Hauppauge WinTV Nova-t USB

Have you bought into the digital TV revolution yet? If so, you're in the minority. Independent Television Commission figures show that only one in three UK households currently access digital TV services.

One reason for the slow take-up is the cost of receiving digital programming; services from Sky and ITV Digital range from £7 to £30 for a monthly subscription.

So Hauppauge's claim that its new WinTV Nova-t USB device can receive 13 digital channels free of ongoing charges is eye-catching. But let's not jump the gun. The Nova-t works with a PC, so it brings free digital telly right enough, but to the desktop, not the cosseting comfort of an armchair.

Moreover, the Nova-t picks up only the free-to-air digital channels, which currently include BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channels 4 and 5, BBC Choice, BBC Knowledge, BBC News 24, Shop!, ITV2, ITN News and TV Travel Shop.

The device hooks up to any PC with a USB socket and requires a signal input from a traditional roof-mounted antenna or indoor aerial. It also demands a mains socket for power.

With those connections made, the Nova-t pretty much sets itself up, as the supplied software scans the airwaves for all the available digital channels, automatically naming and sorting them as it goes.

Oddly, the Nova-t picks up several subscription-only channels along with the free-to-air offerings, but you'll never be able to enjoy them because Hauppauge doesn't have service-supply agreements with digital TV networks. Besides, the box lacks the means to decode these premium channels.

That said, the current line-up of freebie channels is reasonable, bolstered by the BBC's commitment to digital TV.

Yes, BBC Choice and Knowledge are set to disappear, but BBC3 and 4 will replace them. What's more, BBC News 24 is one of the finest news services in the world and having it on tap will surely appeal to news junkies.

The software is limited, although changing channels takes but a mouse click. Teletext is not supported and the hard disk video recorder option is very basic, requiring manual starts and stops.

Prices: USB version - £200. PCI version - £150.

Contact: Hauppauge 020 7378 1997 www.hauppauge.co.uk

Alson consider: Pinnacle Studio PCTV Rave TV card.
Budget PC TV solution.
£35 - Worth it. Computeractive issue 86.