Even if you do not have the most advanced PC, you should still be able to receive TV and radio. Without a decent signal, all hope is lost though. Infuriating? Yes, it can be, but with the right machine and a good signal, it has everything a set top box can deliver, in a far smaller shell.
However since 1GB RAM is now the standard for the most demanding games, we'd expect the majority to have at least 512MB anyway. Be aware, you will need at least 256Mb RAM for this- twice the requirement for standard viewing. Recorded MPEG2 is smoothly played back from the HD, and live broadcast recorded/ paused, as with Tivo, Sky Plus. Timer recording is as with a video- you can even programme the box, then put the PC in sleep and still capture the broadcast.
The most advanced features of a set top box are here too. Because this box supports HDTV, an HD ready TV, notebook or monitor will deliver a very high quality picture. The DVB-T delivers the full functionality one would expect from a set top box- blue light, remote control, on screen 7-day programme guide and even all those digital radio stations. Once powered up, an advanced PC will deliver full screen picture, with crisp sound. This beast requires raw power- a split USB cable even via USB 2.0! The USB cable does save the need for batteries or cables. If you need it, there's an extra USB cable to plug in. Providing you can find a channel, the time taken from driver installation to blissful viewing is less than 10 minutes.
If not, scanning for channels is a real pain, and if you cannot find a particular band (mux), you will be missing all the channels in that cluster. Setup is easy, providing you have good signal strength even with the included equipment. Sure, the platform is narrow and the box needs a rather long list of system requirements, from Pentium 3 (for basic viewing), Pentium 4 (for time shift and MPEG2 recording) as well as Direct X support and an AC-97 compatible sound card, but at least it stretches beyond the confines of XP, although only to Win 2000. Depending on your antenna arrangements, the location of your house, and the position of the TV within it, (and any cars with pre-1986 engines driving by), you will either love this or hate it. Since the collapse of OnDigital, the number of TV owners making best use of free-to-air digital TV channels has surged, fuelling the initial drive to push users away from standard terrestrial telly. (Pocket-lint) - Possibly the most interesting product so far from peripheral lead kings AverMedia, this nifty box will slip inside a cigarette box, yet has the power to pluck digital terrestrial TV from the air and display it on your Windows driven desktop or laptop PC.
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