Anyone who watches television is probably aware of the upcoming digital switchover coming to the United States on February 17, 2009.  What has remained a mystery is how this will affect the consumer electronics market, not only for standard televisions; but for HTPCs as well.  The U.S. federal government is trying to ease the switchover in a couple different ways: first, all televisions, DVD recorders, and computer-based television tuners sold after March 1, 2007 are required to support the new digital standard.  Secondly, the federal government is sending $40 vouchers for set top boxes that would bring older analog sets into compliance. 

Now, this probably sounds like a major hassle to most consumers, especially those that do not keep themselves on the bleeding edge of electronics.  On the other hand, digital means better, right?  Will the new digital age of television allow for a better overall experience?  This is a question I hope to tackle as I review today's product: the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick. 

Overview:

The Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick is to the PC as the set-top boxes are to the analog televisions in that they are meant to provide an easy way to bring your setup back into compliance with the new digital standard without having to invest a ton of money into new hardware.  The Pro Stick includes: a remote control, the USB tuner, two AAA batteries, an antenna, a USB extension, a dongle for video input, and the antenna base. 

Features:

• Watch SD and free HD TV1 on your PC - no service fees

• Includes remote control and high-gain telescopic antenna

• Ultra-sensitive reception of both analog and digital TV signals

• New: supports both digital over-the-air (ATSC1) and unencrypted digital cable (ClearQAM2) HDTV

• New: stereo sound for both digital and analog TV

• New: stereo FM radio reception

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

• Electronic Programming Guide (EPG)

• Compatible with Windows® Media Center3 (Windows Vista™ and XP MCE; remote kit sold separately)

• Bonus: VideoSpin video editing software

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

• Automatically record shows to your hard drive in MPEG-1/2 or DivX4 formats, or direct-to-DVD

Specifications:

TV Standards

• ATSC (HDTV up to 1080i, SDTV)

• NTSC (cable, over the air)

• ClearQAM (HDTV up to 1080i, SDTV)

Inputs

• TV/FM antenna (F-connector/Coaxial)

• S-Video, Composite Video (RCA), Stereo Audio (1/8")

Recording Formats

• MPEG-1/2

• DivX4

• MPEG-4: compatible with PSP or iPod (Trial Version)

System Requirements

• Windows Vista™ (32-bit) or Windows® XP with latest service pack

• Intel® Pentium® 4 2.4 GHz, Pentium M 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 processor (for HDTV reception, a Pentium 4 2.8GHz or Pentium M 1.7 GHz or equivalent AMD Athlon 64 processor is recommended)

• RAM: Windows XP – 256MB (512MB recommended); for Windows Vista – 512 MB (1GB recommended)

• Free USB 2.0 port

• Sound / graphics controller with support for DirectX® 9

• Hard drive with minimum 1 GB free space (20 GB recommended for TV recording)

• DVD player/burner

• Internet connection for registration/activation

Package Contents

• USB 2.0 TV tuner for ATSC/ClearQAM/NTSC and FM radio reception

• Mini remote control including batteries

• Portable telescopic high-gain antenna

• A/V Adapter cable

• USB extender cable

• Printed quick start guide

• DVD with Pinnacle TVCenter Pro and VideoSpin editing software

A Closer Look:

First up, we will take a look at the dongle.  The dongle supports S-Video and Composite video inputs, and a stereo minijack audio input.  This plugs in via a mini-USB plug on the opposite side. 

Next up is the antenna base.  On one end, we have the coaxial connector that plugs into the USB stick, and the base on the other end.  The base is protected by a small red plastic cap. 

Added flexibility is given by a USB extension cable.  This is important considering that the remote control needs line of sight to the USB stick. 

The remote is a fairly simple affair, offering only basic functions, such as power, mute, channel selection, full screen, time-shift, record, stop, and info. 

Finally, the piece de resistance, the USB stick itself.  On the bottom is the coaxial connector.  The USB connector is hidden under a cap on the opposite side, much like a flash drive.  In fact, the USB stick looks very much like a typical thumb drive, and isn't much larger.