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This function displays video from the TV tuner over a part of the analog picture from the video card.
"Picture-in-picture" is called using the PIP button on the remote control. PIP CH and PIP Pos. buttons remap the volume control and channel settings buttons from their direct functions to window position control. |
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When you press the PIP button for the second time, the PiP video becomes semitransparent.
Note that Box 9 uses only its video processor to manage this mode.
There are some drawbacks here as well. PIP is possible only when both the tuner and the monitor are set to 60 Hz. And unlike Greenwood TV POP 1280S, the video window size is fixed. Besides, when you press the AV/PC button in this mode, there will be no sound at tuner activation until you switch to the full-screen mode.
The PREVIEW button on the remote control switches the tuner to the multiple channel preview mode.
The matrix consists of 12 cells and a larger window in the center. We have come across a similar Channel Surf implementation in the latest version of the software for tuners manufactured by Compro Technology.
Unfortunately, the sound is muted for some odd reason, when this function is in progress.
Video path of the tuner underwent no changes in comparison with Box 5. Video quality is on a good level. Enabled deinterlacing creates ghosting, which is however much easier to accept that the comb like effect.
Strange as it may seem, when rewinding a tape in a VCR connected to the composite video-in, we had a synchronization glitch resulting in a blue screen. Perhaps it's a peculiarity of our sample, at least Box 5 used to operate absolutely correctly in the same conditions.
Despite a casual look of the small-diameter VGA cable that comes with the bundle, we have no complaints about the picture quality on the monitor.
It's the remote control, which is used in AverMedia portable tuners since Box 3. It's powered by two AAA batteries included into the bundle.
Note that Box 9 actually uses PIP, PIP CH, PIP Pos. and PREVIEW buttons. Reminder – using the PICTURE button you can get a quick access to the menu responsible for video settings.
Though the 75 Hz mode makes it impossible to use "picture-in-picture" and 1280x1024 resolution, AVerTV Box 9 is presently the only available portable tuner that can decode stereo sound. That's why this product is honoured with the Original Design award.
For the time of this review AVerTV Box 9 is almost the most expensive model among portable tuners available on the Russian market. But by some parameters it's inferior to its competitors. For example, Greenwood TV POP 1280S offers the 1280x1024x75Hz mode and "picture-in-picture" with resizable video window. However, taking into account the all frequency channel scan (this feature is especially useful in case of complicated conditions of television broadcasting), individual colour-television system and audio settings for each channel, and A2/NICAM support, the price difference will not seem that excessive to many users.
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