SiliconDust HDHomeRun review

SiliconDust's neat little box of tricks allows you to watch digital TV on any computer attached to your network. It's a simple device, with a few green LEDs on the front, plus two aerial sockets and Ethernet for connection to the network on the rear. There are two DVB-T digital tuners - so you can record one channel and watch another, or watch TV on two computers - and it supports HD broadcasts (up to 1080i). SiliconDust supplies the driver software, which works in concert with media-centre software, including Windows MCE 2005 and Vista Media Center, plus other third-party software such as the free MediaPortal and GB-PVR. A good idea, but in testing it wasn't entirely glitch-free - we experienced the occasional annoying stutter - and it isn't cheap either.

Author: Jonathan Bray