3. Instant TV Deluxe USB

The basic concept of the Instant TV deluxe is that it digitizes A/V input from one of three user-selectable sources: Composite, S-Video or a Cable TV RF feed. The digitized A/V data is then sent over the USB cable to the computer, where it can be saved or viewed.

Figure 3 shows the back of the device with its associated connectors. One thing missing from the box is a power switch; if you want to turn the device off, you'll have to unplug it.

Figure 3: Back Panel - Instant TV Deluxe USB

The front of the box, shown previously in Figure 1, has two status LEDs and component A/V connectors. Curiously enough, I found no mention of these front-panel connectors in any of the documentation. Only with experimentation did I find that they are an A/V pass-through.

Bundled along with the Instant TV Deluxe is an IR-blaster type device with remote. This device plugs into the USB port of your computer, and controls both the Instant TV Deluxe and other components in your video system. For example, when you hit the channel-up button on the remote, the device receives your command and then sends the equivalent command to your cable or satellite box.

Figure 4 shows the main board of the Instant TV Deluxe. The large chip in the center is the heart of the device, a Cirrus Logic MPEG-2 encoder. Although it's hard to see in the photo, the USB controller is a Cyprus 7C68013.

Figure 4: Main Board - Instant TV Deluxe USB
(Click image to enlarge)