Pinnacle PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick review

Digital USB tuners are great for watching Freeview channels on a notebook.

In theory, you should be able to take your notebook anywhere, plug in the tuner and enjoy your favourite shows. However, the supplied mini antennas work only if the signal is strong enough, so most of us can't roam further than our aerial sockets allow. Pinnacle's PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick contains two tuners, which it uses simultaneously to improve reception in areas with poor signal strength.

The stick itself has a pair of inputs, one full-sized RF input on the rear plus a mini RF input on the side. There are two antennas supplied, which must be spaced about a metre apart. They don't stand up well on their own, but a little Blu-Tack kept them firmly in place.

Setup was straightforward, if time consuming. The software is easy to install, but scanning for channels took ages, as the program has to scan for each antenna separately. Surprisingly, it didn't find all the Freeview channels. We tried a second scan at the highest sensitivity, but we were still missing one multiplex. Searching with a rooftop antenna did find it, however.

The two signals are processed together inside the stick to give the best possible results. It's effective; we got excellent reception in two locations, without any sign of dropped frames or audio stutters. This is a significant improvement over other USB sticks we've tested. As well as two aerials, the PCTV has two tuners, so you can watch one channel while recording another. You can't record two channels at once, however. There's a confusing picture-in-picture system when you use the tuners to receive two programmes. You must be careful, as any of these features will deactivate the diversity reception. The EPG is poor, with only now and next information displayed. However, you can record directly to iPod- or PSP-compatible video files, as well as directly to DivX format.

The interface works fine for basic viewing and the included remote control is excellent. It's compact, but has proper rubber buttons, making it much better than the ultra-slim remote controls that often come with USB stick tuners. Also included is Pinnacle's useful MediaCenter software, which lets you browse all your media files through one interface, plus Pinnacle Studio Quickstart for basic video editing and DVD creation.

This is an expensive USB stick, but it has two tuners. The software isn't good enough to make the most of them individually. Still, if you travel a lot, or want to watch TV in the garden, this USB stick will give you the best possible chance of receiving watchable digital TV.