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(More customer reviews)I run the Hauppage USB 950Q Tuner on a Windows Vista 32-bit system with a high end Nvidia 9800 640MB PCI-E video card, dual core Pentium 2.8ghz processors and a Creative Xi-Fi PCI soundcard, with 3GB's of system RAM.This is well above the minimum requirements.
My primary use involves plugging in the coaxial cable line directly to the USB Tuner, in order to record certains shows a couple of times a week.
I did some basic research and read the various reviews of what was out there.My video card takes up so much space, that I didn't want to fool with squeezing a PCI card inside the case, a USB card that I could even take on the road with my lap top easily, seemed perfect.
This version comes with (at this time) the latest Hauppage drivers on the CD. It's best to install the CD apps first before plugging the USB device in.If you don't, make sure to cancel the Windows prompt to find drivers on it's own.
I also had to install the WinTV application in order for Windows Media Center to recognize the signal.I prefer to use WMC because of it's very nice guide, genre summaries of "what's on" and the speed at which it operates.I still need to fool around a bit with the aspect ratio, as I have a widescreen 24" flat panel monitor.
After the 10 minutes or so it takes to scan all of the analog cable channels, I played the live TV and the picture was grainy, choppy, and kept stuttering out.It took me a while to figure out it was a bad signal from the cable line.Keep this in mind - if your picture is snowy, having blips or a white line running through it intermittently etc..., you probably need a Cable Signal Amplifier.I got a bi-directional cable TV amplifier from Radioshack for $34 and after plugging it in the right way, the signal and picture for analog channels was noticeably improved, and I am now reasonably happy with it.Make sure your fuzzy picture is not a result of this, if you have any splitters on your line, multiple TV's and an internet modem hooked up to your cable lines, an amplifier can work wonders.I haven't seen this obvious remedy mentioned in any other reviews, so wanted to make sure I put it in here.
I also tested the included atenna, and the local, free QAM or HD channels it picked up, looked fantastic, the analog channels were too choppy but clearer than the cable picture, I didn't spend much time with the antenna though.The problem is there are very few of these HD/QAM channels available, even here in a major city where I live, and they are just versions of the local network station (which I rarely watch).Literally 4-6 of these, if that.
If the day comes where everything is broadcast in HD, this card will make the picture rather remarkable, for obvious reasons being you don't have to convert an analog signal and the resolutions match hi-res PC monitors much more closely.
WinTV is very cumbersome and slow, I notice a slightly better picture with it at this point, versus WMC, but WMC's functionality make it the preferred application.
Unfortunately I cannot find a way to easily switch back and forth between the Antenna source and Analog Cable line, without having to re-scan everything - which takes 10+ minutes for WinTV, less for WMC.I don't think there is an easy way, even with another splitter.
So, buy a cable tv amplifier, (bi-directional if you use PPV or Indemand services etc..,) make sure you have a powerful video card (more important than your CPU - but they ultimately both work together) and at least 2GB of system RAM if you're on Vista ecspecially.
This should give you adequate results and feel this is probably one of the better, more affordable, PC TV with HD/QAM options out there, and should get better with time as broadcasts move to an all-digital signal.
Of course if you have a DVR or hi-def cable box, use the S-video connection if possible, and your HD channels and other digital channels will probaby look and play even better.
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Hauppauge 1198 WinTV-HVR-950 TV Tuner Stick/Personal Video Recorder with Remote Control (Black)Product Description: The Hauppauge 1198 WinTV-HVR-950 Hybrid TV Stick External TV Tuner/Video Recorder will bring high-definition television directly to your PC. This handy device lets you watch your favorite TV shows through your computer, and record them digitally for future playback using high quality MPEG-2. More economical and versatile than a DVR, or digital video recorder, this PC Video Recorder, or PVR, gives you virtually unlimited options for saving and playing back your favorite TV broadcasts and clips.
The Hauppauge 1198 WinTV-HVR-950 Hybrid TV Stick External TV Tuner/Video Recorder offers:
Ability to watch television on your PC in a window or full screen.
Portable, small size for on-the-go television viewing on your laptop.
Compatibility with digital and analog signals.
Acceptance of video feeds from a camera or satellite box.
The small, pocketable size lets you easily take it everywhere. View larger.
Play and Record Television Digitally The WinTV-HVR-950 is a simple-to-use device that brings over-the-air high definition ATSC digital TV as well as analog cable TV directly to your PC desktop or laptop. With the additional included antenna, it can also receive analog TV broadcasts, and it can also accept video feeds directly from a camera or satellite box.
More versatile than a DVR, the WinTV-HVR-950 is a pocket-sized device that simply plugs into your PC's USB port. It features a built-in digital ATSC over-the-air TV receiver. If you live in one of the more than 200 cities in the United States that receives ATSC digital TV, you'll have immediate access to as many as 1500 digital TV stations. ATSC digital TV is the over-the-air HDTV standard for North America. ATSC broadcasts range in resolution from standard definition up to the high definition 1080i format. (To check the ATSC digital transmissions in your area, input your zip code at titantv.com.)
A portable digital TV antenna, which can be used to receive digital TV up to 10 miles from an ATSC transmitter, is included with the PVR . (To check the ATSC digital transmissions in your area, input your zip code at titantv.com) If you live in an area where you can't currently receive ATSC digital TV, the WinTV-HVR-950 can still be used to watch and record analog TV from cable TV or a TV antenna. (The WinTV-HVR-950 cannot receive digital cable TV or digital satellite TV.) With the included credit-card-sized remote control, navigating all these channels is easy.
Watch Clear QAM Digital TV The WinTV-HVR-950 also has a built-in QAM tuner, allowing you to watch and record QAM programming. Clear QAM digital TV channels are digital cable channels which can be watched on a TV set without a cable TV set top box. are Many cable operators transmit the local high definition ATSC channels using clear QAM.. Some cable operators transmit additional non-premium TV programs using clear QAM. With the WinTV-HVR-950, you can watch these channels for free. Clear QAM channels range from standard definition to the highest 1080i definition.
Once the WinTV-HVR-950 is connected, you can begin to record your favorite shows in high-quality MPEG-2 directly to your hard disk using the Hauppauge SoftPVR MPEG-2 encoder. Television recordings will typically consume 5 GB of disk space per hour for ATSC high definition, while analog recordings will typically consume 1.5 GB of disk space per hour. You can also use the included WinTV-Scheduler to program your compute to record your favorite analog or digital TV shows for play back at any time.
Compatibility with Microsoft's Windows Media Center means that you can watch TV as well as your recordings with Windows Media Center. The included WinTV application also lets you watch your shows in a window or on full screen.
The WinTV application offers an elegant interface to watch TV in a window or full screen. View larger.
More about PVR Technology PVR stands for PC Video Recorder. The WinTV-HVR-950 is a PVR that allows you to play television through your computer and record the broadcasts digitally. PVR doesn't use standard videocassettes; instead, it uses your computer's hard disk to store the broadcasts.
Once you record a television show to your PC's hard drive, you can burn a CD or DVD that will allow you to play the show back on another computer or on your television. With video editing software (not included with the WinTV-HVR-950), you can even edit the shows. This is a great feature if you want to save clips from movies or sitcoms, or keep your favorite player's grand slam or TD kick-off return for posterity.
And just like a typical VCR, the WinTV-HVR-950 offers you several recording options, depending on your play back needs. If you want the highest quality recording for playback through your HDTV, all you need is enough hard drive space to support high-quality recording. By using the lowest recording option, you can use your WinTV-HVR-950, along with an inexpensive video camera, as a low-cost on-site video surveillance system. In fact, the possibilities of how you can take advantage of the WinTV-HVR-950 are endless.
What's in the Box WinTV-HVR-950 USB 2.0 TV stick with cable TV or ATSC antenna connection; USB extension cable; portable antenna; software on CD-ROM; remote control; and quick installation guide.
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