TV Tuner for A series

[wheresmybeaver]

Hey lads, got a nifty A series Vaio recently, really like it a lot. Works hard, looks great! Anyway, my version of the A series doesnt have the TV Tuner feature, I was wondering if its possible to upgrade to this feature at some point. From what I remember from the Sony store, the high-end A series had "Gigapocket"? software installed that allowed you to connect your TV signal and record programs.

I saw in the online Sony Style store that there is a dock connector available for my model, but it makes no mention of a built in tv tuner or any such feature.

Any help is greatly appreciated, I'd like to have the ability to connect my laptop to my digital tv service or, ideally, pick up traditional free analogue tv stations.

Thanks

David (Rep. of Ireland)

[Psaila]

Any help is greatly appreciated, I'd like to have the ability to connect my laptop to my digital tv service or, ideally, pick up traditional free analogue tv stations.

Thanks

David (Rep. of Ireland)

I think This Digital TV & Radio External USB Freeview Tuner Box with Remote Control, digital May Be Of Use , David . Just one option .

[kee-lo_]

Yeah that box will be fine, as Sony don't want to sell the docking station seperately, which is bad news.

[wheresmybeaver]

Cheers for that psaila seems like a good, cheap option.
So the Sony tv tuner is built into a nonstandard docking station? But not available on its own. Maybe they'll start selling it sometime soon,if there's demand.

Cheers guys.

[kee-lo_]

Yep it's built in.

[Psaila]

Cheers for that psaila seems like a good, cheap option.

Happy to help David ,

Seem's Just the Thing untill Sony Allow the sale of docking station. Good spec and input option .Plus full record functions on the Inclued Remote .And A software pack .

[mousey]

David, you are not the only one who would like to buy the TV tuner/docking station which comes with the A217S for their A seires.
Unfortunately Sony niether sell the docking station on its own nor do they currently have any intentions of doing so anytime in the foreseeable future which is very frustrating and seems a pretty stupid decision from their point of view as they'd be sure to sell.
I know there are are external USB TV tuners around but having this combined with all the extra connectivity of the docking station would be well worth any extra cost.

Does anyone know someone in Sony we could complain to?(not that I expect it would make much difference), maybe sending letters to some magazines and the prospect of bad publicity would make Sony reconsider??

[kee-lo_]

Sony have a "don't care" attitude towards bad publicity, they say "you either like VAIO or you don't, if you don't, don't bother us".

Sad I know

[brandi]

I have seen a stereo TV PCMCIA Card from "Terratec". Maybe this could be a solution (I know, not the best solution) of our problem.

[vaiodon]

David,

If you're close to the NI border or east coast and can pick up UK transmissions there's a neat digital TV card from nebula-electronics.com. It's available as a PCI or USB unit.

Don (NI)