TVSquad

As you can tell from the screengrab, Cannon PC isn't ready to sell a consumer model with 6 CableCARDs just yet. But the company wanted to show that it is possible. Windows Vista Media Center only includes native support for 2 CableCARDs, so the trick isn't just designing a system with a huge hard drive, massive amounts of RAM, and space in the box for 6 tuners. The company also had to adjust the software to allow additional CableCARDs.

You can see the results yourself in a YouTube video posted by Cannon PC.

You know that shiny new personal video recorder you got from TiVo or your cable company? You know, the one that records high definition movies and TV shows in crystal clear quality? Yeah, well the MPAA isn't so thrilled about those high quality recordings that you make from "free" over the air broadcasts.

Sure, you pay by watching (or skipping) the commercials or subscribing to cable/satellite channels. And movie studios get paid a wee bit o' cash every time a deal is struck to broadcast a movie. But the MPAA wants the FCC to allow the use of technology called Selectable Output Control that would block your PVR from recording some HDTV movies.

The MPAA filed a petition with the FCC last month asking for the abillity to prevent users from recording movies that are broadcast before they are released on DVD. The idea is that if you can record a higher than DVD quality video before it's available for purchase, why would you go out and purchase it? So obviously, the solution is to prevent you from using perfectly legal technology to record it. Never mind the fact that the film studios could easily avoid this problem simply by moving up DVD release dates and/or refusing to sell broadcast rights before the DVD release.

The FCC is seeking public comment on the proposal. If you have some thoughts you'd like to share, you can file a comment at the FCC web site. The docket number is 08-82.

A few days ago the Hauppauge HD-PVR started shipping, and now early adopters are starting to try plugging the HDTV digital video recorders into their computers and television sets. The HD-PVR captures high definition video from analog sources. That means you can plug in a component or composite cable from your cable, satellite, or other set top box and save videos to your PC in H.264 format.

Blogger Brent Evans got his HD-PVR yesterday and posted the unboxing video you can see above. He says setup was easy and that the latest beta version of SageTV recognizes the tuner. The software that comes with the HD-PVR lets you record programs, but it does not let you watch live television.

Evans says while his computer seems to have done a decent job of recording HD video, he can't get it to play the video smoothly. The HD-PVR also locked up twice during his initial test, and he had to reboot it by turning it off and on again.

You can find some more first person accounts at the GB-PVR forums. It looks like Brent Evans isn't the only one having some problems. Several GB-PVR user says they've been having problems with recordings failing or the device locking up altogether. In other words, if you've been waiting patiently to get an HD-PVR, it looks like you might want to wait a little longer.

Hauppauge has begun shipping the HD-PVR. This little box is the first consumer level device capable of capturing HDTV from an analog source and performing real-time H.264 compression. What that means is you can hook the $249 box up to your digital cable, satellite, or other set top box and record high definition TV shows on your PC without the need for a pricy CableCARD.

The quality might not be as high as the video quality you'll get from an ATSC, ClearQAM, or CableCard tuner. But the HD-PVR is extremely versatile since it works with a variety of devices. It includes S-Video and composite and component inputs. So if your video device supports any of those standards, you're all set.

The box can handle 1080i and 720p resolutions. Several major media center applications for Windows already support the HD-PVR, including BeyondTV, SageTV and GB-PVR. Windows Vista Media Center support is coming, and MythTV developers are working on adding support to the open source Linux media center application.

If you happen to be shopping for an HDTV and a TiVo HD, Amazon has a deal that could let you kill two birds with stone. Or you know, two digital media products with one credit card payment. Here's how it works. You order both a TiVo HD and a qualifying Samsung HDTV and when you get to checkout, the cost of the TiVo HD should disappear.

The offer's only good through June 9, and the deal is limited to three TiVo HDs per customer. So if you were planning on buying 4 flat screen televisions for $1000+ a pop, it looks like you'll have to pay for the TiVo box to go with that fourth unit.

[via Gizmodo]

Dvico has released the FusionHDTV7 PCI express card, which is a dual HD TV tuner. Dvico claims that this is the first PCIe card capable of recording two HDTV channels (either digital or QAM) at the same time, and I can't think of any others off the top of my head, so I'm going to agree that this is at least one of the first. Like most HDTV tuner cards these days, the FusionHDTV7 can tune into either digital ATSC broadcats or analog NTSC signals.

The card allows you to record two shows at once, record one show while watching a live program on anothr channel, or view Picture-in-picture videos. Of course, you can get all of the same features by buying two cards, but at about $140, the FusionHDTV is probably cheaper than picking up two other cards. And it takes up less space in your PC.

[via The Green Button]

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.

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.

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}

If you've been waiting to get your hands on the new HD-PVR from Hauppauge, you might have to wait a little bit longer. Brent Evans reports that the device, which had been targeted for a late March launch has been pushed back and is now scheduled for a May or June release.

The HD-PVR will be able to capture HD video from any component video output and compress it in real time to H.264. In other words, you can using your existing cable or satellite box to flip channels, and record HDTV without getting a CableCard tuner for your PC.

Evans has also learned that Windows Media Center will not support the new device at launch, but that you should be able to use the HD-PVR with a Windows Media Center machine by this summer. But we'd be surprised if the device isn't supported by third party media center software like SageTV, BeyondTV, and MythTV.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of "Taps" being played for HDTV players and recorders. Toshiba has announced that, "it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders." Yes, it's true. Just like Beta was phased out in favor of VHS, HDTV has lost in its head to head battle with Blu-ray. As of March 2008, the manufacture of the hardware will cease, and production of HD DVD disk drives for PCs and games as well. The only exception, said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation are laptops. "[Toshiba] continues to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives."

According to Engadget, the Dish Network is bumping up the number of HD channels it supports from 76 to 100 and expanding local service from 65 to 100 markets. Competition from DirecTV has apparently made the company fight for its title of "Top HD provider".

Of course, this is good news for the consumer who gets a larger selection as a result. That is assuming Dish Network doesn't justify an increase in price later as a result of this expansion.

Starting this spring, Warner Bros. will only release DVDs high definition DVDs on Blu-ray. That's a lot of DVDs only on Blu-ray for you HD DVD people (although Warner Bros. will continue to release DVDs in both formats until the end of May). Kevin Tsujihara, the President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, says that the choice to go exclusively Blu-Rray is for the consumers: "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience."