TechRadar Verdict
Great features, easy operation and useful extras make this well worth the asking price
Pros
- +
Compact and attractive
Subscription to tvtv.co.uk
Excellent software
Cons
- -
Diversity mode seems largely a gimmick
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The clever bods at Terratec have managed to cram not one but two DVB tuners into the svelte case that housed the Cinergy Hybrid. If you've already made the leap to digital TV, this will allow you to watch one programme while recording another entirely different one, something many DVB-T PCI cards don't allow.
The other trick up its diminutive sleeve is diversity mode, which locks on to two seperate signals, and allows better reception even when travelling at speed.
I tried this on a Virgin train between Birmingham and Bristol and got no picture, just programme info, but I'm inclined to believe that the fact I was sitting in a large metal tube had something to do with it. In reasonable signal areas I didn't see diversity making a huge difference in signal strength, so in general I'd probably stick with the more useful dual tuner mode.
The software is the same suite that appeared in the Cinergy Hybrid: unfussy, intuitive and full of tweakable settings. Though Hauppauge's diversity effort undercuts it on price, considering the aesthetics of this dual tuner stick, the quality of the included remote, the excellent software and a very welcome year's subscription to tvtv.co.uk, this remains well worth the 75 nicker you can find it for online.
