ADS Technologies Instant TV +FM PCI

The tuner's best features aren't obvious, For instance, you can control the size of the customizable preview grid (which shows what's currently playing on several channels), and you can determine which channels will be displayed. Recording options include seven quality levels, recording time limits, and a recording volume setting. Unfortunately, when we recorded time-shifted video at high-quality encoding settings, the on-screen video image degraded markedly. Afterward, however, the recorded MPEG-2 files played smoothly.

Because ADS Tech's TV tuner doesn't integrate with an electronic program guide such as TitanTV, you can't use an EPG to help schedule a recording. The tuner lacks video editing and DVD burning software, too. As its name suggests, the Instant TV +FM PCI card includes an FM radio tuner: An RCA connection accommodates the included antenna, but there's no coaxial input.

The package's documentation covers little more than the setup procedure, with a cursory nod also to the external remote control, which contains some buttons whose purpose remains unclear.

Upshot: This low-priced TV tuner card has some handy features; but overall it's awkward to use, and the failure to include an integrated EPG is a big oversight.

Emru Townsend