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Pinnacle PCTV USB2 ( 210100387 ) TV Tuner and Video Capture Device
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Average customer review:
Product Description
Pinnacle PCTV USB2 is an affordable, external PVR that plugs into the USB 2.0 port of your computer. It offers easy, one-button TV recording and CD/DVD burning. Perfect for mobile users, it is small and compact, and draws power from the USB port, therefore eliminating the need for a separate power supply. It lets you watch live TV (cable or analog) as well as video footage from other sources like a VCR, camcorder or DVD-player. Video can be recorded using MPEG or DV real-time compression. An interactive set-up assistant makes the installation as easy as possible.
Product Details
- Brand: Pinnacle
- Model: 210100387
- Platform: Windows XP
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 8.50" h x 3.00" w x 12.00" l,
Features
- Turn your PC into a personal video recorder (PVR); burn recording to disc
- Plugs into the USB 2.0 port of your computer
- Video can be recorded using MPEG or DV real-time compression
- Watch, record and pause live TV; import video footage from other sources like a VCR, camcorder or DVD-player
- Small and compact, and draws power from the USB port
Editorial Reviews
Amazon Product Description
Amazon Product Description The Pinnacle PCTV USB2 TV tuner and video capture device lets you watch, control, and record live TV (cable or antenna) on your PC. You can also use it to import video footage from other sources like a VCR, camcorder, or DVD player. Video can be recorded using MPEG or DV real-time compression. An interactive setup assistant makes installation fast and easy.
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This external Hi-Speed USB TV tuner is compatible with both analog cable and antenna TV . | The Pinnacle PCTV USB2 is an affordable external TV tuner/personal video recorder (PVR) that plugs into your computer's USB 2.0 port. Offering easy, one-button recording and CD/DVD burning, it's small, compact, and perfect for mobile users. You can pause the show you're watching and resume viewing where you left off. You can also rewind and fast-forward through recorded live TV, such as sports broadcasts. Just activate Time Shifting at the start of the game and you can pause and replay important action at any moment. At the press of a button, you can return to the game in progress. The PCTV USB2 lets you use your computer like a VCR. Just schedule the recording of your favorite program and the included Pinnacle Vision 5 software handles the rest. |
Burn Recordings to Disc The PCTV USB2 requires a PC with with Pentium III or Athlon (1 GHz) or Celeron/Duron (1.2 GHz) processor, Windows XP (Home or Professional), DirectX 8-compatible graphics controller (or higher), DirectX 9-compatible sound controller (or higher), and a minimum of 5 GB of free hard drive space. What's in the Box |
The PCTV USB2 lets you watch TV shows in full-screen mode or in a moveable, scaleable window, which lets you enjoy TV while you use other applications. |
Customer Reviews
good luck if you buy this..
i purchased this product, it worked great for 2 days and now suddenly no longer responds (reinstalled, rebooted etc no help). i looked for help by posting problem on pinnacle support forums and have received no answer for 2 days and counting... i have now been on hold with the non toll-free tech support for 55 minutes and still no answer... avoid my mistakes and look elsewhere...
Bad, bad, bad, product and Tech Support! Stay Away!
I own a top of the line PC: Athlon 64 3500+, Nvidia 6800, WinXP Pro card, etc. etc.
Pinnacle PCTV crashed the WinXP Pro during the install phase and freezes the Windows XP ever since. Both Pinnacle Tech Support and Forums Suport do not read the questions and send irrelevant answers. They also suggested replacing my PC - What a joke! Don't buy it unless you are SURE that you can get reimbursed in full if it does not work for you! Don't even dream on counting on Pinnacle's support.
Excellent value for the money
After reading a couple of negative reviews, I tempered my enthusiasm for buying one of these but did so anyway since the price was right (I received a $20 rebate). In short, the device has far exceeded my expectations. My intended use for it is on the road with my Dell 700m laptop (with XP SP2), which has a 1280x800 display resolution. Given some of the reported driver problems, I was a bit concerned that the laptop's rather unique screen size might pose a problem with the PCTV, but was wrong. Install was trivial. On system reboot after the install, the software runs a comprehensive diagnostic to make sure everything is in order. For me, everything worked as advertised. I also installed the software on my desktop just to see the comparison, especially since my desktop is a two monitor system. If anything, it works even better there, although I can't drag the TV window over to the 2nd monitor.
The image is far superior to the 7" LCD TV I have for use during power outages we may get in Florida courtesy of hurricanes, and at about 1/3rd the cost, not to mention at a tiny fraction of both the weight and the size. In fact, at full screen it is at least as good as any TV set at a comparable distance. This was a pleasant surprise, although I personally would consider it a waste to use my desktop as a full size TV. The fact that you can record using it is gravy. The (measured) power draw on my laptop's battery is nominal, almost no worse than running without it.
I would have rated this product a 5, except for the following annoyances, none of which is fatal:
a) as I'm sure Pinnacle is aware, the driver needs more work. In messing with the "fine tuning" controls, I blue-screened my laptop's system. While I have not experienced any spontaneous failures of this sort from the software (unlike my experience with products from larger companies ... hear that Sony?), it is something that shouldn't happen and indicates some elements of the driver are not quite right. I have now run the product for a number of hours with no other failures, and that includes bringing it up and down, plus competing with other processes for system resources.
b) you can manually set most channels, but the interface does not show Channels 2,5, and 7, one of which is used by one of our local stations (however, it does pick it up under auto-scan). It's a mystery as to why these channels are not present for manual setting. Perhaps more annoying, there does not seem to be any way to retain two sets of channel settings, say one for cable and another for antenna.
c) the system comes with a remote control, which I won't use, but does not come with an antenna. I would suggest to Pinnacle that it makes more sense to provide an appropriate travel antenna and skip the remote. I now have to locate a suitable antenna to replace the length of coax I've been using for tests (the coax actually provides a startingly clear picture on some channels).
Since my install was problem free, I can't say anything pro or con regarding Pinnacle's support for the product as I have no pressing reason to contact them.
All in all, I think this is a superior device, so long as you plan to use it with an appropriate machine (USB2 is a must, and your hardware probably should be of relatively recent vintage, for example). The device is very light and compact and so makes a nice addition to my travel machine, not to mention provide me with an exceptional emergency TV.
