Digital Home Thoughts: Hauppauge Offers Windows Media Center Some Love

"If you're thinking about going the Media Center DVR route but can't or won't get hooked up with a CableCARD don't forget there's another option available to pull in those premium channels now that the $199 Hauppauge HD PVR is supported as a TV recorder in Windows 7."

For those of you that are not familiar with the Hauppauge HD PVR, it is an external video capture device that interacts with your Cable or Satellite box. The difference between the HD PVR and most other external video capture devices is that it captures in HD (720p, 1080i) where others typically handle SD. This includes channels normally protected by your cable or satellite provider. Support in Windows 7 is great since Windows Media Center is really friendly and easy to use, and being able to record shows in HD will make your life just a little less blurry. While many speculate that the future is in digital distribution, cable or satellite will probably be the video distribution platform of choice for many years to come, so it is nice to see that technology is keeping up so we can enjoy it better!