Hauppauge intros USB PVR with component input

Hauppauge has pulled the wraps of their HD PVR, which can take a HD signal from its component inputs and transcode it to H.264 in real time for storage on your computer. If you don't believe that old-school analog component connections are any good, keep walking. True, there will be some degradation after the signal makes its digital-to-analog-to-digital journey, but we like the universal applicability of this device. Hauppauge is tossing a copy of its HD encoder software so you can then burn the recorded content to a DVD for use on the run. Available Q1 2008 for $249.

[Via TVSquad]

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 3:14PM]

If true this could very well be the best HD recording device ever! That is if the h.264 encoding is top notch (no visible loss in PQ quality of the component signal) and the MPAA lawyers don't kill this thing off before it sees the light of day. It sounds like it can record in BD-9 format to regular DVD media. Very cool.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 2:52PM]

Nice... now i can record my comcast on demand movies and i can keep them on my computer forever and I can also record the TV programs from my comcast box in hd... without DVR... and i can burn my favorite shows to an HD-DVD-9 or blu-ray-9 cheaply to take to my freinds' hosues (some have hd some have blu)

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 4:25PM]

yeah because its awesome to copy some tv shows and bring it over to my friends house to watch.....

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 4:26PM]

yeah because its awesome to record tv shows and bring them over to your friends house to wathc

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 3:29PM]

They are taking advantage of the "analog hole" that exists without any DRM. Could turn out be an interesting device if the quality holds up.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 5:28PM]

This could be very tempting. I can't wait to see some reviews.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 11th 2008 5:41PM]

So when the first guy plugs this into Blu-Ray player, the studios will activate the ICT.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 12th 2008 1:29AM]

I hope your wrong Dan, cause I talked to a few members of the MPAA at CES this year and they all read this site.

[JDM Posted Jan 12th 2008 2:58AM]

I heard that most HD movies were already available for download illegally. The equipment costs a little bit, but I don't think it's that big of a deal for a computer enthusiast, less than the cost of a top-end x86 CPU.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 13th 2008 1:39PM]

I have a hard time believing that the quality of the hd recordings via component will be that good considering the amount of data coming in and compression required. I guess we'll see.