MSI Digivox Duo TV tuner review

Turn your lappie into a TV

16 July 2008 12:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

Adding a TV tuner to your notebook can be a great way to cheaply turn it into a multimedia centre. Consisting of a USB port at one end and a DVB-T antenna port at the other, the MSI Digivox Duo looks like an oversized memory stick.

As we’ve come to expect from tuners these days, it offers the standard channels as well as Freeview digital channels. It also supports HDTV, but you’ll need a separate subscription to free these channels.

It offers dual-view, so you’re not restricted to just watching one channel, which means you can record one programme at the same time as watching another.

The software bundled with it consists of Goya Base and ArcSoft Total Media. The installation can be a little time consuming, as Windows wants to install its own drivers but once you’ve loaded them from the supplied CD-ROM, setup runs smoothly.

As with most tuners, a small aerial is supplied but this only really works if you’re close to a TV mast and out in remote areas doesn’t work at all. We’d suggest plugging it into a rooftop aerial, especially if you plan on recording any programmes. Total Media also doubles as a video playback device, so watching your recorded shows is easy. There is also a small remote control unit bundled with the tuner that covers the standard array of functions.

Other features include Picture-in-Picture, time shift recording as well as scheduled recording, making it a fully rounded package.

Verdict

The MSI Digivox Duo is simple to use and as long as you have it hooked up to a rooftop aerial it offers great image quality.

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Review Recap

Made by: MSI
Price as reviewed: £35
The good: Digital dual-band, easy to setup
The bad: Needs rooftop aerial for best reception
Quick verdict: You can watch one channel while recording another, which makes this a versatile and cost-effective tuner
Score