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- First reviewApril 21, 2014
- Last reviewApril 21, 2014
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funkymono's Reviews
Tune in to live television broadcasts on your PC with this PCTV USB 2.0 stick and watch and record your favorite TV shows with ease.
Customer Rating
5
Perfect DVR option for cable-cutters
on April 21, 2014
Posted by: funkymono
from Asheville, NC
I purchased this to convert a 3-year-old HP desktop into a DVR for over-the-air digital TV, and it works exactly as I'd hoped. A few notes:
1. Although many Windows computers will automatically download the drivers for this tuner, those drivers will often be out of date. Be sure to download the latest drivers from the Hauppauge website. (If you're using Windows Media Center, it'll hang while trying to find signals if you're using an outdated driver.)
2. If you have a computer with Windows Media Center, you won't need the software that comes with this tuner; Windows Media Center automatically detected the card and TV signals (after I updated the drivers), and it's an intuitive, robust program that works like a charm.
3. The antenna that comes with this tuner will only suffice if you live in a metropolitan area where all of the broadcast signals generate within a 10-mile radius; the rest of us will need a heftier antenna. The Mohu Leaf is a good option, although I use the ChannelMaster DB8 since many of our local broadcasts generate from 30+ miles away.
4. I don't know if the included remote will work with Windows Media Center, but I use the Logitech K400 wireless keyboard with touch pad. It's inexpensive, lightweight, small, easy to use, and has a wireless range of 33 feet.
1. Although many Windows computers will automatically download the drivers for this tuner, those drivers will often be out of date. Be sure to download the latest drivers from the Hauppauge website. (If you're using Windows Media Center, it'll hang while trying to find signals if you're using an outdated driver.)
2. If you have a computer with Windows Media Center, you won't need the software that comes with this tuner; Windows Media Center automatically detected the card and TV signals (after I updated the drivers), and it's an intuitive, robust program that works like a charm.
3. The antenna that comes with this tuner will only suffice if you live in a metropolitan area where all of the broadcast signals generate within a 10-mile radius; the rest of us will need a heftier antenna. The Mohu Leaf is a good option, although I use the ChannelMaster DB8 since many of our local broadcasts generate from 30+ miles away.
4. I don't know if the included remote will work with Windows Media Center, but I use the Logitech K400 wireless keyboard with touch pad. It's inexpensive, lightweight, small, easy to use, and has a wireless range of 33 feet.
With all of that said, this is a good product if you've ditched cable but still want to be able to record your favorite programs. And for the record, my computer is connected to a 720 HDTV via a VGA cable and male-to-male stereo cable. The picture isn't as good as when the coax was plugged directly into the TV, but it's still quite good. If you have the option of connecting your computer and TV via HDMI, the picture should be excellent.
My Best Buy number: 2120818596
What's great about it: Good price, works with Windows Media Center
What's not so great: Included antenna weak
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Logitech - K400 Tenkeyless (TKL) Wireless Membrane Keyboard - Black
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