What's a TV tuner?

A TV tuner lets you watch and record TV on your computer, transforming your PC into a digital video recorder (DVR), just like TiVo. Take note that you’ll still need a cable hookup or antennae to get a TV signal.

Most TV tuners come with an electronic program guide (EPG)—a gigantic schedule of all upcoming TV shows that you can access on your PC; Windows XP Media Center comes with a built-in EPG. Just by clicking around the EPG with your mouse (or using a media center remote, which comes with many TV tuners), you can change the channel and easily set the TV tuner to automatically record and save a program on your PC’s hard drive.

Relatively few computers come equipped with a built-in TV tuner, and those that do are the expensive, high-end multimedia models. That said, it’s not expensive to add a TV tuner to a desktop PC or laptop, and they come in a variety of formats including PC Card, ExpressCard, and USB.

Leading TV tuner manufacturers include Hauppage, ATI, Pinnacle, ADS, Plextor, and AVerMedia.

Justin Jaffe, the author of CNET Do-It-Yourself Laptop Projects: 24 Cool Things You Didn't Know You Could Do!, is a writer and technology expert in Portland, Maine.

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