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Spending Smart
Way beyond rabbit ears
The latest tuners bring digital, high-definition TV to your PC
Even with Hulu, YouTube, and iTunes bringing programming to your computer, sometimes it’s just nice to be able to tune in to your favorite channel.
Computer TV tuners have existed for years, but with the transition to digital and the rise of high-definition television, it may be time to upgrade your hardware. And if you’ve never tried television on your computer, now is a great time to experiment, because the technology has become more user-friendly over the past few years.
There are a few things to consider when buying a tuner. First, if you have a traditional tower PC, open the case and make sure that you have an open PCI Express slot.
On most PCs, it’s located in the back of the computer, below things like the video and sound cards. If you have an open slot, you can buy an internal card. If not, or if you’re using a laptop, there are some USB and network television solutions that will do the job.
One thing to keep in mind is that, traditionally, with any video devices on your computer, you need to be patient when installing them.
Make sure no other programs are running when you install the drivers and software. Make sure the computer is unplugged and that you’re electrically grounded (touch something metal) before you reach inside the case.
We found four television tuner cards we liked. AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet A188 for $60 is a good internal value choice, while the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner is a little more robust at $120.
The SiliconDust HDHomeRun is a great external solution at $100. It plugs into your home network and can feed television to any computer in your house.
If you just want something you can plug into your computer via USB, Hauppauge has another good solution with the WinTV-HVR-1950 Hybrid Video Recorder for $140.
We recommend any of these four devices depending on your needs and compatibilities, but the most intriguing device by far was the HDHomeRun, which at $100 can plug into your home networking router and can stream video to any computer on the network.
It can even record shows and store them on an external hard drive for later watching.
All four products will work with digital antennas or your cable TV service.
SILICONDUST HDHOMERUN
$100Pros: The HDHomeRun is a great gadget that can work with multiple computers. It’s a great addition to your network. It’s also priced well.
Cons: None.
The final word: This product simply looks fun.
AVERMEDIA AVERTVHD DUET A188$60
Pros: The AVerTVHD is an inexpensive solution for someone who wants to watch and record TV on a PC.
Cons: Some users have reported instability in Windows Vista, but the manufacturer recommends making sure your video card drivers are as up-to-date as possible.
The final word: You won’t regret this one. It’s user-friendly, cheap, and does the job.
Pros: The AVerTVHD is an inexpensive solution for someone who wants to watch and record TV on a PC.
Cons: Some users have reported instability in Windows Vista, but the manufacturer recommends making sure your video card drivers are as up-to-date as possible.
The final word: You won’t regret this one. It’s user-friendly, cheap, and does the job.
HAUPPAUGE WINTV-HVR-2250 DUAL TV TUNER
$120Pros: The Hauppauge product installs easily, finds all the channels, and can record two shows on two different channels at once, just like your $20/month cable DVR box.
Cons: It’s more expensive than the AVerTVHD, considering it doesn’t do a whole lot more. Also, because the tuner lets you pause and rewind live TV, it’s always recording a buffer of your channel. This is a great feature but it makes channel-flipping a slow process.
The final word: The Hauppauge does TV and radio tuning and makes a nice addition to your PC.
HAUPPAUGE WINTV-HVR-1950 HYBRID VIDEO RECORDER
$140Pros: This external solution means you won’t have to go digging through your computer’s innards.
Cons: We’re not fans of the remote controls that come with these products.
The final word: If you want to plug your TV tuner into your computer, or if you run a laptop or “all-in-one’’ PC, this is the way to go.
John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com. 
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
