what is needed to get live tv in truck

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by crosscut, Apr 2, 2009.

  1. crosscut

    crosscut Light Load Member

    226
    126
    Feb 23, 2009
    FL
    0
    i was wondering what i need to get live tv in my truck..i have dell xps 1710 with windows vista premium..i plan on getting millenicom.the windows vista has something in it that says watch tv.iam not computer savvy but can i use this some how?what will be the cheapest route for me to get live tv?also does anyone know if i have netflix can i download movies with millenicom or is it streamed to me as iam watching it?..any help with this will be greatly apperacited..jordon
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. haze1

    haze1 Light Load Member

    79
    27
    Oct 31, 2006
    Midwest City, Oklahoma
    0
    hello crosscut, as far as live t.v. in my truck I use my laptop with a t.v. tuner which is plugged into a USB port, most trucks have an coax cable to which you connect to to your viewing source t.v. or as in my case directly to the tuner that is plugged into my laptop. My tuner receives both analog and digital signals. Most times as long as i am near a large city or town i can pull in many channels. I have seen drivers who have installed satellite dishes on their truck though i don't know much about their success. the other option is a small flat screen t.v. just hook up the coax and tune in at each location you stay for the night. Good luck
     
    cplmac2 Thanks this.
  4. haze1

    haze1 Light Load Member

    79
    27
    Oct 31, 2006
    Midwest City, Oklahoma
    0
    BTW, a USB tuner can be purchaced at bestbuy for approx $100.00 maybe less.Your laptop may have come preinstalled with a tuner but most do not, I suggest checking the manuals that were provided with your laptop to see if it has a built-in t.v. tuner.
     
  5. bullhaulerswife

    bullhaulerswife Forum Leader/Admin Staff Member Administrator

    28,282
    44,411
    Jul 23, 2007
    Midwest
    0
    This is what we did in hubbys truck. We got a 19 inch flat screen which comes with the digital tuner inside. He just goes to the menu, does a quick scan for channels and he's off and running with both analog and digital channels. Most of the time, he gets quite a few channels. And the new digital signal provides a great picture. Some channels will freeze if you are far enough away from the tower, but sometimes you can move the truck enough to get the signal to be consistant.

    We added a small DVD player to the TV for times when he doesn't get a great channel selection and he keeps a few movies with him in the truck for that purpose. I priced the SAT systems, and for the amount of time that he would use it, it wasn't worth the initial cost ($450-680) plus the cost of programming.

    The nice thing about the flat screens is you can mount them to the wall and free up more storage space in the truck for food or clothes. LOL

    He's really enjoyed the new TV since we put it in, and we are using his existing antenna that was on the truck before the digital switch.

    I've looked at the new digital antennas and contemplated getting him one of the flat mount type for the top of the truck. If we go that route, I'll let you know if it improves the signal.
     
    cplmac2 Thanks this.
  6. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

    12,812
    6,136
    Jul 22, 2008
    Owensboro , KY
    0
    javelinjeff Thanks this.
  7. MM71

    MM71 Heavy Load Member

    759
    990
    Jun 28, 2008
    AZ
    0
    I have a happauge wintv hvr 950 usb tuner that does analog and digital. i think it was around 60bucks on amazon. comes with a remote and lil antenna. i use the truck ant primarilly, it takes about 10min to search channels. the usb tuner uses A LOT OF POWER, and so does the computer decoding digital signals ... so be prepared to idle unless you only want to watch an hour or so of tv
     
    cplmac2 Thanks this.
  8. crosscut

    crosscut Light Load Member

    226
    126
    Feb 23, 2009
    FL
    0
    hey thanks all...iam on my way to get the usb turner..altho the flat screen sounds great iam out of my truck one week every month and i know it gets sent on local trips so that worries me..at least when i get off the truck i can take my laptop out easy..
     
  9. Red Fox

    Red Fox Road Train Member

    1,316
    432
    Jan 26, 2009
    Acworth, Ga.
    0
    Also check Hulu dot com for movies. It's pretty cool.
     
  10. MuddyMudskipper

    MuddyMudskipper Bobtail Member

    39
    3
    Mar 21, 2009
    Bangor, Maine
    0
    man im out team drivin and this whole tech is a huge plus... too bad copilot over here doesnt really even understand how to run the gps... i dont know how you old timers ( mean that with the upmost respect ) (bows to the gods of yesteryears) did it without it... comes in handy with the ""sleeper"" time....
     
  11. Red Fox

    Red Fox Road Train Member

    1,316
    432
    Jan 26, 2009
    Acworth, Ga.
    0
    We learned to read maps as kids. We knew what a compass was for.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.