Reviews – Twinhan USB-Ter – External USB2 Digital (DVB Freeview) Decoder

Reviews - Twinhan USB-Ter - External USB2 Digital (DVB Freeview) Decoder

"You'd be mad to consider buying a TV decoder that isn't digital…

This USB2 version give you everything you need without the fuss!"

In the ever evolving world of the computer, the 'lifestyle' system is being increasingly used by grungy techno-yuppies to describe, in essence, a PC that looks like it's a modern art installation… and there is nothing wrong with that. However for those of without Windows Media Centre Edition, things like television on your monitor can still be an affordable reality.

All you need is a TV decoder card. We recommend an external USB2 jobbie, and took a shining to the abstractly named DTV USB-Ter by Twinhan. It requires no external power and is ideal for use on notebooks (or desktops with an ever growing spaghetti-junction of power cables)

TV decoder cards aren't new, but the technologies inside them are always progressing. They are getting faster. USB2 allows for a quicker transfer resulting higher frame-rates. They are getting smaller. The USB-Ter is also smaller then the microwave meal that will no doubt accompany an evening in front of the monitor. Finally, and most importantly, they are getting digital. Now we are finally able to get the plethora of free to air digital channels in a correspondingly satisfying amount of digital quality. More importantly, the digital television standard has been confirmed to replace all analogue broadcasts in the UK by 2008. If you want your hardware to last, you'd be unwise to buy a non DVB decoder. Digital TV on your PC is of course totally logical: PC's are digital devices using digital means of storage. Bringing us onto our next point, the USB-Ter is also able to perform the full range of digital MPG2 based functions including: Recording onto your hard drive (goodbye VCR), scheduled recording (goodbye Tivo), an electronic program guide (goodbye TV Times), and our favourite, the pausing of live TV via time-shifting (goodbye Tardis… because we all have one somewhere in the loft)

The supplied instructions and software should make installation and operation easy for those of us who fail to understand the concept setting a VCR, while there are plenty of more complex encoder related settings should you feel the need to fiddle a little more. After you have performed the initial scan for available stations in your area, you are ready to go. The USB-Ter will also pick up radio stations; however these are limited to analogue frequencies - Those seeking digital music or DAB stations would be better purchasing a dedicated DAB radio.

We loved the little details of the USB-Ter. Things like a free mini-internal aerial with a magnetic base, or a remote that for once, doesn't look like a nomination for the 'tacky in plastic' awards: it even comes WITH batteries! It's fair to say that Twinhan have produced a very well rounded piece of kit that stands up flawlessly to its competitors. We won't be the first to say that Twinhan is the underdog as far as brand names are concerned, but as we have already mentioned, those seeking a designer label on their desktop will be the ones buying the 'lifestyle' system.