Hauppauge WinTV USB 2

Most tuner cards require you to open up your PC to install them. Hauppauge's latest model spares technophobe users from handling a screwdriver by plugging into a USB 2 socket.

Because of the higher transfer speeds, the WinTV USB 2 gives, in theory, much better picture quality (better pictures comprise more data, so faster speeds are needed to get it all across to the PC in time).

This means that the WinTV USB 2 won't work with PCs that only have USB 1.1 installed. Consult your manual or manufacturer if you're not sure whether your PC has USB 2.

Picture quality is very good, installation is simple and the supplied remote is useful. As with internal TV tuner cards, you will need to attach the supplied sound cable between the WinTV and your PC's sound card, otherwise you won't be able to hear anything.

If you can't, or don't want to, open your PC, the WinTV USB 2 is a handy alternative, but if you're using a notebook, there are PC card equivalents that might be better.