The Raspberry Pi micro computer’s seemingly endless talents were boosted today with the launch of a TV antenna receiver that will enable users to watch live television on a connected display or stream it over a network.
The brand new Raspberry Pi TV HAT is an official add-on, around the size of the Pi Zero board. It connects directly to an existing Pi via the GPIO connector and features a port for a standard television aerial connector.
The $21.50/£20 attachment enables the Pi to receive and decode Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) television broadcasts, meaning users can simply plug in to the HDMI monitor of their choosing and watch live television.
However, the more intriguing feature here involves the Pi’s networking capabilities. These will allow users to beam those live TV pictures to their smartphones, tablets, office computers and any other connected displays.
Related: Best Raspberry Pi projects
The Raspberry Pi foundation is offering a step-by-step guide to setting up the TV HAT (Hardware Attached on Top, in case you were wondering).
Unfortunately for our readers in the US, the TV HAT will only be available in Europe initially. The DVB-T2 standard is widely available in Europe, but is not compliant in the United States at present.
In a blog post announcing the add-on, the foundation writes: “Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) is a widely adopted standard for transmitting broadcast television; see countries that have adopted the DVB standard here.
“Initially, we will be offering the TV HAT in Europe only. Compliance work is already underway to open other DVB-T2 regions. If you purchase a TV HAT, you must have the appropriate licence or approval to receive broadcast television. You can find a list of licences for Europe here. If in doubt, please contact your local licensing body.”
Will you be grabbing the Raspberry Pi TV HAT add-on? How will you be deploying it? What are your favourite Raspberry Pi projects? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
