Taking home entertainment one step further, Pinnacle Systems has released a digital media solution that enables consumers to use their existing PC or laptops to watch television and digitally record programmes for time-shifted viewing.
Distributed through the South African channel by Rectron, the PCTV Deluxe system offers the functionality of a standalone personal video recorder (PVR) while incorporating Titan TV - an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) - to set-up programme preferences for automatic recording.
Approximately the size of a VHS tape, the PCTV can be used to capture and compress video in real-time from video sources such as a TV, VCR, camcorder, digital TV set-top box, or DVD player.
"The PCTV Deluxe offers features such as simple installation and ease of use, and there is no need to buy expensive single purpose hardware," comments says Rui Pereira, general manager at Rectron.
"It is a powerful digital media solution that pauses live TV programmes, creates instant replays and zooms, and records programmes to watch at more convenient times."
Using real-time MPEG compression and audio synchronisation hardware, the PCTV Deluxe can store the video in mpeg-1 or mpeg-2 format on PC hard disk or write the video to CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, or DVD+RW disc that can be played back on set-top DVD players.
Added to this, the PCTV also features the Pinnacle T-Rex multimedia file converter, Studio 7 video editing software and an infrared remote control to access TV, Teletext and VCR function.
The PCTV Deluxe also provides support for USB2, a higher transfer speed (up to 480Mbps) which delivers enhanced video quality.
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