SnapStream Media Beyond TV enables consumers to record TV shows on their hard drives. Users can record all, all new, or single episodes. They can search the integrated program guide by title or keywords and schedule recordings up to two weeks in advance. It also is a media server that enables TV recordings to be viewed simultaneously on multiple devices inside the home. When combined with SnapStream Media Beyond TV Link, the Beyond TV experience can be shared with other networked PCs in the home. The application supports multiple tuners so two or more shows can be recorded at the same time. SnapStream Media combines the PC's low cost, connectivity, and power with the popularity of PVRs and televisions to create a solution that delivers on the promise of digital home entertainment.

Version 4.3 adds support for the DivX 6.1 video codec, which is supposed to help Intel dual-core CPUs encode content faster.

Editor's review of Beyond TV Besides some navigational peculiarities in the interface, Beyond TV works well for recording television programs onto your computer. First, you'll need the proper hardware, as Beyond TV is useless without a TV tuner card. Once you've met the requirements, a wizard helps with configuration, detecting hardware, and downloading the free SnapStream.net TV schedule. The handsome interface is easy to navigate, but the organization is a bit chaotic. For instance, the program guide is available in at least three locations, but can be searched from only one. Beyond TV includes a solid array of features for recording and watching TV programs, from scheduling recordings to marking commercials so you can easily skip them during playback. We especially like that you can schedule recordings remotely, although you must leave your computer on for this feature to work. Programs are recorded in both MPEG-2 and WMV formats, so you don't need to reencode files before burning to DVD. In our testing, Beyond TV performed flawlessly while recording and playing back video. The download's trial time is a bit short and features are disabled, and it's rather large, which might turn off potential users at the outset. However, with its numerous recording features, Beyond TV makes a good choice as a personal video recorder.