Hauppauge’s HD-PVR Launch Date Delayed

If you are someone that has been anxiously awaiting Hauppauge’s HD-PVR, you will be disappointed that its late March release date has been pushed back. Now, the company doesn’t expect to get the device out until May or possibly even June.

If you hadn’t even heard of the HD-PVR, you may be interested in learning more about this new technology that is on the horizon. With the HD-PVR, users are able to use any video output in order to capture HD video. This video can then be compressed in real time to H.264 so it can be stored on a computer.

This means that the HD-PVR will make it possible to use your satellite box or cable box in order to flip through channels and then record HDTV programming without the need to install a CableCard in your computer. This is particularly nice because getting a CableCard tuner can cost you $1,000 or more, while the HD-PVR is only supposed to cost $250.

Unfortunately, the HD-PVR will not be compatible with Windows Media Center when the device launches. The company does expect to have compatibility by summer. It should also be noted that the device works through the YPrPb output, which means it is captured as an analog signal. Therefore, the picture quality won’t be quite as good as what you can achieve with a CableCard. At the same time, it is a lot cheaper.