Love the idea of HDTV but hate the idea of shelling out big bucks for a big-screen television set? A TV tuner for your PC or laptop can save you cash and add the twin benefits of portable size and the ability to record shows. I tested the latest versions of two USB HDTV tuners--Pinnacle's PCTV HD Pro Stick and Hauppauge's WinTV-HVR-950Q--to see how well they converted my computer into a high-definition TV.

The Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q--a descendant of the company's WinTV-PVR-USB2 and WinTV-PVR-150, which we reviewed several years ago--lists for US$99, while the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick costs $100. Both TV tuners look like USB thumb drives and come with a portable antenna that you attach to the tuner for better reception (both Pinnacle and Hauppauge recommend using a rooftop antenna for even better reception). Each bundle also includes a remote control; an A/V cable for connecting to an external video source; a USB extender cable to give you some flexibility in where you place the TV tuner; and desktop software for playing back, pausing, and recording the TV content you see.

The installation process for the two products is almost identical, too. In each case you connect the tuner to a free USB 2.0 port on your PC and then connect it to the portable antenna, which should be located near a window or outdoors, if possible. Each tuner comes with an installation CD that automates the entire process; you simply click a few buttons, restart your computer when prompted, and get ready to enjoy the show.

Once the tuner is installed, you must scan for available channels. Both the Pinnacle and Hauppauge products pick up analog NTSC and digital ATSC channels, as well as ClearQAM channels (to scan for this type of unencrypted digital cable channel, however, you must connect the tuner to a cable line-in, not to an antenna). The Pinnacle unit can scan for Internet radio and FM radio stations as well.

Station reception was the first difference I noticed between these two units. I tested both TV tuners in my house in suburban Boston. Both picked up around 30 channels, and neither picked up more than a handful of HD broadcasts. But the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick picked up four key channels that the Hauppauge tuner missed, and one of those was the HD broadcast of my local NBC affiliate showing the Olympics; the other three were the digital, standard-definition feeds of local ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates.

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