tuner.

Back side

Antenna

    On the what I am calling the back side of the tuner are the connection ports. A single USB2.0 port, A/V In port and a connection port for the antenna. This antenna is used for the OTA, or Over The Air, analog and HD signals put out by broadcasters. With the video in port, a set top box can be used to display unscrambled digital signals - usually your local channels. Also, the OnAir USB HDTV-GT gets its power from the USB connection, thus there is no need for an external power source, something that I like with this product.

Installation:

Software suite

GT Tuner drivers

Successful install

    That takes care of the overall physical description of the contents; now it's time for the installation. The OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner is controlled and powered through an USB connection, which that means the software must be installed first. So just pop in the included CD and start the install. Note: Software is only available for Win2K, XP and Vista operating systems. Follow the onscreen instructions, a process that will take only a few minutes. After the software is installed, it's now time to hook up the hardware.

Antenna installed

USB cable attached

    Hardware install is just as easy as the software. Screw on the antenna and plug the ends of the USB cable into the connections ports. When this is done, the "Found New Hardware" window will pop up and do its thing. When that is done, it's time to open the software. Now we come to the hard part: finding the digital signal. Apparently, these open air digital signals are more directional than the older analog ones, so the antenna needs to pointed in a certain direction in order to get a proper signal.

The pictures below do not indicate the actual quality seen on the laptop. These were taken using a digital camera.

Strong

Stable

Crisp

    Within the included software is Signal Viewer, which helps you aim the antenna in the right direction for a signal. Ultimately, you are looking for a Signal to Noise ratio of 20dB and up for a solid, stable picture. Once that is done, switch over to the Channel Manager screen and scan the channels that have been found. The channel line-up is dependent on your location. Also, the channels can be changed with the included remote control. You can even use the computer as a PVR, but a lot of disc space will be needed since the Over the Air HD signals are uncompressed.

Testing:

    Since this is geared toward the mobile user, I decided to install the OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner on my laptop. After the software is installed and up and running, it's time to choose what type of signal you want to grab: Analog or Digital. Well, since this is more about having a portable HDTV receiver, I will go over that area only. With the program open and tuner powered on, you will see two LED's in the front window. The blue LED is for power and the red is for signal strength. When the red LED is on, you have your first indication of a weak to no signal. So, you'll need to scan for channels, and for simplicity I chose to scan for OTA DTV channels only.

Screen Capture #1

Screen Capture #2

    After the scan was done, I was shocked at how many free OTA HD signals had been picked up. I live in the Pittsburgh area and I know that WPXI broadcasts in HD because they never shut up about it, but I was shocked to see 17 other free HD channels on my list, even with the weather here being horrible with heavy snow. Some stations offer more than one HD channel to view, and some have dedicated weather channels. All the channels on my list had very good reception except for one. When the Signal to Noise ratio meter dropped below 20dB, the picture would freeze or just drop out all together, so 20dB plus is a must for good, clean, stable viewing.

    I mentioned I was able to pick up 18 channels in HD, but this number will vary depending on your location. Some people may get more channels, and others less; it's all about location, location, location. When you have your channel list created, you are able to get screen captures, and even record the HD feeds. Just keep in mind that the HD feed is uncompressed and will eat up around 10mb for 10 seconds of video.

    The last thing I would like to mention is the included remote control. The remote control is intended to work with the OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner and its software. This isn't a Media Center remote control, but in the option menu of the software, some key mapping can be done.

Conclusion:

    Currently, I do not own a HDTV in my house, and haven't felt the NEED to get one. Well, after reviewing the OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner and seeing the picture clarity on my laptop, I now feel the need to go HD... real soon. Everything about the OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner was easy and simple. The design is simple and not overdone, the installation was easy and not difficult, and the use was simple, easy and not overly complicated.

    The OnAir USB HDTV-GT tuner is a solid performer and truly portable. The small size and easy setup will keep the person-on-the-go going, and not tied up in a mess of cables or bulky carrying pouches. Overall, this is a great product that I can give the VH Seal of Approval to, and will add this to my own laptop bag. I would like to thank the folks over at AutumnWave for sending this item out for VH to review.

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