Lamborghini Style

By Aloysius Low

The digital broadcasting age is upon us all and it's probably safe to say that there's no better time than now to grab a DVB-T tuner to pick up all those fancy channels to watch on your computer.

Stepping up to the challenge is this Lamborghini influenced K-World Tonino Lamborghini UB3850-T USB TV Tuner all decked out in metallic yellow and ready to go.

Revving Up

Seeing as how all you basically need is just a USB port, it's no surprise to find that the UB3850-T is easy to set up. Windows automatically detected the device, but you will need the drivers from the CD for the installation. Also, attaching the extended antenna is also a good idea as this will give you better reception indoors (somewhat) and K-World has thoughtfully added a magnetic base of the antenna so that you can attach it securely to your chassis.

After the driver installation, it's a matter of a few mouse clicks on the software control panel to start searching for free-to-air digital TV channels. The included software also has a list of pre-programmed country-based locations to choose from for easier and quicker frequency scanning.

Watching Now

While the setup was relatively painless, the same could not be said for navigating the channels as the buttons aren't really obvious. It's just a pity that while the product is associated with the Lamborghini brand, the user interface of the bundled HyperMedia Center software isn't quite as classy or sexy as the car.

Thankfully, watching normal digital channels was a painless affair, and as an added bonus, HD channels were generally smooth, though your choices of free-to-air HD channels are pretty much limited to what your broadcasters are streaming while the performance will vary according to your PC's specifications.

Eyes Wide Open

Hopefully, it's only a matter of time before the ugly software interface catches up to the sexy exterior of the actual device. Nevertheless, we're glad to report that the K-World UB3850-T is one of those products that does the job with minimal fuss for a reasonable amount of S$140, so yeah, why not?

Product Specifications

Interface :USB2.0 Interface
TV Tuner: 75 Ohm (UHF / VHF) TV Antenna
DVB-T Frequency :174 - 864 MHz Tuning Range(TDA18211)
Transmission Mode: 2K FFT or 8K FFT COFDM Demodulator (Fully DVB-T compliant : ETS 300-744)
Code Rate: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8
Guard Interval: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32
Constellation: QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
Bandwidth: 6, 7 or 8MHz
Dimensions: 72mm (L) X 23.5mm (W) X 14.6mm (H)