Using lap top as satelite TV

Hi
Our van has a Selfsat dish installed,how easy and what will be required to use my 17'' laptop as a TV rather than buying another TV

I need the following information:

What model dish is installed
Is a satellite receiver installed and if so what model
If a receiver is installed does it have an HDMI output
Does your laptop have an HDMI input - most recent ones do.

Peter

Hi Pete
The dish is a Camos selfsat top plus,there is just a cable and no decoder.
No hdmi on computer but a high speed usb input,computer Dell inspiron 1720
Can I also use this disc to get internet connection


Many thanks,any help much appreciated

Pete

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&sku=A3091403&dgc=ST&cid=41141&lid=1069630&acd=239715600820560

Hi Pete

Your only option is to procure a device similar to the one pointed too in the link above (USB connected free to air satellite receiver). I have no experience of using one and it also needs an external power supply, this being necessary to provide enough power for the LNB on the dish.

Personally I would bite the bullet and buy a 12v powered satellite receiver (Freesat if you are staying in the UK or Free to Air if you plan to travel to Europe) and a 12v powered TV.

If you will always have a hook up you can get cheaper mains powered versions.

I have the same 'dish' - I think the best compromise between reception and wind tolerance performance.

Peter

Hi Pete
Many thanks,will be staying in UK,Haven't had anything to do with satelite TV and unit on van when we bought it,I will keep my eye out on ebay,its not desperate but we will me using van autumn and later hopefully so with darker nights will come in useful.

Pete

I've used Hauppauge USB-based receivers (in their Freeview rather than Freesat form) with a laptop, and they are pretty good company for after sales support - unlike the makers of the cheaper Chinese "no name" dongles.

However, I agree with Peter that a dedicated receiver and TV are a better solution. The problem I had is that by the time you've wired up the laptop to its power supply, plus the receiver, the dish and its power supply you seem to have wires and boxes everywhere! And then you are stuck with using a laptop - you can't substitute in a TV at a later date because the Hauppauge boxes have to have a PC/laptop to work with.

Another option would simply be to splash out on one of the Avtex TVs which have a DVB-S tuner built-in (and also a Freeview one if you change to a van with no sat dish) though I don't think they are cheap!