GUIDE TO TV TUNERS

Hauppauge 1200 WinTV HVR-850 HDTV Tuner Stick

Manufacturer : HAUPPAUGE
In Stock : 33

List Price:	$69.99
Price:	$52.95
You Save:	$17.04 (24%)

Features

TV tuner allows for viewing and recording of television on PCs via high-speed USB
Compatible with both digital and analog television signals
Record your favorite shows in high-quality MPEG-2 directly to your hard disk
Small size makes it easy to carry and ideal for laptops
Includes Personal Video Recorder software for scheduled recording of programs

Product Description

The WinTV-HVR-850 TV stick from Hauppauge is a dual tuner NTSC analog and ATSC over-the-air high definition digital TV tuner stick. Watch, pause and record TV on your desktop or notebook PC. It's pocket size form factor makes it the perfect travelling companion. Ships with standing portable telescoping antenna. Compatible with Windows XP and all versions of Windows Vista.

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description The Hauppauge 1200 WinTV-HVR-850 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 1200 WinTV-HVR-850 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.
Ability to record your favorite shows with the WinTV-Scheduler software.

WinTV software makes it easy to record your favorite shows. View larger.

The small, pocketable size lets you easily take it everywhere. View larger.

Play and Record Television Digitally
The WinTV-HVR-850 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.

More versatile than a DVR, the WinTV-HVR-850 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 . If you live in an area where you can't currently receive ATSC digital TV, the WinTV-HVR-850 can still be used to watch and record analog TV from cable TV or a TV antenna. (The WinTV-HVR-850 cannot receive digital cable TV or digital satellite TV.)

Once the WinTV-HVR-850 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 computer 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.

More about PVR Technology
PVR stands for PC Video Recorder. The WinTV-HVR-850 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-850), 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-850 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-850, 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-850 are endless.

What's in the Box
WinTV-HVR-850 high-speed USB TV stick with cable TV and ATSC antenna connection; USB extension cable; portable antenna; software on CD-ROM; and quick installation guide.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating of 3.50 out of 39 reviews

Rating :
Interesting TV Tuner - Osman M. Aly, Nov 19, 2009

The tuner works fine with the provided antenna wchich picks up few TV stations. It needs an outside antenna to be able pick up several TV Stations and expand its uisefulness. However,I don't find an ouside antenna is justifiable unless no regular TVs are available.
The unit is not useful for picking up any stations for Cable TV simply because all broadcasting in the USA , by law, is digital. So no analog stations would be available for view..

Rating :
Horrible software & antenna - RG, Nov 13, 2009

I decided to disconnect cable TV to save a bunch of money, and since I was an early adopter of flat-screen TV it was "HDTV-ready" meaning it has HDMI, and can display HDTV but does not have a digital tuner. I decided to do all this after the government sponsored coupons for converter box ended.

So, I decided instead of paying about the same price as this device for a converter box, why not get this. I had gotten really used to the DVR (digital video recorder) from the cable company, and the software with the WinTV promises to do the same with PVR (personal video recorder) capabilities.

The hardware itself is functional - although it gets really really HOT! But, like the hardware the software is also probably made in China and it really shows. The software is absolutely horrible. Beyond bad. All my comments are based upon Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3, with all Microsoft Security Updates.

First off, the CD that it comes with has the old software (WinTV version 6), and you can get the new version on the Hauppauge website (WinTV version 7), but both versions are really horrible. You will get crashes of the program all the time, and even worse, at times it will crash the entire PC (Blue Screen of Death/ or a freeze up from which you can't even shut down). Simply installing the software will cause problems with Skype and Yahoo Messenger (if you want to make a VoIP call over the phone network).

The initial program run from the CD - or the setup.exe from a download is nothing more than a fancy menu/launcher program - but it will fail to run if you, as any smart PC user does, has DEP (data execution prevention) turned on. This will be your first clue that the software is NRFPT (not ready for prime time) and probably never will be. You have this flaw on both the old (WinTV6) and new (WinTV7) versions.

Then, before the installation finishes, Windows will complain: "Files that are required for Windows to run properly have been replaced by unrecognized versions. To maintain system stability, Windows must restore the original versions of these files. Insert your product CD-ROM now." Microsoft KB Article 222193 explains that this is due to software replacing Windows files incorrectly. What should you do? Are the unauthorized Windows files needed? I asked tech support but they do not answer that question. The answer is apparently not - because the software has the same semi-working functionality no matter which you do. (I've tried both. I always install software like this in a sandbox and/or machine I don't care about to make sure I don't mess up my critical PC.)
I also do not receive answers to other questions to Hauppauge tech support - but they have answered some. Like the Skype issue - "this is not a verified problem so it must be something with your particular setup." The classic pass-the-buck/catch 22 - there isn't a problem because no problem has been reported and verified, and we are not going to make any attempt to see if the problem you report is real or can be verified.

The instructions on using the software are horrible, and the user-friendliness and thoughtfulness that went into it are - well - third-worldish.

With the switch to Digital TV, many formerly VHF stations have relocated to UHF - but the anteanna that's provided with this is VHF only. You'll probably need to purchase another antenna if you want to get UHF stations unless you're really close to the transmitter.

I had planned on putting the software on my regular PC - but there's no way I'll do that - it's just way too buggy and risky. I will keep it, grin and bear it - and use it and put up with the crashes - on my 'spare' notebook. I can even connect my HDTV-ready big TV via the VGA port and line output to get the picture on the big-screen - and the picture is quite excellent - until the program crashes.

Rating :
works for me.... - Fourthstooge, Oct 14, 2009

I bought this product from Radio Shack for about the same price as offered here on Amazon (I know, suprising). I use it to watch college football (Alabama; Roll Tide) on my netbook while at work on Saturdays. Works perfectly pulling in high def over-the-air signals here in No. Alabama. I do use a powered anntenea instead of the one included, but that is only because I am about 25 miles from broadcast locations.

Rating :
So Far So Good, Once Its Working - J. Levine, Oct 13, 2009

I bought this mostly to tape shows that are on at inconvenient times, not for anything too sophisticated. The hardest part was getting the software to work. I recommend not even using the CD and just going onto the manufacturer's web site for the latest versions of the driver and software- it seems to be much easier than using the CD, which didn't work for me (I have 64-bit Vista, and I guess that complicates things.)

The actual item is easy to use and gets good reception (I get OK reception over the air anyway, so maybe that's why.) Taping is easy and seems to work even when my laptop is closed and sleeping/standing by. The stick gets a little warm but since I am not watching 4 hours of TV at a time I can't tell if that becomes a problem.

Certainly works like I expected for now. Maybe I'll change my mind if I start using it more intensively and run into problems...

Rating :
Tuner Works Well but needs a newer computer - C. Andres, Oct 08, 2009

The TV tuner worked well and the software that came with it was moderatly easy to use. May take a bit of trial and error to understand for some as documentation is light. Problem I had is that the older computer with a single core processor and small video cache could not handle the video decoding. Had to upgrade and wemt with a Gateway that had a built in tuner so for mow this is in reserve.

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