Installing a digital satellite card in your PC allows you to keep up with all your favourite satellite TV channels - and listen to satellite radio - on your computer desktop while you work.
It also lets you timeshift and record programmes, which you can then convert into high-quality DVDs or DiVX files.
The Hauppauge WinTV Nova-S-Plus is the latest card from one of the most established names in the PC-TV business. It's a standard PCI card that needs to be fitted internally, so if you have any qualms about opening up your PC you're better off opting for a USB alternative instead.
It's also of the single-tuner variety, meaning that you can't view or record more than one channel at the same time - even if they're on the same transponder.
Based around a Conexant chipset, which is compatible with third-party software such as TSReader, the Nova-S-Plus has an audio analogue-to-digital converter that let's you record from external analogue video (PAL/SECAM/NTSC) sources - unusual for a PCI card. On the backplate you'll find a single IF input for your LNB, composite and S-video inputs, plus a 3.5mm jack for audio.
The Nova-S-Plus is compatible with DiSEqC 1.0 for use with up to four satellites via a switch-box. Unfortunately, DiSEqC 1.2 is not supported - presumably because the dish motor would load the PC's power supply too much.
There's also a socket for a trailing IR sensor. Recording external sources is also possible, but because software rather than hardware compression is involved, you will need a relatively powerful PC.
On the board itself is a multi-way connector that also accepts the AV input if you have a front-panel connector bay. Unfortunately, the pinout of this connector is not given.
The software is fairly basic and simple to use. Two versions are installed - WinTV32 and WinTV2000 - which provide identical functions, albeit with a different look and feel.
Although the Nova-S-Plus will only work under Windows XP SP2, WinTV32 has been included because it will be familiar to owners of previous Hauppauge cards. An infrared monitor program that starts up when the PC does is also installed.
The Nova-S-Plus is supplied with a remote handset for waking up the application, changing channel and accessing standard teletext. Unfortunately, the remote cannot be programmed to work with other applications.
