Plextor PX-HDTV500U Mini Digital HDTV Receiver

The good: Cheap; easy to set up and use; tuner and antenna are compact and highly portable; works with Media Center.

The bad: Bundled software suffers from unattractive interface; no Mac support.

The bottom line: The Plextor PX-HDTV500U Mini Digital HDTV Receiver provides a cheap and easy way to watch and record HDTV on your PC. We recommend this compact tuner and antenna kit particularly for laptops that feature Microsoft's Media Center app.

Price range: $82.00 - $110.95

Specifications

Manufacturer:Plextor Corp.

General

Video Input - This card can receive HDTV signals, allowing a system equipped with it to act as a tuner for a connected HDTV-ready device.
Device Type - ATSC HDTV receiver
Enclosure Type - External
Interface Type - Hi-Speed USB
Width - 2.8 in
Depth - 1.1 in
Height - 0.6 in
Weight - 0.7 oz

Video Input

Features - Time shift function, 16:9 widescreen mode, Picture-in-picture capability, One-touch recording from Electronic Program Guide (EPG)

Video Input Adapters

Digital Video Format - MPEG-2
OS Required - Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Vista
Interface devices - Sound card
Compatibility - PC
Required slot - None

Expansion / Connectivity

Connections - 1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A
Compatible Bays - None
Compatible Slots - None

Video

Form Factor - External

Software / System Requirements

Min Processor Type - 1 GHz
System Requirements Details - Pentium III - RAM 256 MB

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & Support - 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details - Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year, Technical support - Phone consulting