TVSquad

Hauppauge has released beta software that adds ClearQAM support to several of its HDTV television tuner cards. If you've got an HVR-1250, HVR-1600, HVR-1800, or HVR-2250, right now you can tune into analog NTSC broadcasts or over the air ATSC signals. But no matter how many times you plug in the cable that runs to your digital cable box, you're not going to pick anything up without the new beta driver.

Once the new drivers are installed on a Windows Vista computer (sorry, Windows XP and Mac OS X are not supported), you should be able to access Hauppauge's ClearQAM scanner in the programs section of Vista Media Center. Using this tool, you can find any unencrypted digital cable channels available in your area. Typically broadcast networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and the CW don't encrypt their signals while premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime do.

[via Chris Lanier]

If you're in the market for a cheap HDTV tuner, you might want to check out Woot today. The web retailer is offering the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick for $40, which is less than half its regular price.

This USB tuner plugs into your PC via a USB 2.0 port and lets you watch or record NTSC or ATSC broadcasts. That means you can plug in an analog or digital antenna, or connect an analog cable, vcr, dvd player, or other device. The tuner comes with a remote control, a portable antenna, and a USB extender cable.

It also comes with the Pinnacle MediaCenter software for PC. But by all reports this software stinks and you should probably find your own PVR software like Windows Media Center, BeyondTV, SageTV, Media Portal, or GB-PVR.

Amazon Unbox is probably one of the simplest non-Apple services for renting and buying downloaded TV shows and movies on a PC. The service is also compatible with TiVo, but I know a few folks who refuse to pay for any video unless it comes in high definition. And so far, HD video has not been available via Amazon Unbox.

Bu it looks like that could be changing. TiVo Vice President Jim Denney tells TV Week that HD capabilities are coming to Amazon "in the not too distant future." And judging from the source, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that means you'll be able to download and watch HD video using a TiVo HD or TiVo Series. As MegaZone at Gizmo Lovers suggests, it's likely that Amazon will use the H.264 codec, which would let the company distribute high definition videos with relatively small file sizes (relative being the key word here).

[via Zatz Not Funny]

EVGA, a company best known for its PC graphics cards, is joining the crowded field of companies producing USB TV tuners. The company's inDtube HDTV tuner (Get it? inDtube sounds like "in the tube." So clever. Wait, no.) looks like your basic TV tuner with support for ATSC and NTSC signals, and S-Video, RCA, and composite video.

The tuner also comes with a portable antenna, a remote control, and a USB extension cable, as well as an F-Connector to MCX adapter. There's also some basic PVR software if you don't already have an application for watching and recording TV programs. Without even knowing what software the inDTube ships with, I'm going to go ahead and recommend you find smething better like Media Portal, GBPVR, BeyondTV or SageTV.

The inDTube works with Windows XP, Windows XP MCE, and Windows Vista. No word on pricing or availability yet.

[via EngadgetHD]

The upcoming Hauppauge HD-PVR is probably the most anticipated piece of PVR hardware since... well, I don't know. But it's certainly a sexy piece of hardware that a lot of folks have been hoping to get their hands on. The HD-PVR can record HDTV video from analog component sources. In other words, you don't need a CableCard tuner, HDMI, or other fancy tricks to record HDTV on your computer. You just need to run some cables from this set top box to your cable or satellite box. The HD-PVR will then do all the heavy lifting and compress your video using the H.264 codec.

But there does appear to be at least one downside (aside from the fact that analog recordings are inherently lower quality than digital recordings). Chris Lanier points out that Hauppauge will not officially support dual tuner setups for now. That means, if you were hoping to pick up two boxes and record two HDTV shows as the same time, you may be out of luck.

Apparently the drivers for the HD-PVR do support multiple tuner setups. But Hauppauge has not yet tested this configuration, so the company won't officially support this option. That would seem to indicate that Hauppauge could add support when the product is a bit more mature and the company's had more time to kick the tires. On the other hand, it's wholly possible that third party software PVR applications like BeyondTV, SageTV, and GB-PVR could add multi-tuner support before Hauppauge gets around to it.

Digeo may have killed its plans to release two set top boxes direct to consumers earlier this year, but that doesn't mean you won't find a new Digeo box running the company's Moxi software in your living room anytime soon. The company is still developing new boxes for cable television operator

Light Reading uncovered a few (very few) details about a new CableCard-enabled high definition personal video recorder from Digeo. CableLabs sent out a press release highlighting some of the technology that will be on display at next month's Cable Show, and one of the devices is the Moxi HD DVR 3012.

The set top box will use Digeo's Moxi software and will be able to record up to two programs at once. But that's about all we know about it at the moment.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

HP is launching several new HDTV units with built-in media center extender capabilities. That means you can setup a PC in the office to run Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate and record television programs, and host your audio, video and picture files. And you can connect your TV in the living room the home network and access all of that media.

HPS's newest MediaSmart LCD TVs come in 42 inch and 47 inch varieties, both with support for 1080p resolutions and WiFi networking. The smaller TV will set you back $1900 while the larger one will go for $2400.

What's more, HP is pushing out a software upgrade to existing MediaSmart owners that will turn their old fashioned television sets into Windows Vista Media Center Extenders as well.

HP claims to the first company to release an internet-connected TV that can serve as a media center extender, and I can't thin of any other examples that would prove them wrong. Still, if you've got room in your living room for two separate devices, you'll probably save a few bucks by purchasing your TV and media center extender separately.

[via Engadget]

High Def -- HD -- is gradually spreading throughout the television business and more and more HD channels are proliferating the dial. Now comes news that one of reality TV mainstays, Survivor, will be shot and broadcast in high definition next season.

With greater clarity, better images, more vibrant colors and depth of image, HD is in many ways like seeing television with new eyes. It really makes a difference. For a show like Survivor which is set in exotic locales and emphasizes the beauty -- and occasional cruelty -- of nature -- HD is going to be a spectacular improvement visually.

AVerMedia is adding ClearQAM support to more of its HDTV TV tuners. In February, the company launched the Bravo Hybrid TV tuner, which is a PCIe card that can pick up ATSC, NTSC, and ClearQAM signals. Now AVerMedia is giving the same treatment to its USB stick style TV tuners with the AverTV Hybrid Volar Max.

The Volar Max, which was first announced at CES in January is now available for $80. The tuner supports unencrypted HDTV signals in both Windows Vista Media Center and Windows XP Media Center edition.

Users can download a utility from AVermedia that will let them scan for unencrypted ClearQAM channels. There's a chance you'll find a couple of encrypted channels during the scan, which you can manually remove from your program guide. For the most part, premium channels are encrypted while broadcast network channels are not.

It looks like the success of the tiny Eee PC laptop is giving Asus ideas. Good ones, at that. The company has announced the Essentio CS5110, a diminutive desktop PC with a focus on multimedia. The CS5110 measures just 200mm x 290mm x 80mm, and includes an HDMI output for a 1080p HDTV or high resolution monitor. it also has S/PIDF output and support for 7.1 sound.

It's also got 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a cooling system designed to help keep the noise down if you put this little guy in your living room. Ther'e's rom for a 3.5inch hard drive, an optical drive, a 10-in-1 card reader, 6 USB ports, a VGA port, and line in/out jacks as well as your typical headphone and microphone inputs.

The computer runs Windows Vista Home Premium, which means you've got media center functionality out of the box. But I don't see any info about PCI or PCIe cards, so if you want to add a TV tune, it looks like you might need to find a USB model.

No word on pricing or availability.

[via Chris Lanier]

While SageTV, Microsoft, and possibly Snapstream and Elgato are still working on adding support for the hotly anticipated Hauppage HD-PVR to their media center applications, GB-PVR already supports the new high definition H.264 recorder.

GB-PVR is a free, but closed source media center application. The developer says he's had an HD-PVR sitting on his desk for a month and that support is already built into GB-PVR version 1.2.9, which was released a month ago. He hasn't been able to test the unit fully, since he doesn't have high definition cable or satellite service. But in theory, it should work as soon as the new recorder is available.

[via Project HTPC]

Two more bits of Hauppage HD-PVR news today. First up, Hauppauge has launched an official preorder page. While the HD-PVR isn't expected to hit the streets until May, you can place an order for one today for $249.

In other news, Snapstream Media CEO Rakesh Agrawal wrote in to let us know that his team has received a prototype unit for testing purposes. Snapstream makes the BeyondTV personal video recorder software for Windows, so it's safe to say that HD-PVR support will be added to BeyondTV in the not too distant future. Agrawal says he's not ready to make any official statement yet, since Hauppauge is still working on the hardware.

Blogger Dave Zatz has already confirmed that SageTV will support the HD-PVR, which means that it's possible the only major commercial PVR application for Windows that won't support the device when it's launched will be Windows Media Center. But Windows Media Center support is expected later this year.

Hauppauge has added a page to their web site with detailed specifications for the upcoming HD-PVR, a new box that will be able to capture 1080i video from a component source. Hauppauge says the unit will be available May 1st, but despite earlier rumors that a pre-order page would go live soon, there's none to be seen yet.

Here are some other interesting tidbits:

• Compresses video in real-time using the H.264 codec, with constant and variable bit-rates ranging from 1Mbps to 13.5Mbps
• Format recordings so they can be burned to Blu-ray discs
• Record at 1080i, 720p, or VGA resolutions
• Comes with IR remote control and IR Blaster for changing the TV channels on your set top box
• NTSC, PAL, and SECAM support
• Requires a PC with a dual core CPU and at least 256MB of graphics memory for playback of high definition H.264 videos

Oh, and the HD-PVR has a model number now. It's officially the HD-PVR 1212.

[via Brent Evans Geek Tonic]

Pinnacle is updating its line of PCTV HD sticks, with a new PCTV HD Stick and PCTV HD Pro. Both tuners can handle over the air HDTV or unencrypted ClearQAM cable signals. And they each support resolutions up to 1080i.

What sets the PCTV HD Pro apart from the stick is an FM tuner and a dongle that lets you capture video from other sources with the nifty, but awkward looking dongle you can see in the image above. Oh yeah, and the Pro version costs $100, while you can pick up a stick for $70. Both versions should be available early next week.

[via EngadgetHD}

Observant readers will note that every time I've mentioned the upcoming Hauppauge HD-PVR, I've slapped an image of the Hauppauge logo on the post. That's because up until now Hauppauge had not released any images of the new video capture device which will be able to do real-time H.264 compression of 1080i video from a component video source.

Now a moderator at the SageTV user forums has posted 2 images that show the front and back view of the HD-PVR. It appears to come with a standard Hauppauge infrared remote control, the same type the company bundles with many of its existing TV tuners.

The Hauppauge HD-PVR should be available in May or June for about $250. But if you believe the folks at the SageTV Forums, you should be able to preorder one from the Hauppauge web site later today.

[via Brent Evans Geek Tonic]