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The Ulead Video@Home is a box 13x8x2.5cm with perhaps another 4cm needed to the depth for cables. If using it with a PC or Notebook that would only require the USB lead and the aerial lead. The back also has audio in, audio out, S-Video and RCA Video sockets. However sound on PC or Notebook is carried down the USB lead and out through your standard speakers.

However this is only a Windows XP and USB2 product and while in theory it should work on a PC with a USB2 card I continually got UDVR.EXE has caused a fault on that system. Should you only have service pack 1 then a driver update is required and this took an age to implement with you looking at a screen with nothing happening.

See also: Televisions

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It was not all joy on my other machine that has native USB2 ports and also has service pack 2 there are two full software packages on the CD Ulead InstaMedia2 and Ulead Video@Home. I never managed to tune the former although it had the nicer interface looking very like a Media Centre interface.

Not the easiest or most intuitive installation. As with most items today first item is to install drivers. Should you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 then half this job is already done. If not a scan of your system is required (this takes a long time with a lot of inactivity) Next you may or may not be asked to reboot. Now attach the USB2 Instant TV unit, Windows finds it and proceeds with the aid of the CD to add - in two stages - required files. Now you install the software, again you may require a reboot.

Now the manual - yes I used it - leaves you in limbo. You need to do a channel scan but whichever way you choose - I found three - once you have selected UK - I assume that's where you are - you then need PAL and dependant on the method it will find the channels available in your area. For some reason for me it refused to include ITV channel 23 and I had to add this manually, a simple matter of clicking a tick box but you do need to know the channel numbers relevant to your transmitter.

Now you should be able to watch TV on your PC or notebook. The manual is 76 pages split between English and French. However trial and error solved most things. As an example there is a very good online electronic program guide. No charge but you need to register, the second registration page asks for the serial number on the cover of the manual, there is no serial number but if you leave it blank it seems to work. Next when you log in entering the user name and password you just entered in the information you get an invalid password, however it still seems to work.

So having overcome - or sidestepped - the problems, the unit itself gave a good image on the screen, you can capture video PVR also you can capture still screenshots and you also have a rather good free of charge programming guide that you can one click record with (but this does require internet connection to update). I have my doubts if all the problems I had were worth the effort but if digital is a no go in your area then it must be worth considering. The stated price is £79.99 and I have failed to find any UK links.

http://www.adstech.com/products/USBAV_704/intro/USBAV704intro.asp?pid=USBAV-704