USB Dual TV Tuner Finally, for MCE 2005 Only...

It was a year ago that we reported on Adaptec's AVC-3160 dual TV tuner for USB 2.0, then only available for OEM distributors and Hewlett Packard's zd8000 Media Center Laptop. Well Adaptec must have finally realized the unit's potential, because it's selling retail now, which marks as the first dual TV tuner USB solution out there.

WinXP Media Center Edition-compatible, the AVC-3160 boasts dual MPEG-2 hardware encoders so you can record one show while recording another (or get some Picture-In-Picture action going), an FM encoder, and an integrated Infrared Blasters for controlling your digital cable box or satellite receiver hooked up through Coaxial, S-Video or Composite RCA (2 ports each). To answer the most important question, yes: it has a remote. The AVC-3160 sells for $229, but requires Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 although it might work with alternatives such as SnapStream's BeyondTV.