The Bottom Line
The Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick can tune free Over-the-Air ATSC TV (including HDTV) with the included antenna, or analog (NTSC) Cable TV from a coaxial cable. You can then use the Pinnacle TV Center Pro software to watch and record TV shows, and Pause Live TV - just like a TiVo. The PCTV HD Stick has excellent picture quality from Over-the-Air Digital and HDTV channels, with average analog Cable TV picture quality. Great for those looking for a simple and affordable way to record SD and HD TV to their Desktop or Notebook PC.
Pros
- Record Free Over-the-Air HDTV
- Turn your PC into a DVR
- Pinnacle TV Center Pro TV Tuner software
- Great HD picture quality
- Antenna included
Cons
- EPG only lists TV shows 3 days in advance
Description
- Record Over-the-Air ATSC HDTV or NTSC Analog Cable TV to your Computer
- USB 2.0 TV Tuner
- Includes TV Tuner Software to turn your PC into a Digital Video Recorder
- Includes tabletop antenna to tune Over the Air HDTV
- Compatible with Windows Vista and Windows XP Media Center Edition
- 3 day advance Electronic Programming Guide with Internet connection
- Automatically record shows Direct-to-DVD or to hard drive
- Trim TV and Video with Pinnacle Studio QuickStart Video Editing software
- Tested on a Dell Notebook - AMD Sempron 3500+ Processor, ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 Videocard, 1GB RAM, Windows XP Pro
Guide Review - Product Review: Pinnacle Systems PCTV HD Stick
The PCTV HD Stick is a small USB device that connects to a PC via USB 2.0 on one end - and on the other end you can attach an Antenna or Cable TV cable. Installing the device is as simple as plugging it in to a free USB slot and then running the included CD-ROM software to install the TV Tuner software included with the PCTV HD Stick.
Testing It Out
I first connected the included antenna to the Stick and ran the software to tune Over-the-Air digital and HD channels in my area. The small antenna worked surprisingly well, picking up 12 digital or HD channels, and 7 analog channels. The digital channels came in quite clear with the HD channels being extremely crisp. I was very impressed with the quality of the High Definition picture displayed by the ATI Radeon Videocard in the test PC using the PCTV HD Stick. The OTA analog (SD) channels were fine depending on the signal quality, but nowhere near as good as the HD channels. Next, I tested analog Cable TV with the Stick and was able to pick up all my usual Cable channels, with about average quality compared to other TV Tuners that I've used and tested in the past. The TV Tuner software bundled with the PCTV HD Stick allows you to watch TV, Record immediately or set up Recordings in advance, and Pause and Rewind Live TV. The software is easy to use, my only gripe being that the Electronic Programming Guide only displays 3 days worth of programming.
The PCTV HD Stick is great for those looking for an easy way to Capture and Record free Over-the-Air HDTV onto their Desktop or Notebook PC. Just keep in mind that a good Videocard is essential for displaying a High Definition signal.
Testing It Out
I first connected the included antenna to the Stick and ran the software to tune Over-the-Air digital and HD channels in my area. The small antenna worked surprisingly well, picking up 12 digital or HD channels, and 7 analog channels. The digital channels came in quite clear with the HD channels being extremely crisp. I was very impressed with the quality of the High Definition picture displayed by the ATI Radeon Videocard in the test PC using the PCTV HD Stick. The OTA analog (SD) channels were fine depending on the signal quality, but nowhere near as good as the HD channels. Next, I tested analog Cable TV with the Stick and was able to pick up all my usual Cable channels, with about average quality compared to other TV Tuners that I've used and tested in the past. The TV Tuner software bundled with the PCTV HD Stick allows you to watch TV, Record immediately or set up Recordings in advance, and Pause and Rewind Live TV. The software is easy to use, my only gripe being that the Electronic Programming Guide only displays 3 days worth of programming.
The PCTV HD Stick is great for those looking for an easy way to Capture and Record free Over-the-Air HDTV onto their Desktop or Notebook PC. Just keep in mind that a good Videocard is essential for displaying a High Definition signal.
