Hauppauge WinTV Ministick HD

Hauppauge has expanded its range of portable TV tuners to include the WinTV-Ministick HD, a portable USB-based tuner capable of picking up local free-to-view TV channels, including those in HD.

The device is no bigger than a thumb drive, with an RF port at one end to connect to an aerial. A portable mini-aerial is supplied as is the latest version of WinTV for accessing and recording channels.

Setup is straightforward, provided you have access to a strong signal. During our tests we found the supplied aerial to be all but useless, very occasionally picking up a few channels only to lose them after reconnecting, so we’d strongly advise anyone considering a purchase to use a rooftop aerial.

This restricts its versatility somewhat, but isn’t the only factor that can affect playback.

After successfully scanning for and detecting a range of channels using the setup wizard, we discovered our test notebook was severely under-powered and had to resort to carting a desktop machine to a location close enough to an aerial wall socket.

Reception and picture quality improved dramatically, but the listed system requirements are only a bare minimum, and might not be enough for consistently smooth playback.

WinTV is a basic application that provides all you might need from a TV tuner, such as the ability to pause, time-shift and record programmes. It includes a seven-day electronic programme guide (EPG) and the ability to set up and schedule recordings, show subtitles and Teletext.

Generally we were impressed by the image quality, portability and operation of the Ministick HD, but only in an optimum environment. The potential signal issues are a problem, but this is also true of many other TV tuners. If you have a powerful PC, this is an effective way to access digital television and HD.