Re: TP755C/CE differences?

["Robert George" <george@holmes.cs.nps.navy.mil>]

>Can anyone tell me what the reception is like?  Do you have to
>put a little antenna on it?  Any way to get cable?  :)   As for the
>Video input--can you edit video with it (and the proper software)?

The tuner takes the place of the floppy drive in the internal bay.  If you look
at a 750 or 755, there is a removable plastic insert on the left side.  This is
taken out and provides the port for the external receiver and the video input.
 There is also a removable insert around the mouth of the floppy drive slot
which is removed and provides a panel for tuner control.

After you install the tuner, you install a BIOS update which autosenses whether
you have the floppy drive or the TV tuner inside.  When the laptop is booted
with the tuner pack, it operates like usual until the power switch for the
tuner is pressed.  Then the tuner takes over the display panel.  This is an
important point -- the video image does *not* appear in a window, it takes over
the entire screen.  Windows applications still function, they just do not
display on the LCD panel.

BTW, this means that the although the video is being digitized (instead of
passing it analog direction to the LCD panel), it cannot be captured.

TV reception is provided by a weird looking external receiver with suction cups
intended for mounting.  Reception is acceptable, but not outstanding.  The
video quality is reasonably good, but I found the colors looked artificial with
skin tones on a 750c/755c due to the limitations of the 8-bit RAMDAC.

My feeling was that it was _not_ worth the original price of $1,995, but I
might reconsider with the $399 price tag.

Robert