| ASUS My Cinema-U3100Mini HDTV Tuner |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Accessories | |
| Written by Mathew Thompson - Edited by Olin Coles | |
| Friday, 16 January 2009 | |
ASUS My Cinema-U3100MiniCome February 17, 2009, most major broadcast stations in the US will make the final switch from analog to digital broadcasts. This transition has been coming for a long time, ever since VCDs were introduced into the market over a decade ago. Digital video through ATSC provides the necessary efficiency to allow the same broadcasts while using less bandwidth than is already used in traditional analog broadcasts (Standard Definition, 480i) and also allows enhanced definition (ED, 480p) and high definition (HD, 720p and 1080i) content to be broadcast over the air. This switch will affect the computer user two-fold. First of all, the analog video tuners that people bought long ago will not pick up broadcasts any longer. But, at the same time, it's a great opportunity for HTPC and media center builders to develop a digital TV recorder and viewer for their computers. The ASUS My Cinema U3100Mini steps into place as a portable digital TV viewer and recorder.
The U3100Mini is a USB 2.0 device that has the ability to accept both ATSC signals over the air as well as QAM signals through coaxial cable connections. It can display and record at all ATSC resolutions and frame rates. Does the ASUS My Cinema U3100 Mini deliver? Read on and find out. About the company: ASUSAsus is one of the most respected manufacturers of computer hardware of the industry, including video cards. Here is what they have to say about their commitment to quality: "ASUS, a technology-oriented company blessed with one of the world's top R&D teams, is well known for high-quality and innovative technology. As a leading company in the new digital era, ASUS offers a complete product portfolio to compete in the new millennium. In 2007, one in three desktop PCs sold was powered by an ASUS motherboard; and the company's 2007 revenues reached US$6.9 billion.
ASUS products' top quality stems from product development. It's like learning Chinese Kung-Fu; one must begin with cultivating the "Chi" and inner strength. asus_logo_blue_300px.pngBesides innovating cutting-edge features, ASUS engineers also pay special attention to EMI (electromagnetic interference), thermal, acoustics and details that usually go unnoticed to achieve complete customer satisfaction. ASUS notebooks are the first TCO'99-certified notebooks worldwide. The requirements for this honor include radiation emission control, energy (battery consumption), ecology (environment friendly) and ergonomics. To succeed in this ultra-competitive industry, great products need to be complimented by speed-to-market, cost and service. That's why all 8,000 over employees of ASUS strive for the "ASUS Way of Total Quality Management" to offer the best quality without compromising cost and time-to-market while providing maximum value to all customers through world-class services. With unyielding commitment to innovation and quality, ASUS won 2,568 awards in 2007, meaning on average, the company received over 7 awards every day last year. BusinessWeek has ranked ASUS amongst its InfoTech 100 for the 10th straight year; and the company is ranked as No.1 in quality products and services by the Wall Street Journal. ASUS has also achieved the number one title on the annual league table of Taiwan Top 10 Global Brands with a brand value of 11.96 billion US dollars." Closer Look: ASUS My CinemaThe ASUS My Cinema U3100Mini, at its core, is just a USB stick. The USB connector is covered by a magnetically attached piece. On the opposite side, a small port allows the connection for the TV input. The box set contains two connectors for the port: A small antenna and an adapter to a traditional coaxial port. The entire device is slightly heavier than a typical USB flash drive.
The antenna, itself, is telescopic and extends from 6" to a little over 12". The cable length is a little less than 5 feet long. The antenna has a magnetic base that for attaching either to computer cases or other metallic surfaces. The antenna can unscrew off of the magnetic base and can screw on to an included suction cup base.
When in use, a green LED light shines showing a consistent connection. When the antenna is not picking up a strong or consistent signal, the green light will flash. When not in use, the light turns off. The coaxial connection has a wire that is about 1.5" long. The port allows a connection either to a larger antenna that you may already own or a cable connection for QAM reception.
The package also comes with two CDs a booklet and a card indicating that the TV adapter is compatible with the Eee PC. The CDs contain the drivers for the adapter as well as ArcSoft TotalMedia 3.5.
The included instruction booklet contains instructions in 15 languages. Unfortunately none apply directly to the Tuner itself. Instructions are available for download on ASUS's website for the My Cinema series which are a bit more descriptive, but are still for the entire series and don't offer much more information. My Cinema U3100Mini DetailsThe ASUS My Cinema U3100Mini supports both ATSC and QAM. The test device I receive was labeled DMB-TH which is actually the Chinese digital TV standard, but my computers all saw the device as ATSC. A DVB version of the U3100Mini also exists for the European market as well. The ASUS My Cinema U3100Mini supports the following resolutions and frame rates:
The system requirements listed for the device include:
The ArcSoft TotalMedia software plays television through your television adapter as well as DVDs, photos, music, radio and videos (in WMV, MPG or AVI containers). The interface is reminiscent of Microsoft's Media Center software. Television is recorded at its original resolution and frame rate in an mpg container. Testing & ResultsI was curious to see what range of computers could use the ASUS My Cinema U3100Mini. The box states that a Pentium 4 2.6ghz is required for PCs and a Pentium M 1.3Ghz is required for Netbooks, but that a Core 2 Duo is required for high definition video. Most testing was conducted on my main computer, which contains these main specs:
I also tested this device on three other computers, a typical, low cost computer, a laptop and an HTPC using QAM. Their specs are as such:
The first thing I noticed, when testing the TV tuner out is that antenna adjustment and placement is of paramount import. Research on the matter indicates that the hierarchy of antennas would be to have an outdoor antenna and then to have an indoor antenna as a second choice. Indoor antenna reception is far more tenuous and larger designs are typically used (especially with telescopic poles like those in traditional rabbit ears).
The included telescopic antenna that comes with the tuner is quite small, which makes it good for portability, but is not a great choice as a permanent fixture. The antenna tended to have somewhat weak reception. A larger antenna would work wonders for getting better reception. However, I was a little disappointed with the antenna connector on the tuner. It's a small plug that resembles that used by AC adapters, but its small size looks like it may be prone to breaking eventually.
When it comes to the digital signals and reception, you're not going to find the problems traditionally associated with TV reception. You're not going to have fuzzy or snowy reception with the audio going from clear to static over and over. Rather, when it comes to digital signals, you'll either have it or you will not. When you get weak reception, you'll find video drop outs (the video just stops or freezes) and sometimes video artifacts (color blocks, pixilation, etc). With an analog video signal, you could get away with small antenna in a non-optimal direction and still watch TV, albeit in a distorted fashion. 
Digital TV requires an appropriate antenna be connected and pointing in an appropriate general direction to function, else the signal will not be received in its entirety. This, of course, is not a fault of the tuner itself, but more a function of digital TV as a whole. The trade off is that digital TV signals require far less bandwidth. Testing & Results Part 2
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