One of the great features of PCTV Tuner Kit for Windows Vista is that it is not only a complete TV tuner and remote kit to turn your PC into a PVR. Beside the reception of analogue and/or digital terrestrial TV, it also allows you to connect a set-top box (cable TV or satellite receiver) to watch, TimeShift and record your favourite TV content in Windows Media Center.

Learn more about PCTV Tuner Kit for Vista

How does it work?

To make the magic happen, PCTV Tuner Kit for Windows Vista uses an IR (infrared) blaster. It’s an infrared emitter that hooks up to your PC. It uses the same infrared technology as a standard remote control.

After connecting your set-top box to the audio/video inputs of the PCTV hardware, you simply connect the IR blaster cable to the PCTV infrared receiver box and place the IR Blaster so that it faces the IR sensor of the set-top box.

Now Windows Media Center can “talk” to your set-top box, using the same commands as the remote control that came with your set-top box.

So, when you press a button on the PCTV remote control, Windows Media Center sends a command to the set-top box via the IR blaster in the form of an IR signal. For example, when you change channels using the PCTV Tuner Kit remote, Windows Media Center sends the command to the set-top box and changes the channel. Similarly, if you have scheduled a recording, Windows Media Center will automatically tune your set-top box to the right channel.

Thanks to PCTV Tuner Kit you’ll no longer have to juggle multiple remotes or use a keyboard and mouse to control Windows Media Center.