Autumnwave OnAir USB HDTV Creator

The OnAir USB HDTV Creator Up Close Close Up

The OnAir USB HDTV Creator tuner base unit has a slender design that sports a low profile, minimal footprint.  Underneath its shell lies a fifth generation LG ATSC/NTSC Tuner that supports analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) signal and Digital Cable (QAM 64/256) via direct cable connection.  Channel support ranges from 2 through 69 with OTA signals and 2 through 125 with a direct cable connection.  The QAM ready tuner is capable of analog and HDTV over cable, helping to set the device apart from any offerings from AMD or NVIDIA.  The maximum supported resolution is 1920x1080, while Analog TV signal supports mono audio and digital delivers Dolby Digital 5.1.

The front of the enclosure sports a power light at the upper black segment while a red light appears at the lower section as a signal is received from the remote control.  The Rear console is equipped with Audio and Video RCA inputs as well as S-Video for video capture from external sources.  The top port is for the power supply connection while the lower two connections provide a USB port for connecting to the PC and a standard CATV input.  The outer shell is well ventilated with air slots on both sides of the shell.  The underside has a circular perforation that look like a fan grille, however, the entire unit is passively cooled. 

Complementing the OnAir USB HDTV Creator is an infrared remote control.  The design is simplistic, but that makes it all the more comfortable to work with.  The upper half provides a power button to launch the tuner software while the Source button allows for easily cycling through the unit's Analog, Digital and external video options.  The number pad allows for the direct keying in of channels while a standard channel and volume control is provided for cycling through channels and adjusting volume control.  The circular pad makes for easy control through various menus and other on-screen options.  The lower portion of the remote comes with options for pausing, recording, and seeking forward or backward through the video.  Custom keys are included which can be programmed through software.  The Screen button cycles through screen sizes while the audio button offers control of optional audio output settings where applicable.  A sleep button can provide auto shut off functionality based on preset times and can be configured to power off the software or shutdown the PC.  There is also a PC power button, although, in all of our testing, this simply turned off the software and never shutdown the PC as the name implied.