Computer TV Receivers are designed and manufactured to enable people to receive, watch and record Freeview TV on laptop and desktop computers in similar working principle as a digital set-top box for home TVs.

The most commonly used Computer TV Receiver is a USB Digital TV Stick which enables the user to tune a computer to receive digital terrestrial TV (called Freeview TV in the UK), record TV programs to the computer and output TV to an external screen.

A USB Digital TV Stick is normally sold together with a portable digital TV antenna with a magnetic base and a CD containing the diver for the stick, operating software and user manual.

There are various models of USB Digital TV Sticks available in market place coming with different operating software for tuning, watching and recording TV programs, typically Blaze DTV and Total Media. It is difficult to comment which one is better than the other as they are quite similar in terms of bringing the TV signal to the screen and recording TV programs to the computer. It is expected that a more sophisticated Windows Media Center will be coming together with Windows-7 Microsoft plans to release and it is believed that the new version of Windows Media Center with Windows-7 should enable the user to watch and record TV with a computer TV receiver without the need to install either Blaze DTV or Total Media.

There are a number of other types of computer TV receivers available in the market place with more features such as a Hybrid TV Receivers in USB Stick, Express Card and PCI Card enabling to receive both digital and analogue TV channels and Dual Tuner Receives again in USB Stick, Express Card and PCI Card enabling the user to watch and record two different TV channels simultaneously.

A Hybrid Computer TV Receiver is useful in regions where Freeview Signal is insufficient at present for a portable antenna to pick up Freeview Channels (Please note that this may not be because the receiver is in good quality but because the Feeeview in the UK is yet operating in full power. The signal strength and coverage are improving region by region along with the progress of Digital Switchover crossing the UK and Freeview signal will be much stronger after the Switchover in your region and more easily captured by a portable TV antenna.

A Dual Tuner Computer TV Receiver is useful as it enables people to watch two TV channels at the same time and/or watch one channel and record another channel simultaneously. No more struggling to choose between 2 channels and no more missing out on the crucial move made by your favorite stars.

Please also be aware that Freeview signal may vary even in the same region caused by various factors and a rooftop TV aerial or a signal amplifier may be required to watch Freeview channels by a computer TV receiver where the signal is insufficient for a portable TV antenna.