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Prolink PlayTV Box


Date
: 02/12/03 – 08:34:30 PM

Author
:

Category
: Misc

Page 1 : Introduction

Manufacturer: Prolink
Price: N/A

Introduction

Prolink Microsystems is a brand that many of you will know from the video card business, in which Prolink plays an interesting role. But video cards is not the only market segment in which they are gathering popularity. The company, which was founded back in 1987, also produces add-on cards like TV-tuners, capture cards, Digital TV cards, IEEE1394 FireWire cards, LCD monitors and several other multimedia products. One of those multimedia products Prolink designs, is called the PlayTV Box. This "box" enables the user to hook up any kind of device to their CRT/LCD monitor and thus widening its usability. O² takes the Prolink PlayTV Box for a spin and reports back …

Page 2 : Specifications

Specifications

For starters, let's inspect the specifications of the PlayTV Box …

- Model No: PV-STV 102+
- Turn your CRT/LCD monitor into a TV
- Connect VCR, VCD, DVD and enjoy watching movies on your CRT/LCD monitor
- Connect your favorite PS2 or XBox and go wild on your CRT/LCD monitor
- Friendly OSD adjustment
- High Resolution up to 1024×768
- No driver installation requested

Hardware Specifications

Input

- TV Input: Coaxial (RF)
- Composite Video with Separate Audio Input
- S-Video with Separate Audio Input
- VGA 15 pins RGB Input

Output

- VGA 15 pins RGB output
- Stereo sound audio output

Dimension

- Base unit: 20(cm)x16(cm)x4.6(cm)
- Remote unit: 16.5(cm)x4.8(cm)x2.5(cm)

Weight

- Base unit: 660g
- Remote unit: 45g

Features

- De-interlace function
- Full-channels TV tuner, including broadcast and cable TV
- Easy to connect and use without any OS compatibility issue or hardware performance limited
- Output resolution up to XGA (1024×768)
- Saturation/contrast/Hue/Brightness adjustment
- Supports composite video & S-Video input for VCR, VCD,
- DVD, camcorder or TV games (PS2/XBOX)
- 700 billion operations per second
- IR receiver input built-in for infrared remote control
- On Screen Display (OSD)
- Supports channel auto scan
- Auto detect external source signal for PAL/NTSC/SECAM
- NICAM/EIA-J/BTSC dbx support (optional)
- Teletext (optional)
- System Requirements :
- PC:Any PC with a VGA Output
- Monitor:Any CRT/LCD monitor with VGA Input
- Projector:Any Projector with VGA Input

The box that contains all of the above is 30cm wide, 20cm tall and 10cm deep. When opening up the box you'll find the following gear on the inside:

- The PlayTV Box
- A stand to install the box vertically and save space
- A power block to supply the PlayTV Box with juice
- A set of audio/video cables
- A male/male VGA cable
- An S-Video cable
- A remote control
- Two AAA batteries to power the remote

The Prolink PlayTV Box is a device that allows you to hook up any kind of device that puts out a video signal to your CRT/LCD monitor. In short, the box will turn your computer monitor in an all-round display that can be used to watch DVD's through a standalone DVD player, use a VCR, play games on your favorite gaming console (like the XBox or the Playstation2). All of this can be done without the use of your computer and therefore it does not need any driver to work.

The PlayTV Box is placed between the actual computer and the monitor. All the other devices you which to use on your monitor are then connected to the PlayTV Box and everything is done! How easy is that huh? No need to configure difficult options or buggy software … just connect the cables and you're set.
The PlayTV Box works just as good with the European PAL system, as it does with the NTSC standard that is used in the USA.

Besides the ability to play your console games onto your computer monitor, this nifty device also comes with a built-in TV tuner. This allows you to enjoy watching television with your computer screen … which means you no longer need a separate television. Especially people with limited space and/or budget i.e. college students, will love this feature.

And that's not all … Prolink bundles their PlayTV Box with a remote control (batteries are included) so you don't have to leave your lazy chair in order to change the channel or switch to VCR/DVD/Console/… What more can you ask for?

Page 3 : Layout & Installation

Layout & Installation

I've covered all the features of the unit, so it's time to examine the looks of the PlayTV Box and also look at the installation procedure.
The end-user can put the box on his desk in three different ways: lay it flat on the right side, lay it flat on the left side or put it in the included stand (which carries a weight to keep it stable) so the device is standing vertically and taking up less space. I personally prefer the vertical stand because I feel it looks good like that, but in the end it is totally up to you :).

The unit is pretty solid and weighs around 660g. The remote weighs close to 45g and is very clear and easy to use.

The PlayTV Box is colored dark blue with a grey front bezel. The front bezel has one power button, three LEDs (powerled, AV1/AV2 led and TV led) and an IR remote receiver (for the remote). The backside has a tad more features: TV-in (coax) where you connect the cable TV, VGA-in to which you connect the PC, AV2 S-Video in, AV2 Audio-R in, AV2 Audio-L in, AV1 Composite in, AV1 Audio-R in, AV1 Audio-L in, Audio out, Monitor out that goes to your display and of course also a power in, to which you have to connect the powercord.

Just hook up the desired hardware to the box and connect the box to the monitor and computer (in order to be able to use your display for the normal PC assignments). Once that's done, you're ready to go! Note that the PlayTV Box supports a 1280×1024 resolution for PC applications and a 1024x768XGA resolution for the other applications. Of course you can also use the box to connect your devices to a projector and get a super wide screen view ;).

All in all, the installation and use is very straight forward and easy, also thanks to the OSD that comes with the box. If you want, you can optionally get this box with a teletext module, so you can access the teletext features of your local TV channels.

Page 4 : Conclusion

Conclusion

Prolink has surely found an unharvested market with their PlayTV Box. The unit allows its buyers to hook up any video device to their CRT/LCD monitor or projector and thus saving money on an additional TV unit. The box does not need any software or drivers to operate and is compatible with all standards out there. It comes with several in/output ports to allow you to connect any device you want and use it on your computer display. Add to that the include remote and you're all set. I reckon this product will make a good tool for people on a budget or people who are space-limited or perhaps for those of you who feel the desire to play a console game on their monitor while their computer system is rebooting ;).

Good

- Easy to use and install
- Handy for budget/space limited people
- Comes with everything you need

Bad

- Teletext feature is optional
- Remote has a "cheap" touch …