NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, April 2008
Watch HD or Standard TV on Your Computer
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director;
Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host

Iwilsker@apcug.net
(click to email author)


WEBSITES:
http://www.pinnaclesys.com

On a recent trip to Dallas, while in my hotel room, I had some time to kill while my wife and daughters went shopping. I had a new little tech-toy to play with, so I opened the package, installed the software included, and began to watch the local Dallas on-air (free) TV stations on my notebook (laptop) computer.

What was fascinating to me was the ability to watch about a dozen crystal clear on-air HD and digital TV broadcasts at 1080i resolution, as well as the traditional NSTC format (analog) channels. When provided by the broadcaster, stereo sound is supported for both analog and digital TV. For those who want to receive stereo FM radio, this product also supports that as well. The product I was using was Pinnacle’s PCTV HD Pro Stick.

The heart of the PCTV HD Pro Stick is a USB device similar in size to a common flash drive. On one end, under a protective cap, is a standard USB 2.0 plug which plugs directly into a USB 2.0 port on either a laptop or desktop computer. The other end of the USB device has a standard coax connector that can be connected either to an existing cable or satellite feed, or to the telescoping high gain antenna included in the package; it is this antenna that I used in my hotel room in Dallas. Also included in the package is a full featured but miniature remote control that is only about 3 ˝ inches long, by about 1 inch wide, and runs on two AAA batteries (included). Additional cables are included that allow for input from other inputs, such as VCRs, DVD players, digital camcorders, and other devices. For those who want to relax and listen to FM Stereo radio or TV without disturbing others, there is also a 3.5mm headphone plug included on the adapter.

While very small in size, and reasonably priced (in the $90 - $100 range), this device, along with its included software, offers a lot of features and capabilities. The software (included) allows for the recording of any standard or HD TV just like any other free-standing PVR (personal video recorder), as well as time shifting. With time shifting, the user can pause, rewind, or replay the video. Automated digital recording can also be scheduled to record shows at selected times. One warning that I have is that TV shows, especially in HD, can take a lot of hard drive space; to save space and provide compatibility with other devices, the PCTV HD Pro Stick and its software supports MPEG 1 and 2 compression, DivX, and MPEG-4 (compatible with iPod or PSP devices). Integrated with the software is a one-year subscription to an electronic programming guide, which incorporates programmed recording. This program guide is especially useful when traveling, as it enables the user to locate local analog and digital on-air TV stations. One minor issue needs to be noted, and it is not a fault of the device, but a technological issue with digital TV; while analog TV can be played in a vehicle while in motion, the on-air HD digital signal is generally poor while in a moving vehicle. This is a known fact of the ATSC digital signal, and in no way a product deficiency.

The PCTV HD Pro Stick will run on almost any computer of recent design and manufacture that supports USB 2.0. The Stick requires either Windows XP (with Service Pack 2 installed), or the 32 bit version of Vista. To receive standard TV, an Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, Pentium M 1.3 GHz, or AMD Athlon 64 processor is required. To receive HDTV a slightly more powerful system is recommended, with a Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, Pentium M 1.7 GHz, or AMD 64 Athlon processor necessary to process the additional data required. Memory requirements are very reasonable with 256 MB required (512 MB recommended) for XP, and 512 MB (1 Gig recommended) for Vista. A sound card that supports DirectX 9 is required (most current sound cards meet this requirement). If it is desired to record TV shows, a minimum of 1 GB of available space will be necessary, but movies and sports events could easily consume 20 GB of hard drive space. A CD or DVD drive is required to install the software, and a writable CD or DVD is necessary if the TV show is to be saved to those formats. The PCTV HD Pro Stick and its software, in addition to saving to the hard drive, can also save direct to DVD.

The package is quite complete and includes some very useful software on CD. The Pinnacle TVCenter Pro software is a full featured TV viewing and PVR (personal video recording) software package for both XP and Vista (32 bit). Also included is Pinnacle’s very popular and easy to use VideoSpin editing software, (http://www.videospin.com) which enables the user to edit video, add special effects, and save the video in popular formats.

Pinnacle’s PCTV HD Pro Stick is but one in a series of products, all offering the same basic features. The basic model is the $80 PCTV HD Stick, which does much of what the Pro Stick does, but does not include the remote or the antenna, as well as the enhanced programming guide. Above the Pro Stick is the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick model ($130), which includes everything the Pro version has, but has no installation required; everything necessary to run is built into the USB device itself. Ultimate Stick also incorporates in the unitary USB device enough additional integral flash memory to directly record up to two hours of TV which can then be played back on any other PC. Ultimate can also write to a hard drive, or directly to a DVD just like the Pro Stick, and includes the same software as the Pro Stick model. Mac users can use the TV for Mac HD Stick which is very similar in features to the PCTV HD Pro Stick, but with Mac specific software.

Whether used as home or in a hotel, with a desktop or laptop computer, these PCTV HD Sticks can provide a lot of free entertainment opportunities often otherwise lacking. By using the computer to drive analog, digital, or high resolution HDTV, and incorporating the ability to program and record just like the obsolescent VCR, these PCTV HD sticks can provide a lot of entertainment capability. My Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick now has a permanent place of honor in my notebook computer case, and is now about as necessary a peripheral as my mouse. Whenever I take my notebook with me, my Pro Stick will be with me.

NOTE: All graphics are from PINNACLESYS.COM

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