For as long as the electromagnetic broadcasting wave has existed it has been the dream of many to grab it from the air and watch it for free. Of course we all know that it’s against the law to watch HBO or download movies if you’re not paying for it but the legality of certain aspects of the broadcasting medium remain open to interpretation.

Consider Hammacher Schlemmer’s Laptop HDTV Receiver., a small antenna and 79-inch cord that plugs into your computer’s USB port. The adaptor lets you receive local high definition broadcasts because it’s using the same kind of ATSC tuner found inside the innards of HDTV sets. The adaptor also comes with S-video and composite input cables to let you convert the signal into 1080i and then output it to a set or monitor that doesn’t have its own ATSC tuner. There’s even some software that lets you be able to record the broadcast as MPEG2 or AVI files and a built-in NTSC tuner so you can watch local non-HD shows too.

It costs a pretty price ($199.95) and it may take you some time moving around the antenna to find the sweet spot but in the end you will be set up to become an even bigger couch potato than before.

Source: CoolestGadgets