March 28, 2008 6:47 AM PDT

Tune into HDTV on your PC with $35 USB tuner

by Rick Broida
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(Credit: Buy.com)

I've made no secret of my love for turning PCs into HDTVs. All you need is a tuner that pulls down over-the-air HD signals. I've spotlighted a few bargains in the past, but usually you had to wait on a rebate. Not so the KWorld PlusTV ATSC 340U, which Buy.com has on sale for $34.99 shipped--no rebate required!

The PlusTV is strictly an ATSC/Clear QAM tuner, meaning you need to use its included antenna (or your own rabbit ears). However, if you're a cable subscriber and your cable company broadcasts Clear QAM signals (i.e. digital cable without a digital cable box), you can go that route as well (though you may not get actual HD programming that way).

KWorld's tuner comes with ArcSoft TotalMedia, which lets you watch and record shows DVR-style. It should work with Windows Media Center and other media-center apps as well. The bundled software also lets you burn recorded shows to DVD.

I haven't tried this tuner myself, but I've seen only positive user reviews (including this informative one from an Amazon customer). There's still time to catch the Final Four in HD (go Spartans!), and you can do it for a mere 35 bucks.

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
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by one80oneday March 29, 2008 12:26 PM PDT
Is there a remote you can get for this?
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by rickbroida March 31, 2008 8:03 AM PDT
Good question. If you're using the tuner with Windows Media Center, you should be able to add a third-party remote (such as those from Logitech and Pinnacle, for example).
by Krupin2 March 31, 2008 2:11 PM PDT
I could be wrong but I've been following this all day and it appears as soon as the sale price was posted on here they 1) said they were sold out 2) later said they have them but the price went up! Total sham.....CNET should email them and tell them they will never post a sale of thiers again....
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by amartinz33 March 31, 2008 5:56 PM PDT
Check out the right hand side of this link - you'll see that Buy.com is still offering it for $35 + ~$3 tax = ~$38. Notice that the MFG is the one selling it for ~$54 not Buy.com & yes this product does seem worth the ~$38 - Hope this helps
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by AppleSuxLeo March 31, 2008 8:06 PM PDT
Don`t need it. Got an ATI HD Wonder card back in 2004 that came with a nice remote and has many options for video capture . But best of all it was produced BEFORE the "broadcast flag" mandate went into effect , so the broadcast flag won`t affect my card.
These USB-tuner devices are junk and can`t hold a candle to a full-on card. ATI also gives you a much better antenna. You get what you pay for.
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by GadgetConsumer April 19, 2008 8:25 AM PDT
BEWARE of BUY.COM promos. They are currently taking $50 off on a $51 purchase when signing up for a RevolutionCard account. They don't mention that all sales are final when using a coupon. They gave me a return authorization for an unopened product. Buy.com confirmed that they received the product back, and promised a refund to my credit card within 7 business days. 3 weeks later, they said "no refunds" and won't even send the unopened product back to me.

If they aren't going to follow their own refund policy, they need to give the merchandise back to the buyer. BUY.com is obviously getting some kind of financial benefit from RevolutionCard. At the very least, they should send back the item to me, and not just keep it, re-sell it, and double their profit. As of this writing, there are over 600 consumer complaints logged with the Better Business Bureau regarding Buy.com?s handling of refunds. Buyers beware!
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About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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