Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 18, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Pinnacle Systems, a division of Avid Technology, is launching a new Ultimate version of its award-winning PCTV nanoStick. The extremely small Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick Ultimate delivers high-quality digital television for PC and Mac, allowing users to pause, rewind and record their favourite programmes. When used with a PC, the new stick can transmit TV signals to as many as three PCs within a home network.
The ideal solution for Mac/PC households
The Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick Ultimate is a highly compact USB stick whose slim TV-tuner design makes it a perfect addition to Windows and Mac laptops. Despite its extremely small dimensions of 5.5 x 2.3 x 1.3 cm, it delivers excellent performance: even with weak signals, its highly sensitive reception technology almost always receives digital terrestrial television and radio, and it is also ready for terrestrial HDTV where available.
The PCTV nanoStick Ultimate is an ideal solution for mixed Mac/PC households that prefer a single TV-tuner solution. Its ultra-compact size and lightweight design make it easy to carry from home to the office or use while travelling and on holiday.
Functions like a video recorder
The mini TV tuner includes the latest user-friendly software: Pinnacle TVCenter Pro for PC and the new Elgato EyeTV Lite for Mac. Together, these programs give a PC or Mac the complete functionality of a fully featured personal video recorder. The PVR function lets users record standard- and high-definition television programmes to the hard drive and play them back with time shifting. Recordings can then be cut and edited with Pinnacle VideoSpin. Users can watch television in full-screen or windowed mode and change channels using the small supplied remote control.
The PCTV nanoStick Ultimate also includes Pinnacle DistanTV, which can transmit a TV signal to as many as three PCs on a home network (LAN), allowing users to watch television simply and inexpensively on any PC in the house.
The complete advanced software package supplied with the Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick Ultimate includes:
● Pinnacle TVCenter Pro, which turns a computer or notebook into a fully equipped digital recorder with one-click recording—live or scheduled, in MPEG-1/-2, DivX or HDTV—which can be written directly to DVD. Users can watch television full-screen or in a window, and pause or rewind favourite live programmes using time-shifted playback.
● Pinnacle DistanTV turns the computer into a hub that transmits TV signals to as many as three PCs within a home network (LAN). It installs easily with just a few clicks.
● Pinnacle VideoSpin is an entry-level video tool that lets PCTV nanoStick Ultimate users cut and edit their own recordings. Users can mix in photographs and music, add titles and transitions, and send the finished video as an email attachment or upload it directly to popular websites such as YouTube or Yahoo! Video.
● The new Elgato EyeTV Lite is Mac software that lets users watch, pause and rewind live television and record several hours of programming directly on a Mac.
Price and availability
The Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick Ultimate is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows Media Center and Mac OS X. Where available, it can receive digital terrestrial HDTV in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. It will launch at the end of September and be available from leading retailers, online shops and the Pinnacle Systems e-store at a recommended retail price of €59.90.
Further links:
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