Pinnacle Announces New USB ATSC Tuner

By Doug Lung
published

Pinnacle has added another USB ATSC tuner to its extensive ATSC tuner lineup. The Pinnacle PCTV HD mini stick supports both ATSC and ClearQAM reception. Pinnacle's PCTV mini stick Web page shows the small size of the device and highlights some of its features. In addition to the standard USB ATSC stick features, the mini stick has a slide cap to protect the USB connector and an "integrated signal booster" to improve sensitivity for off-air HDTV reception. I'm very interested in seeing how this "signal booster" works.

I've asked Pinnacle for additional technical information on the PCTV HD mini stick. Look for it in a future RF Report.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.