The SVB IPCTV external USB TV tuner box is just about good enough for watching television programs on your laptop or desktop PC. Unfortunately it is quite bulky and does not have much aesthetic appeal. It has a sturdy body, but can't stand vertically and save space. Installation of the drivers and software is quite simple and fast. and the TV interface is very easy to follow. Although the product specifications say 125 channels can be tuned in using a TV antenna or local cable network, we could get more than 350. Scanning for channels is very fast, but once it was set up, changing channels was slower than usual.

The IPCTV allows timeshifting to conveniently pause a live television broadcast on the fly. It has AN inputs which can be used for connecting a set-top box, video camera or other input source. The credit-card-sized remote can control basic operations, but it does not have a menu/setup button, which forces you to get back to the mouse to scan for channels, fine tune, adjust brightness or contrast and turn timeshifting on. Another drawback is that the tuner does not output audio via the same USB connection, but has an audio out which needs to be routed to your PC's line-in jack. Recording on the fly in the compressed MPEG4 format is supported, which helps increase the amount you can record.



Other features include scheduled recording, 16-channel preview and channel naming. Buyers beware-if you are planning on buying the tuner, the driver CD contains a Trojan (virus) which can harm your computer. Also the product is not compatible with Windows Media Center.

VERDICT: If you do not want to invest too much to add TV features to your computer, the IPCTV from SVB is a good choice. You might consider other TV tuners for better features and looks.
FOR: Timeshifting, MPEG4 recording on the fly, scheduled recording.
AGAINST: No FM, bulky, virus on the CD, not compatible with Windows Media Center