Hauppauge Demos PVR Recorder to record 1080p HD from Cable and Satellite Boxes
UPDATE: For an update with more information on this device, check out this post
HTPC fans, this is big news... There has been rumblings all week on the SageTV forums about a very exciting HD Recorder for the Home Theater PC. The new Hauppauge "HD PVR" records video from HD Cable TV or satellite TV boxes into H.264 in real-time to your HTPC. The device takes the digital TV feed from the cable/satellite TV box's component cables (also referred to as 'YPrBp" or red/blue/green connectors) and then uses it's on-board H.264 hardware encoder to record that high definition TV programs in ISO standard, HD H.264 AVC format in real time. It uses an IR blaster to control the channels on the set-top box so you can use your HTPC to schedule recordings and change channels. The HD PVR can encode 720p, 1080i and 1080p content in the H.264 format at rates of 5 to 25 Mbps. This isn't perfect, but it should satisfy almost all HTPC users. Plus the H.264 profile is compatible with blue-ray so it should be playable in blue-ray players as well.
A working prototype was being demo'd at CES by Hauppauge. The Hauppauge recorder is slated to be available in Q1 2008, with a suggested retail price of $249.00 according to the Hauppauge press release.
You may be asking why is this big news? Well before this, you needed the expensive and inflexible Cablecard devices (or the lesser known and lesser supported R5000 mod) to record encrypted HD channels. It also will likely work with Non-Microsoft Vista Media Center PC's unlike the Cablecard tuners so this would open up the possibilities to SageTV users and likely other HTPC software programs. I would guess it would take a pretty powerful processor to do the conversion to H.264 on the fly so you better have a beefy HTPC though.
Another likely problem with this in the future would be if Hollywood realizes this "hole" exists in their plan to lock down all content, they'll probably push the cable and satellite companies to turn off the component outputs or just remove them from future boxes. For the present though this looks like the "holy grail" for diy HTPCers. I for one am very excited about it. If I can find some photo's I'll put up another post with an update.
If this device works as advertised it will sell like hotcakes and give those who spent their hard-earned dollars on Cablecard a little heartburn.
More Information:
Satellite TV PC Tuner Card On It's Way?
Earl Bonovich at DBSTalk has the scoop on what is likely the biggest HTPC news out of the Vegas CES show to date. DirecTV is showing off their new HDPC-20, a new dual tuner device that connects via USB to your PC and allows your PC to tune, record and viewing of Satellite TV right from your Home Theater PC! It only references Windows Vista Media Center, but hopefully support for the other HTPC software programs such as SageTV and Beyond TV wouldn't be too far behind.
Here is a scan of the brochure available in the DirectTV CES display provided from a forum member at DBSTalk.
Feature List from the Brochure:
- Watch DirecTV on your HTPC/Computer
- Use your Computer as a DRVR
- Thumbnails of recorded content
- Movie guides with movie jackets, cast & production info reviews, etc...
- Integrates all of your digital content in one menu: DirecTV programming, plus your music pictures, video, sports and online media
- Can stream all of your media to multiple TVs in the house (via Windows Media Center Extenders, other devices on the network that serve as proxies to Windows Media Center, such as an Xbox 360)
- Remote control has all standard DirecTV functions
But yes, this is a very real product...... hopefully soon after CES, I can get some solid estimated time frames on when they will hit the streets.
On another CES/HTPC note, here might be some new information out of CES on SageTV regarding Echostar as well, but haven't confirmed it yet - hopefully by the end of today I'll have a better idea.
Discovered via SageTV forums with further coverage at Engadget and the original source at DBSTalk Forums
The Ultimate Winter 2008 TV Premier List
Looking for the Fall 2008 TV Premier Guide? CLICK HERE
Its time again for the Winter 2008 TV Premiers & I have a complete list of the premiers for you. With the writers strike having removed most hope for good, new television programming you may be thinking there won't be any new TV shows this Winter season. Well, your almost right as there are more reality television shows than ever and this batch looks to be some of the worst excuses for TV I've ever seen. Shows such as "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" and "The Bussey Bunch" join our better known reality shows like American Idol.
But there's also a few promising shows that are premiering this Winter season including Jericho Season 2 and nine episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. There are also some episode remaining from the Fall 2007 season that will air this Winter.
I've gathered a complete listing of all of the TV Season Premiers for Winter 2008 for you. This list includes all the new premiers for the major TV Networks (broadcast and cable) in the U.S.
PREMIERS - (New Shows in Bold)
| Premier Date | Day | Show Name | Network | Notes |
| 1/1/2008 | Tuesday | Biggest Loser 5 | NBC | Reality |
| 1/1/2008 | Tuesday | Just for Laughs | ABC | Comedy |
| 1/2/2008 | Wednesday | Make Me A Supermodel | Bravo | Realty |
| 1/2/2008 | Wednesday | Power of 10 | CBS | Game Show |
| 1/2/2008 | Wednesday | Wife Swap | ABC | Reality |
| 1/2/2008 | Wednesday | Supernanny | ABC | Reality |
| 1/2/2008 | Wednesday | Law and Order | NBC | Drama |
| 1/3/2008 | Thursday | Apprentice: Celebrity Edition | NBC | Reality |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | Flash Gordon | SciFi | Drama |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | Stargate Atlantis | SciFi | Drama |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | How to Look Good Naked | Lifetime | Reality |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | Top This Party | Lifetime | Reality |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | Matched in Manhattan | Lifetime | Reality |
| 1/4/2008 | Friday | 1 vs 100 | NBC | Game Show |
| 1/5/2008 | Saturday | 48 Hours Mystery | CBS | Drama |
| 1/5/2008 | Saturday | Cops | Fox | Reality |
| 1/5/2008 | Saturday | Alien Abductions: True Confessions | WE | Reality |
| 1/6/2008 | Sunday (Wed.'s after premier) | Cashmere Mafia | ABC | Drama |
| 1/6/2008 | Sunday | Russell Simmons Presents: Def Comedy Jam | HBO | Comedy |
| 1/6/2008 | Sunday | American Gladiators | NBC | Reality/ "Sports" |
| 1/6/2008 | Sunday | The L Word | Showtime | Drama |
| 1/6/2008 | Sunday | The Wire | HBO | Drama |
| 1/7/2008 | Monday | Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann | ABC | Reality |
| 1/7/2008 | Monday | Medium | NBC | Drama |
| 1/8/2008 | Tuesday | One Tree Hill | CW | Drama |
| 1/8/2008 | Tuesday | Guinea Pig | SciFi | Reality |
| 1/8/2008 | Tuesday | Parking Wars | A&E | Reality |
| 1/8/2008 | Tuesday | Life of Ryan | MTV | Reality |
| 1/8/2008 | Tuesday | Rob & Big | MTV | Reality |
| 1/9/2008 | Wednesday | Ghost Hunters International | SciFi | Reality |
| 1/9/2008 | Wednesday | Law and Order: Criminal Intent | NBC | Drama |
| 1/10/2008 | Thursday | Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew | VH1 | Reality |
| 1/10/2008 | Thursday | Make Me a Supermodel | Bravo | Reality |
| 1/11/2008 | Friday | Monk | USA | Drama |
| 1/11/2008 | Friday | Psych | USA | Drama |
| 1/13/2008 | Sunday (and then moving to Mondays beginning 1/14) | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Fox | Drama Sci Fi |
| 1/13/2008 | Sunday | Complete Jane Austen | PBS | Drama |
| 1/14/2008 | Monday | Kyle XY | ABC Family | Teen Drama |
| 1/14/2008 | Monday | Prison Break | FOX | Drama |
| 1/15/2008 | Tuesday | American Idol 7 | Fox | Reality |
| 1/16/2008 | Wednesday | Reno 911 | Comedy | Comedy |
| 1/20/2008 | Sunday | Breaking Bad | AMC | Drama |
| 1/21/2008 | Monday | Wildfire | ABC Family | Teen Drama |
| 1/22/2008 | Tuesday | Millionaire Matchmaker | Bravo | Reality |
| 1/22/2008 | Tuesday | The Bussey Bunch | TLC | Reality |
| 1/23/2008 | Wednesday | The Moment of Truth | Fox | Game Show |
| 1/23/2008 | Wednesday | Pros vs. Joes | Spike | Reality |
| 1/24/2008 | Thursday | This Old House: Katrina Victims | PBS | Learning/ Docu. |
| 1/26/2008 | Saturday | Torchwood | BBC America | Drama |
| 1/26/2008 | Saturday | Trading Places w/Paige Davis & Original Crew | TLC | Reality |
| 1/28/2008 | Monday | In Treatment | HBO | Comedy |
| 1/31/2008 | Thursday | Lost | ABC | Drama |
| 1/31/2008 | Thursday | Eli Stone | ABC | Drama |
| 2/04/2008 | Monday | Welcome to the Captain | CBS | Drama |
| 2/04/2008 | Monday | New Adventures of Old Christine | CBS | Comedy |
| 2/7/2008 | Thursday | Survivor 16 | CBS | Reality |
| 2/7/2008 | Thursday | Lipstick Jungle | NBC | Drama |
| 2/7/2008 | Thursday | Dexter (CBS Version) | CBS | Drama originally shown on Showtime |
| 2/12/2008 | Tuesday | Jericho | CBS | Drama - MUST SEE |
| 2/12/2008 | Tuesday | Big Brother 9 | CBS | Reality |
| 2/17/2008 | Sunday | Knight Rider | NBC | Drama |
| 2/18/2008 | Monday | Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious | CW | Reality |
| 2/18/2008 | Monday | The Baby Borrowers | NBC | Reality |
| 2/18/2008 | Monday | Quarterlife | NBC | Drama |
| 2/20/2008 | Wednesday | America's Next Top Model 10 | CW | Reality |
| 2/22/2008 | Friday | New Amsterdam | FOX | Drama |
| 3/??/2008 | TBA | Greek | ABC Family | Teen Drama |
| 3/??/2008 | TBA | Tracy Ullman’s State of the Union | Showtime | Comedy |
| 3/2/2008 | Sunday | Oprah's Big Give | ABC | Reality |
| 3/2/2008 | Sunday | That's Amore | MTV | Reality |
| 3/2/2008 | Sunday | Unhitched | Fox | Comedy |
| 3/3/2008 | Monday | When Women Rule the World | Fox | Reality |
| 3/5/2008 | Wednesday |