Pinnacle's PCTV HD Pro Stick - PC Quarterly Review

Let me warn you that if you have an attention deficit, you may not want to consider getting the PCTV™ HD pro stick. I found it far too easy to allow myself to be distracted by an open TV program- especially during college basketball’s “March Madness”. On the other hand, if you need a TV and have to choose between a computer and a television, this may be an economical solution.

A major limiting factor to first consider is the system performance of your computer processor and available RAM. My first attempts at using the PCTV HD pro stick were a disaster. Although my underpowered Toshiba Pentium 4 laptop with 512 meg RAM should have met system requirements, the computer could not deliver picture and sound at the same time. I tried the unit on another Toshiba laptop with similar results. Once I had access to a new Dell Optiplex desktop with a Pentium Core 2 duo 2.4 GHz and 2 gig of RAM, I received an impressive high quality broadcast picture and sound. The analog pictures were mediocre to terrible. However, with the upcoming conversion to digital signals, this should not be an issue.

The PCTV HD pro stick package contains: a USB 2.0 TV tuner for analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) signals including standard digital and HDTV; a mini remote controller; a portable telescopic high-gain antenna; A/V adapter cable; USB extender cable; CD-ROM Pinnacle TVCenter Pro software and Pinnacle Studio™ QuickStart software.

The software supplied is designed for Windows XP and is Vista certified. The computers I used were running Home and Pro versions of Windows XP. Some online comments have indicated difficulties with Vista, however I was unable to test the unit using Microsoft’s latest operating system.

The written documentation supplied is less than stellar. Information appeared incomplete and it is geared toward experienced users. There is a more complete manual supplied on the CD-ROM in .pdf format, however I found that it wasn’t user friendly and took a great deal of time to understand and apply. In fact, after a number of attempts, there are still a number of features that I have been unable to implement.

The pro stick comes with a settings program. This program will give system performance information to determine the computers capability to access the different functions. Once settings are determined, the system scans for available TV channels and radio channels. The included high gain antenna allows capture of available broadcast stations or the pro stick can capture from a cable/satellite set-top box or camcorder with the included A/V adapter cable. Digital and high definition broadcasts on the antenna were stunning.

One of the really useful features of the device is its ability to act a digital video recorder (DVR). This allows for a variety of features including: recording shows for later viewing; pausing live TV; capturing still images or transferring programs to DVD, IPods, PSP and other devices. A free program guide gives basic scheduling information, and the unit also contains an introductory one year subscription to an internet based premium guide.

I encountered a variety of error messages during the installation and setup process as well as when using various features including burning to DVD. The mini remote control was difficult to use. Line of sight to the pro stick is not always possible because it is dependent on the placement of the USB 2.0 port. The program’s response time is somewhat slow compared to a regular TV.

Since I tested this unit using the included high gain antenna, I was only able to receive a limited number of stations. As such, I experienced an unexpected frustration - not having access to all of the channels that I normally watch. This is not a failure of the device or the programs, it is an unrealistic expectation when viewing TV strictly over the airwaves. This may be minimized by using the device in a fixed location with cable access.

I was very impressed by the broadcast quality on the limited number of digital channels that I could access. The software and related documentation were frustrating to use. In a pinch, the device can be useful in selected situations. Hopefully the next version of product and software will have improved functionality and ease of use.

Product Features*

Turns your PC into a PVR with TimeShifting: pause, rewind TV

Capture from your cable/satellite set-top box or camcorder with the included A/V adapter cable

Electronic Programming Guide including One year subscription for premium data (up to 14 days in advance)2

Fully compatible with Windows® Media Center (Windows Vista™ and XP MCE; remote kit sold separately)

Trim you videos with Pinnacle Studio QuickStart3

Automatically record shows direct-to-DVD and/or in the destination file format of choice (i.e. iPod, PSP, DivX, etc.)

Minimum System Requirements
Windows® XP with SP2 or Windows Vista (32 bit) Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, Pentium M 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 processor (for HDTV reception, a Pentium D or Pentium Dual Core or equivalent AMD Athlon 64 processor is recommended) RAM: Windows XP - 256MB RAM (512MB recommended)
Windows Vista - 512 MB (1GB recommended) DirectX® 9 or higher compatible graphics card DirectX 9 or higher compatible sound card 1 GB of disk space to install software (20 GB recommended for TV recording) USB 2.0 port DVD-ROM drive to install software Hardware Specifications

Inputs & Outputs
TV antenna input (F-connector) S-Video (via included adapter) Composite Video (RCA, via included adapter) Stereo audio (1/8” headphone plug, via included adapter) TV Standards

ATSC (HDTV up to 1080i, SDTV) NTSC (cable, over the air)

Package Contents
USB 2.0 TV tuner for ATSC/NTSC reception
Mini remote control including batteries
Portable telescopic high-gain antenna A/V adapter
Cable USB extender cable
Printed QuickStart guide CD-ROM with Pinnacle TVCenter Pro software
CD-ROM with Pinnacle Studio QuickStart software

Product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

----------------------

*1. ATSC, the new digital broadcast standard, is now available in many areas of the United States. ATSC reception is dependent on many factors. The provided antenna will allow reception in areas where there is a good ATSC signal. In regions or rooms where the signal is not strong, an amplified rooftop antenna will be required. It is generally not possible to receive an ATSC signal while en route (e.g. in a car or train). Please consult with your local reseller or go to www.antennaweb.org for more information on areas covered and optimizing your reception.

2. Standard definition TV, in DivX portable format.

5. For the use of Pinnacle Studio QuickStart, Windows XP is required.

*Features courtesy of Pinnacle Systems

Manufacturer: Pinnacle Systems - a division of Avid