Having a TV combined with an ATSC Tuner is a very good options for cord cutters looking to get free over-the-air TV stations. Most older TVs always had a tuner built-in, but many newer TVs now do not come with a built-in converter. External TV tuners are a good option and often have many more features such as recording live TV for later play back. Many low-cost units use an external flash drive for recording shows which works very well. An antenna will also be needed to pick up the most stations with many options available. Read Here To See Our Picks for Best Antennas There is no doubt many good units available with those below simply some of our favorite options. As always be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, forums, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a good fit for you. *This post contains affiliate links which at no cost to you allows us earn a commission on product purchases. Our Picks for Best External TV Tuner With HDMI Output
Mediasonic HOMEWORX HW130STB HDTV Digital Converter Box with Recording and Media Player Function Mediasonic is well known name making many good TV products including the HomeWorx HW180STB. The back of the unit has has a coaxial connector from an antenna and output HDMI or Component video to a TV. It also has recording features but will need an external hard drive added to save TV shows or movies. The Mediasonic HomeWorx is a low-cost unit that converts an over-the-air signal and outputs HDMI.
Leelbox
Leelbox Digital Converter Box for Analog TV 1080P ATSC Converters with Recording, Pause Live TV, Multimedia Playback HDTV Set Top Box This unit from Leelbox converts HD 1080p OTA broadcast and sends it to a TV via HDMI or Composite Video. It can also pause and record live TV once setup with a flash drive which is not included. It is a low-cost unit that comes with all the items needed to convert an over-the-air signal to a HDTV, including a remote control.
ViewTV AT-300
ViewTV AT-300 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and HDMI Cable w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input / LED Time Display (New Model) ViewTV makes the AT-300 which converts an OTA signal and outputs via HDMI, YPbPr, or Coaxial. A lot of features are programed into the box such as Auto Tuning, Program guide, Recording PVR, Closed Caption, Favorite Channels List and Parental Control options.
eXuby
Digital TV Converter Box – Digital Antenna – RF and RCA Cable – Complete Bundle to View and Record HD Channels (Instant or Scheduled Recording, 1080P HDTV, HDMI Output and 7 Day Program Guide) This bundle of converter box and antenna is good for anyone without a TV antenna.
While some boxes can pick up a TV signal if close to the broadcast towers most all boxes will need an antenna.
Vmade F01S
Vmade Digital Converter Box ATSC Set Top Box for Analog HDTV 1080P with AC-3/dolby,Recording,PVR Function,Pause Live TV,Sleep Timer The Vmade F01S is a good simple unit that can convert an over-the-air TV signal and has multiple outputs including HDMI.
It also has a USB slot for a flash drive to be used as storage.
Summary Most older TV’s already have a TV tuner and only need an antenna to start picking up free OTA TV. Many people still buy a dedicated box as they are low cost and have many more features such as recording shows. The DVR features usually require a device to record to such as a flash drive or external hard drive which are not included with most boxes. USB flash drives are usually the best options since they are low cost. External USB hard drives are also a good option when a lot of recording will be done but can cost more compared to a flash drive. An external antenna will also be needed for the best results with many options available. Dedicated High Definition TV tuner boxes are low-cost units that are almost a must have for any cord cutter.
If you want an easy way to get live, broadcast TV onto your computer, you need a TV tuner. Whether it's an internal card or external peripheral, they connect to your antenna and give you a way to watch live TV on your computer's screen. Here are five of the best.
Best Free Tv Tuner Software For Pc
Imaging PVR TV card software / TV tuner software- takes over TV FREE TV Player Classic TV Player Classic is a program for viewing online internet Radiodelay Radiodelay is a tool to delay audio from your FM Radio in Bktr driver for Bt848, 849 & 878 TV The bktr driver is for TV Tuner Cards and Video Capture.
6+ Best TV Tuner Software Download Reviews TV Tuner and Recorder Software. Claro TV – T18. Air Dtv for Android. Kodi for Mac. Emby for Windows.
Free TV Recording, Scheduling and Capture Software. DVB cards and pcHDTV tuner cards are also supported. It is able to automatically detect and skip commercials, grab program information, schedule TV recordings, rip and play audio files (MP3, Ogg, FLAC, CD audio), as well as play and rip DVDs. MythTV runs on Linux.
TV gateway network tuner TV servers DVRs require TV tuner cards to receive signals. Many DVRs, as seen above, can use multiple tuners. HdHomerun has CableCARD Models (HDHomeRun Prime) and OTA Models (HDHomeRun Connect) that are networked TV Tuners See also. List of free television software; Comparison of video player software; Home cinema.
I've got a standard DVB-T tuner but need the software for it to run on (for watching the TV programmes). I know about Windows Media Center, but are there any other alternatives that are any good? They need to be able to let the user watch Freeview/DVB-T from a USB tuner, and they also need to be free (no subscriptions or payware).
Earlier in the week, we asked you for the TV tuners you thought were the best . Ironically, of you nominees, few of them were actual cards, or PCIe cards you install in your computer. Instead, many of you preferred external peripherals and USB devices that connect to your computer more easily over cards to be installed into HTPCs. Here are your favorites, in no particular order:
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Hauppauge WinTV HVR 2250
Hauppauge's WinTV HVR 2250 is a half-height dual tuner PCIe card that supports both clear QAM from an unencrypted cable box or an over-the-air TV antenna. The card features an internal splitter, so you plug in one device, and you can watch two channels, or watch one and record another at the same time. The card comes an on-board MPEGF-2 encoder that handles video encoder without offloading the task to your CPU or graphics card. Beyond that, the card comes with a remote control, and features an IR blaster so you can program your favorite universal remote to work with it. It supports Windows Media Center, Windows 7 and 8, has in-chassis AV inputs and an external input, and even supports FM-radio recording. It even comes with an AV breakout cable for connecting to receivers and set-top boxes that don't use coaxial input.
Those of you who nominated the 2250 praised its dual tuners and internal splitter—in short pointing out that it's nice to be able to watch one program while recording something completely different. You noted that it comes with the option for multiple A/V capture from other devices, which makes it a great video input for your TV recording or digitizing needs, and its low-rise design means it's right at home in HTPCs or other small media centers. The price doesn't hurt either, you can grab one from Amazon for $109. You can read more in its nomination thread here .
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$544
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SiliconDust HDHomeRun Plus
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The HDHomeRun series from SiliconDust is well regarded if you're looking for a network-attached TV tuner that can stream to all of your devices. The HDHomeRun Plus is a perfect example of this, and while it's not specifically a tuner card, it's certainly a tuner that can serve all of the devices on your home network. It sports dual tuners, so you can watch one thing while recording or streaming something else, it's tiny (about the size of a small cable box), features coaxial input for your OTA antenna or cable line (again, Clear QAM), supports Windows and Windows Media Center as well as MythTV on Linux, is DLNA compatible, and is compatible with the InstaTV apps for iOS and Android for mobile viewing.
Those of you who praised the HDHomeRun Plus noted that it's an exceptional DLNA server, and can easily stream to just about any DLNA compatible device in your home, from tablets and mobile devices to TV screens and A/V receivers. Many of you specifically called out its MythTV compatibility, and the fact that it's ideal if you're looking for a way to roll broadcast TV into your MythTV HTPC. If you're interested, they're $130 at Amazon. You can read more in its nomination thread here .
If you like Hauppauge's TV tuners but don't necessarily want to install a PCI card in your computer—or you have a laptop—the WinTV HVR 950Q is a USB alternative. It sports coaxial input for unencrypted cable (Clear QAM) or an OTA antenna, and comes with Hauppauge's WinTV software for viewing and recording TV programs, a remote control, and even a portable antenna you can use with it. It's single-tuner, so you shouldn't expect to be able to watch one thing and record another, but you will be able to pause, record, and resume live television, and you can schedule recordings for later with the included software. It's compatible with Windows Media Center, and Windows 7 and 8.
In the nomination thread, you praised the 950's portability and small size, and the fact that it's relatively plug-and-play with just about any Windows PC. An included antenna means you don't have to have your own OTA antenna to use it, but if you do, that's even better. If you already have an HTPC, this is a simple one-click operation, and while it may not be a TV tuner card, combined with its own DVR software and any other remote access software, you have a USB peripheral that gives you access to your local broadcast TV anywhere you go. The price is nice too—you can get one for $64 at Amazon. Read more in the nomination thread here .
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$74
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AverMedia Hybrid Volar Max
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AverMedia's Hybrid Volar Max is a USB TV tuner stick that sports coaxial input on one end for your OTA antenna, and USB on the other to connect to your computer. Installation is simple with the right drivers, and the Volar Max supports Windows 7 and Windows Media Center out of the box. It's single tuner, but has its own MPEG-2 video encoder on-board, offers 64-bit driver support, and all in all is a simple and affordable alternative to many other USB-based TV tuners. It supports FM Radio as well, and it ships with AverMedia's own DVR software to help you get started.
The Volar Max is portable, and ideal for laptop users looking for a way to get TV on their notebooks without prying them open. Those of you who praised it in the nominations round noted its portability and Windows support, praised its reliability, and noted AverMedia's included software makes it easy to set up and configure. It also includes a dongle for additional source input. There's no Linux support, though—this stick was made with Windows Media Center in mind. If you'd like one, they're $50 at Amazon. You can read more in its nomination thread here .
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Elgato EyeTV Hybrid
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The Elgato EyeTV made a strong showing in the nominations round, and if you can still get your hands on an EyeTV Hybrid (and we see plenty of used—and some overpriced ones—on Amazon and other sites), you have a great USB stick that supports OS X and Windows, connect to an external OTA antenna, and allows you to pause, watch, and record live TV on your computer or offload it to another device. It even comes with its own antenna, has a built-in programming guide (that you'll need a subscription to make use of, assuming you're in a supported country—you could do without it and use web-accessible TV listings instead and use it for free), and even support for FM radio on your computer.
The trouble with the EyeTV Hybrid is that technically it's been discontinued in North America. If you look at Elgato's website, you'll see that it's widely available in the EU, Australia, and several other countries, but North American countries are off the list. Sadly, most other EyeTV devices available require that you already have cable. That said, Elgato earns huge points for ease-of-use and broad features, and their products work well with OS X and Windows, thanks to their bundled software, and earned your praise in the nominations round. We found this listing at Amazon, which is a good place to start if you want a new one. Read more in the nomination thread here .
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Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to an all-out vote:
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Honorable mentions this week go out to the Ceton InfiniTV 6 and InfiniTV4 PCIe, both of which are spectacular cards, but require that you already have a subscription to a cable or satellite provider in order to use them (since they both use CableCARDs), so they don't help you get that whole 'free broadcast TV on your computer' experience we were looking for here. However, if you have cable and you want to turn your computer into a DVR, or you prefer to watch through your computer or HTPC instead of a cable box from the cable company, they're amazing devices that offer a ton of features. We could do an entire piece just on the benefits of replacing your cable box with your HTPC with a CableCARD.
We should also highlight the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime. It's the HDHomeRun Plus's bigger brother, sports three tuners, including support for CableCARD. It also has coaxial input for cable (although that coaxial input doesn't have an NTSC/ATSC tuner behind it, so no OTA TV), USB on the back, support for Windows Media Center and MythTV, and like the Plus, it's a DLNA server, which means you can stream video to just about any DLNA-compatible device on your home network, including game consoles, tablets, TVs, and receivers. Again, like the Plus, it supports remote control and DVR control from the InstaTV mobile app for iOS and Android, and more. You can even connect it to other HDHomeRun devices around your home network.
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Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at [email protected]!