TechRadar Verdict
Simple and effective tuner solution for laptops and desktops alike.
Pros
- +
Simple hardware setup
- +
Excellent software
- +
Record live TV to HD
Cons
- -
Remote is a litte toy-like
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If TV on your laptop is your bag the bargainous Compro VideoMate U680F is the one for you.
Let's face it, TV tuners have been on the market since God was a boy and we all still own a TV set. To make it worth our while, tuners need to offer us features that the idiot box doesn't.
It's about pausing and rewinding live shows, recording to HDD, scheduling what and when to record automatically. On top of all that, it must be effortlessly easy to make use of all this extra functionality. No labyrinths of menus or cables.
You, the jaded consumer, know this. And so apparently do Compro.
It's relieving to see that tuner hardware is getting simpler and cheaper. The Compro VideoMate U680F is a TV tuner aiming for maximum functionality without any fuss, which boils down to all the above features with just a USB stick, antenna and remote.
Hardware tuners need to compete with on demand web content like iPlayer, so manufacturers are mixing things up a bit.
