Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder by HAUPPAUGE
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Digital camera reviews of Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder
Digital camera Review: Exceeded my expectations
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this unit because I wanted to save some TV programs from my cable-system HD-DVR. All the video-to-computer products I had seen only used composite video or s-video input, and I figured would be pretty poor quality once translated to digital. I was hoping for DVI or HDMI input, but the component cables work just fine.
I would have given it 5 stars except for the DVD recording speed, and the less-than-clear documentation.
I haven't been able to test out the digital audio yet, because I have toslink cables on order, but they haven't arrived yet. I'll write more after I test that.
Comes with 6' RCAx5 cable to link video and 2-channel audio, 6' USB A/B cable, remote (which I haven't needed yet).
A couple of things that I would have liked to know prior to purchase:
1. My cable box DVR will not output the signal through component ports if there is an HDMI connection. I had to unplug the HDMI cable in order to capture the audio/video from the cable box.
2. The product info talks about copying video to a DVD for replay in your Blu-Ray player. This is incomplete. The DVD you create is playable in either a Blu-Ray or a DVD player. That was a nice discovery.
3. It mentions that you can record 2 hours at 5 Mbits/sec onto a standard 4.7 GB DVD. I was also able to record 3 hours at 9 Mbits/sec onto a DUAL-LAYER DVD. This DVD also plays back on my Blu-Ray player and on my DVD player. If you have more than 3 hours, you can lower the bit rate to fit.
The DVD creation software is from ArcSoft, and has more features than I expected. You can clip videos, so if you've got more than what will fit onto one DVD, you can clip the video and record the first half (original video file stays intact), and then you can create a second project to record the rest.
I had two tv shows to save to a DVD and the creation software creates a menu very easily, and you can add background video and audio to the menu. I didn't do that so I can't tell you how well it worked. It also lets you place chapter breaks into a single video. Again, I haven't done this, but the feature is there.
The only disappointment is the speed at which the DVDs are burned. My DL DVD with 8GB took over 10 hours to create. The single-layer DVD with 4GB took about 3 hours. You can also create the disk image, and then use other DVD burning software to put the image onto the DVD. Something else for me to try later.
I see that Amazon has a package that adds about $1 and you get a digital audio and an HDMI cable along with this recorder. Well worth it.
Digital camera Review: buggy device, limited software, too expensive
Summary: 2 Stars
this device locks up all the time for no apparent reason on certain pcs. because the device itself is doing all the real work, the specs of the pc should not really matter, and in many cases they dont. anyway, the device locks up to the point where i have to manually shut it off and back on again, then have the software refresh to detect it all over. this happens with both 720p and 1080i feeds (havent tried any other resolutions). then theres the software. its third party, options are somewhat limited, max bitrate is 13.5mbps, you can change luma and chroma, but thats pretty much where it ends; you have the option to change some other settings, but they do absolutely nothing! unfortunately, these useless options are where you can modify contrast/saturation, etc., but this doesnt work at all. ive tried many ways to get the changes to actually show up on the video... tried shutting device/pc on and off after changing, tried relaunching software, etc. nothing works. those settings are useless apparently. support for this item also sucks. emailed hauppauge about some problems and they havent replied, and its been about a week n a half since i got it. price... thing is too expensive. 200+ for a buggy product... i dont think so. if it had hdmi in/out (even if the recordings were still limited to 1080i), then it might be worth 200+... that is, if the thing actually works.Digital camera Review: A Powerful Device for PCs and, with add-ons, for Macs
Summary: 4 Stars
As long as you know exactly what you are getting with the Hauppauge HD PVR, you won't be disappointed with the performance of this little black box. It is designed for PC Windows users only, although Mac owners can use it with some add-ons.
First, you'll need to understand and accept what this PVR does not do: without any memory or hard drive inside, it does not store video itself, making the PVR label somewhat misleading, and it does not burn video to DVD. To use it, you must hook it up to a PC or Mac (more on the Mac later) for both recording and playback. And it relies entirely on software running on your computer to record, edit, program, and burn Blu-ray format DVDs. The box itself has no controls other than a power button. It has component, composite, and S-video connections (no HDMI) for video, and optical and stereo audio inputs.
So what does it do? It takes the HD signals streaming into it and compresses them in a format that preserves the HD quality in a savable AVCHD file; you can record/save manually or on a schedule. These signals can come from a set top box, camcorder or other video source that can connect with the above inputs. The included ArcSoft Media software for Windows allows you to record on either the computer hard drive or an external one. Once the files are saved, you may use your computer's DVD-R drive to burn a Blu-Ray-compatible DVD or HD-DVD, edit, play back on your computer or television, convert to iPod-, Xbox-, or PS3-friendly format (MOV, MP4, M2TS, or WMV), or share playback within the same wireless network. The included IR blaster can change the channels on your set top box to the one you've programmed to record. Note: the blaster works with the included software and therefore only on Windows.
Chances are, you're going to have to do some thinking before you decide how to set up the PVR. The conversion box is 7.5" w by 6.5" d by 2/5 " h, so it doesn't take up much space itself. However, you will need a computer next to the HD source. For those who don't have their computer in the same room as the set top box, this may mean buying a computer specifically for video, and naturally, that increases the price of the set-up. However, if you don't plan on recording every day, you can hook up/unhook a laptop very easily - just pull out the USB cable and your connection, if any, to the television. Hauppauge includes the basic component cables (HD source to PVR) and USB cable (PVR to your computer), but, if you want to play the video back on your TV, you will need to buy the necessary cables/connections for that. As of June 2009, the bundled PC software includes a program that allows your PC DVD drive to play the PVR Blu-Ray-format recordings. Depending on your set-up, you may want to add a USB hub, an external hard drive, and/or Apple TV.
Unfortunately for Mac users, Hauppauge does not support OS X, which means you'll have an additional software expense. Two software packages currently work with the Mac and the Hauppauge. The cheaper and less elegant solution is a program called HDPVR Capture, developed and sold privately by a Hauppauge engineer. The fuller featured, more versatile option is Elgato's EyeTV , but unfortunately, you can't use several of the features because it doesn't communicate with the IR Blaster to change channels. Both programs are available only online, although EyeTV 3 comes bundled with Elgato hardware products. If you can find a workaround for the blaster issue, the EyeTV 3 will be nothing short of awesome. It converts the PVR files to a wide variety of formats used by iLife programs. Hauppauge really needs to work more closely with Elgato to satisfy the rapidly growing Mac population. If you are a serious videophile and Mac user, you'll probably also want a product like Roxio Toast 10 Titanium Pro.
The minimum systems requirements for the PVR are: Intel Core Duo processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended), graphics card with at least 256 MB memory, and a sound card. Windows users need either the XP Service Pack or Vista 32. I'm using a three year old Intel Core Duo MacBook without any difficulty. I bypass the MacBook's hard drive to save all my recordings on a portable external hard drive, the Iomega eGo 320 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400 Portable External Hard Drive 34403 (Ruby Red).
Consumers expecting a DVR with onboard memory and playback may be frustrated with the Hauppauge since it requires a computer, but for those who want to capture HD content and do something with it, you've found your equipment.
With special thanks to fellow reviewer Frank Miller.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Digital camera Review: The best way to capture ANY HD material on HDD
Summary: 4 Stars
Got my 1212 yesterday and everything is working just fine. I use it to dump recorded programs from my Directv HD-DVR to my PC. Quality is very good and the file can be edited and burned on DVD or AVCHD disk using regular DVD media. Digital audio input works and there is no lipsync problems.I can't give it 5 star just because the included software is very poor and that's why I use Sony Vegas Pro to edit the files. The AVCHD disks can be played on PS3 or any other Bluray player that handles AVCHD.Digital camera Review: A very solid HD DVR
Summary: 5 Stars
This product was very easy to setup and worked just the way I needed it too. I was recording 720P game footage with ease. I was even able to use my netbook, however I wasn't able to playback Hi Def until I got it over to my desktop PC. The loop though prevents any latency at all while it records making it easy to see and watch what you were capturing which saves money on having to get a strong PC to play 1:1.
My only problem is I can't use my PC monitor since the HD DVR only supports Component outputs for HD. But its hardly a problem for most and i'm sure if I look I'll be able to find a cable to suit my needs.