Hauppauge officially announces HD PVR support in Windows Media Center
If you're thinking about going the Media Center DVR route but can't or won't get hooked up with a CableCARD don't forget there's another option available to pull in those premium channels now that the $199 Hauppauge HD PVR is supported as a TV recorder in Windows 7. There's been a few updates since the feature was added in beta back in June, which lets users select programs via the Media Center guide to be captured and encoded in MPEG-4 over the device's component video inputs (HDTV resolutions up to 1080i and 5.1 surround sound are supported) while the PC controls connected satellite or cable TV set-top boxes with an included IR blaster. There's still a limit of one tuner per PC and a thread over on TheGreenButton reveals the experience can still be a bit glitchy, but if you've just got to have Windows Media Center and NFL Sunday Ticket then some compromises will be necessary.
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Hauppauge Introduces High Definition Video Recorder Support for Windows Media Center
A new update to HD PVR, Hauppauge's high definition personal video recorder, now allows Windows Media Center to record premium HD TV content from cable or satellite TV
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAUP), the world's leading developer and manufacturer of analog and digital TV receiver products for personal computers, has announced that the HD PVR is now supported as a TV video recorder in Windows Media Center. With a free software update from Hauppauge, Windows Media Center can now use the HD PVR to record high definition TV programs from a cable TV or satellite set top box. HD PVR can record HD TV from any cable TV or satellite set top box which has a component video output. In addition to high definition video, HD PVR can record 5.1 channel audio through its optical audio connections.
Windows Media Center is a feature of all Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional versions, and has currently been installed in over 50 million PCs. Windows Media Center allows users to watch and record TV on their Windows 7 PC. HD PVR adds to Windows Media Center the ability to record high definition premium TV programs, as long as the user has a subscription to those services through their cable TV or satellite operator.
With this new software update, users of Windows Media Center can now create libraries of their favorite premium TV programs in HD and with full 5.1 channel audio.
Hauppauge has other TV tuner products which allow high definition over-the-air ATSC and clear QAM digital cable TV to be recorded with Windows Media Center, but the HD PVR is the first high definition video recorder on the market which will allow Windows Media Center to record high definition TV from a cable TV or satellite set top box.
HD PVR records from cable TV and satellite set top boxes through component video, at HD resolutions up to 1080i. To allow the Windows Media Center electronic program guide to automatically record a cable or satellite TV program on a specified TV channel, HD PVR includes an 'IR blaster' which will automatically change the TV channel on the set top box. For example, if a user schedules a recording of the popular HBO show "Entourage" on their premium cable or satellite set top box, the HD PVR will use the IR blaster to change the set top box to the correct channel before recording the TV show.
The HD PVR has a retail price of $199, and is available from Amazon, Fry's Electronics and the Micro Center computer stores. All current users of the Hauppauge HD PVR can download the support for Windows Media Center at no charge from the Hauppauge website at:
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/support_hdpvr.html
About Hauppauge
Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAUP) is a leading developer and manufacturer of digital TV and data broadcast receiver products for personal computers. Through its Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc. and Hauppauge Digital Europe subsidiaries, the Company designs and develops digital video boards for TV-in-a-window, digital video editing and video conferencing. The Company is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, with administrative offices in New York, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland and Luxembourg and sales offices in Germany, London, Paris, The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Singapore and California. The Company's Internet web site can be found at http://www.hauppauge.com. Hauppauge and WinTV are registered trademarks of Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc. Other product or service names herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE Hauppauge Digital, Inc.
