Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick T2 290e

Pinnacle PCTV nanoStick T2 290e review

We've seen many digital terrestrial tuners for PCs, but until now all have supported only the original DVB-T standard – and that means the brave new world of DVB-T2 HD (Freeview HD) broadcasting has been strictly off -limits. All of this changes with the introduction of the nanoStick T2 290e from Hauppauge subsidiary PCTV Systems. The first tuner to support both standards, it's a tiny and stylish USB 2.0 dongle. Decoding and displaying HD channels is a punishing task; PCTV Systems recommends a multi-core 2.6GHz processor for HDTV. It's tiny, but the nanoStick T2 also accommodates an infrared receiver for armchair control over volume/channel changes and other features. The supplied handset is small but perfectly formed, however, those small buttons won't be appreciated by the ham-fisted. Also included is a somewhat-optimistic whip aerial – only of use if you can literally see the transmitter mast from your window. For those who aren't in such a position, an adapter allows standard aerial connectors to be attached to the nanoStick T2's diddly little MCX socket. Rounding off the package is a CD-ROM containing the software. Experiment remotely The main program, TV Center, is neatly presented.