Whether they plug into PCI slots or USB ports, PC TV tuners come with software on CD that enables personal video recording, live-TV pausing or time-shifting, and an on-screen program guide for channel-surfing or recording setup. Right? Not quite: Pinnacle Systems' new USB 2.0 tuner's software is preloaded on and runs from the flash-drive-sized stick, with no installation required. The tuner also has enough onboard flash memory to store up to two hours of recorded TV.

Shipping later this month for $130, the Pinnacle PCTV HD Ultimate Stick enables viewing and recording of NTSC analog cable and free high-definition digital TV programming on any PC. The latter can be either ATSC over-the-air (antenna) HDTV or the Clear QAM unencrypted cable HDTV that many carriers offer for major networks and other channels. The device cannot receive the premium HDTV channels supplied by a set-top box. Users can record video direct to DVD, the Ultimate Stick, or a PC hard drive in formats including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 optimized for iPod or PSP, and DivX.

If you plan to limit your TV-watching to a single desktop PC, the Pinnacle PCTV HD Card ($80) offers the same analog and digital PVR functionality in a PCI expansion card. Both tuners come with a remote control and Pinnacle Studio QuickStart software for trimming captured videos.