Product Description

Digital TV on the Go!

With high-speed USB 2.0 interface and PVR functionality integration, DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial) Tuner & PVR (Personal Video Recorder) allows you to both watch and record DVB-T programs anywhere on your laptop or PC, making the most of digital entertainment experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49504 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Creative Labs
• Model: 70SB000000001
• Released on: 2007-09-04

Manufacturer's Description
Digital TV on the Go!

With high-speed USB 2.0 interface and PVR functionality integration, DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial) Tuner & PVR (Personal Video Recorder) allows you to, watch and record DVB-T programs anywhere on your laptop or PC, making the most of digital entertainment experience.

Creative DVB-T Tuner & PVR, is Vista compatible, if you are using Media Centre'

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

Works with Windows Vista BUT some technical knowledge required
I couldn't resist buying this for £10 despite the reviewers' warnings that it was not compatible with my OS, Windows Vista. Plus, the Manufacturer's Description had a line that got my attention: "Creative DVB-T Tuner & PVR, is Vista compatible, if you are using Media Centre".

So I received the product and, first, plugged it in and let Windows see if it could install the driver automatically. No luck there. So next, I located the actual driver file on the installation CD:
(cd drive letter):\Creative PVR\Device Detect\Driver\setup.exe.
This is not the driver file itself, just an executable file, which failed to complete its installation, so no luck there either. However, I did find the temporary files that this installer extracts to your PC, located here:
C:\Users\(your user name)\AppData\Local\Temp\_isB015\ (this is what the folder was called for me - it is a temp folder so yours may have a different name)
This folder is temporary, so you MUST open it while the InstallShield Wizard is running and copy the file "Creative USB DVB-T Tuner.msi" to another folder on your hard drive.

As I said, this requires a bit of technical knowledge. But I was nearly there ... next I installed Less MSIerables, which is available here:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/File-Editors/Less-MSIerables.shtml
Using this program, I was able to FINALLY extract the precious driver files located within the "Creative USB DVB-T Tuner.msi" file. After that, it was just a matter of plugging the USB tuner into a USB port, and pointing the Windows new hardware wizard in the direction of the folder that I had extracted the drivers to. Windows Vista did the rest.

After all that messing about, I managed to get the tuner up and running with Windows Media Center, and I have to say it runs great. The supplied aerial is a bit on the weak side - from North London I was able to get about half the full set of digital channels. So I plugged it into our external aerial instead and hey presto, 60 channels from Crystal Palace.

So bottom line is: for £10 it's a steal, as long as Vista users can be bothered getting at those well-hidden drivers.

Useless
I have DAB radios and built in freeview on my LCD TV. I live only 15 miles from Crystal Palace. I cannot get a single channel that works properly without signal or sound breakup. I also only picked up about 10 of the 50 (aprox) possible channels. I am using XP (SP2) and this is the worst item I have ever used. Will be returning for a refund as doesnt do what it is supposed to do.

Freeview on your computer
I bought this 'cheap' gadget expecting it to work only well enough to give me more than a couple of channels. Boy was I suprised! The only channels I am not getting are Film 4 and Dave. To say I'm impressed is an understatement, and this with only the supplied aerial, no boosted signal or plugging in to the main household aerial.
Obviously you will need a good reception area, but my main household set needs a booster to receive channel 5..........

Buy it, you won't be dissapointed