Pvr client pctv systems
This is no different from what’s required with the Ethernet-only Slingbox devices - but in the case of the PCTV to go, it seems contrary to the idea of buying a placeshifting device with built-in Wi-Fi.Ĭonversely, if you decide to forgo the built-in wireless and instead use the PCTV To Go’s Ethernet jack as the sole connection to your network, the setup wizard skips over the wireless setup entirely. If your home isn’t wired for Ethernet, this relegates you to using a powerline technology like HomePlug (or paradoxically, a Wi-Fi-to-Ethernet bridge). In order to use the PCTV To Go with wired clients, you need to set up an additional connection from the device to your network through its 10/100 port. Rather, you must decide in advance how you plan to access the PCTV To Go, and then set the device up accordingly.įor example, if you join the PCTV To Go to your network via Wi-Fi, you can’t reach it from PCs that use wired connections, even though they’re on the same network. You might think that using the PCTV To Go would be a simple matter of joining it to your WLAN and then watching it from any computer on the network, but alas, this isn’t the case. What I encountered was a process that was a bit less straightforward than I’d hoped. Another nit to pick is that the PCTV To Go only comes with coax and composite cables, so if you want to use superior-quality S-Video or component video, you have to spring for the cables yourself.Ĭonsidering how simple the physical setup was, I expected a simple process with the PCTV To Go’s network setup wizard.
(I found out later that PCTV To Go didn’t like the TiVo’s progressive-scan output signal, so I had to set it to interlaced in order to get a clear picture). The PCTV To Go’s plethora of ports let me easily connect it to a Toshiba TiVo/DVD recorder combo via component video.
PVR CLIENT PCTV SYSTEMS PRO
That’s notable, because most Slingbox products don’t support this kind of pass-through connection (the $249 Slingbox Pro does, but not for component video unless you buy a separate $50 breakout box). (There are no HDMI or digital audio connectors.)īetter yet, all of the PCTV To Go’s AV ports have inputs and outputs, so you can connect it between devices (e.g., your cable box and your television) instead of hoping that your video source has an unused set of outputs. The PCTV To Go gives you a choice of coaxial, composite, S-Video and component video inputs, along with a pair of analog RCA-style jacks for audio. That’s OK, though, because the longish chassis allows Pinnacle to pack in just about every type of video connection one might care to use. The PCTV To Go HD Wireless is a fairly wide device, with about the same footprint as the average (non-DVR) cable box. On the other hand, a convoluted and inflexible network configuration can make setting up and using the unit something of a chore that limits your viewing options.
PVR CLIENT PCTV SYSTEMS TV
The PCTV To Go also sports a phalanx of AV inputs and outputs that allow you to physically integrate the device into just about any TV or home theater setup. The PCTV To Go HD differentiates itself from the Slingbox in a number of ways, not the least of which is integrated Wi-Fi (the Slingbox offers only Ethernet). Sling Media’s Slingbox products are iconic in the category, but they’re not the only game in town - an alternative is the $250 PCTV To Go HD Wireless from Pinnacle Systems.
PVR CLIENT PCTV SYSTEMS PC
In the last couple of years, however, we’ve had the advent of “placeshifting” devices that let you watch television from a PC in any room in your home - or, for that matter, from outside your home. Still, while DVRs let you decide when to watch programs, you still need to be in front of the DVR and TV.
The capability to “timeshift” programs frees viewers from the vagaries of network scheduling or the hassle of having to fiddle with videotapes. Back at the turn of the decade - or millennium, if you like - the digital video recorder (DVR) revolutionized TV watching by letting viewers record shows automatically to watch at their leisure.