Product Description: HD PVR is the world's first High-Definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. HD-PVR records component video (YCrCb) from cable TV and satellite set top boxes, with a built-in IR blaster to automatically change TV channels for scheduled recordings. Audio is recorded using AAC or Dolby Digital.The recording format is AVCHD, which can be used to burn Blu-ray DVD disks. Two hours of HD recordings, recorded at 5 Mbits/sec, can be burnt onto a standard 4.7 GByte DVD-R or DVD-RW disk for playback on a Blu-ray DVD player.The HD PVRs amazing recording quality allows personal archival of your favorite high definition TV programs from any component video HD set top box. The HD PVR also has standard definition composite and S-Video inputs so you can record your old home video tapes into an AVCHD format for creating Blu-ray DVD recordings.
Amazon.com Product Description: The Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder is the world's first high-definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. With the HD-PVR, you can schedule and automatically record your favorite shows in high definition directly from cable TV and satellite set top boxes. As an added feature, the HD-PVR also includes S-Video inputs so you can convert all your old home video tapes into Blu-ray DVD recordings.
This personal video recorder makes real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. View front connections
Plug your VCR directly into the 1212 HD-PVR and record old home video tapes into AVCHD format. View rear connections
The Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder offers:
Recording direct from cable TV and satellite with quality up to 1080i.
AVCHD format for burning Blu-ray DVD discs.
Standard definition composite and S-Video inputs.
High-Definition Quality Recordings on Your Schedule At long last, a personal video recorder, or PVR, that offers high quality recordings of high-definition television shows. Now you can start building a personal archive of your favorite high definition TV programs without losing the broadcast quality.
At the heart of the HD-PVR is an H.264 high-definition encoder that's built-in for high-performance, high-quality TV recordings at up to 1080i resolution, 720p or VGA/D1. The box includes a component video input for use with most high-definition cable TV and satellite TV receivers, as well as optical or stereo audio inputs. (Audio is recorded using AAC of Dolby Digital.)
The HD-PVR records in the AVCHD format, which can be used to burn Blu-ray DVD discs. Two hours of high-definition recordings, recorded at 5 Mbits/sec, can be burnt onto a standard 4.7 GB DVD-R or DVD-RW disk for playback on any Blu-ray DVD player. (You have the option of recording at datarates from 1 Mbs to 13.5Mbs, constant and variable bit rate.)
The recorder also includes Hauppage's WinTV scheduler that lets you schedule your TV recordings, and a built-in IR blaster that automatically changes TV channels for your scheduled recordings. The included remote control lets you change the stations in your set-up box. And for even greater convenience and performance, the HD-PVR features an audio / video component video loop so you can record and watch your television at the same time.
Convert Your Home Videos to Blu-ray DVDs If you've been wondering what to do with all your home videos, the HD-PVR has the answer. Thanks to the included standard definition composite and S-Video inputs, you can plug your VCR directly into the box and record your old home video tapes into an AVCHD format, which you can then burn onto a DVD for playback on your Blu-ray DVD player.
Also included with the HD-PVR is Arcsoft's "TotalMedia Theater," a video player that lets you play back your TV recordings to your PC screen, and "MediaConverter" to convert your H.264 HD recordings onto other formats.
The HD-PVR measures a scant 7.8 x 6.8 x 2.8 inches, so it will fit snugly in your home theater set up.
What's in the Box HD-PVR, remote control (with batteries), IR Blaster transmitter cable, component video cable set, audio cable set, USB cable, and 5V power supply. Also includes the following bundled software applications: Arcsoft "TotalMediaExtreme"; Arcsoft "TotalMedia Theater," Arcsoft "MediaConverter," and Hauppauge WinTV Scheduler.
1212: hot item, not ready for prime time Sadly I just returned the second of these, purchased through Amazon.com.
Both had the same failure and a few other annoying characteristics which I'm mentioning in hope that Hauppague will improve the product, for its image capture is superb and I'd love to purchase one again when it works properly.
1) The failure: after a week of using the first device the image output to the TV would be frequently interrupted by an all black screen with occasional broken pictures in between these interruptions. The replacement unit, supplied very efficiently by Amazon, failed the same way with 24 hours.
2) The component connectors have little or no grip! One or more of the video leads of the 6' cables supplied with the cableco Motorola HD-DVR and the 6' cable supplied by Hauppague would simply fall out of the 1212 connectors with any motion of the box once it was in place. The same behavior was exhibited using Monoprice 3' cables.
3) The IR blaster adhesive failed on both the first and second cables within minutes of being applied to the face of the HD-DVR.
4) The unit needs to be powered on simply to watch TV via the component interface. In the case of the Motorola HD-DVR, if I also connect its HDMI to the TV, the component interface is clamped off.
5) I'm using a Logitech 880 universal remote and, though I did not setup IR for the 1212, nor "train" the 880 from the Hauppauge remote, it could not turn the 1212 on or off, which would have been convenient as it runs quite hot and, therefore, I presume costly at the utility meter. The fact that I turned it on/off manually, and therefore caused the light-weight unit to move on its feet, perhaps contributed to the cable leads falling out?
I've been very happy with other Hauppauge products and I look forward to some engineering changes to the 1212 so that I can use it once again.
HD-PVR does not record surround sound yet Hauppauge included a small note on a flyer sent with the unit. "Does not record bitstream audio at this time". What this means for me is, no surround sound with my HD recordings. The flyer stated that an upcoming firmware release would solve this problem. My first attempt to record HD produced great video but no audio because I selected SPDIF optical input. Can only record stereo audio until the firmware is fixed. At least for me, it is collecting dust until then, as I don't have any reason to make HD recordings without surround sound for my home theater. Would give it a 5 for video quality and ease of use. Suggest buyers contact Hauppauge to confirm bitstream audio is functioning before purchase.
Best Hi def recorder on the market currently ok I would have given this 5 stars but this comes with current problem with it, this has optical in for 5.1DD recording at this time hauppuage can not get this to work so you are stuck with PCM 2.0 or audio from the analog imputs, now to the rest, it records video at 1920x1080 at same or near Blu ray discs, you have a choice of bitrate constant from 1 to 13.5 Kb or on variable all the way up to 20.2, this records in the same codeec (AVCHD) as blu ray and HD DVD discs, it will take any component imput, I have mine through my receiver where my Dishnet PVR HD, PS3, HD DVD and Oppo DVD player runs through, just for test purposes I tried all my devices and what I test recorded from dishnet, blu ray, DVD and HD DVD the test disc looked no different than the original source, once you capture your source you can then edit or add chapters then you get to add a real cheapo menu and then put in what disc you need to burn either a DVD-R or a dual layer DVD Disc, it takes about 10 minutes to author your recording to Blu ray standard and burn on your normal DVD as a true Blu ray playable Disc, beware once you burn your DVD as a blu ray playback DVD you will not be able to read it in your computer again unless you have a Blu ray Rom or Blu Ray Burner, once and if Hauppuage ever gets the 5.1 DD fixed this could be the killer to blu ray Discs, hauppuage claims by next driver release they will include the 5.1 fix. Beware this is Xp service pack 2 or Vista operating system only, also you must have a fast computer to use this device and its programs, I have a dual core 3.4 gig Intel, 2gigs of ram, 2 - 500 sata HDD and had to buy a nvidia 7600 512 meg video card to get this up to speed and at the fastest bitrate 13,500 I cant do anything else on the computer, but this is the problem with Hi def, its power hungry, now I can finally put my hi def movies of all 6 star wars and 3 lord of the rings on DVD for 1080i blu ray playback, you can also convert the finished files over to movie factory 6 to burn on a normal DVD for HD DVD playback also.
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