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Hauppauge 1200 WinTV HVR-850 HDTV Tuner Stick | 
| Brand: Hauppauge
Category: CE
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $51.50
as of 7/29/2010 13:32 CDT details
You Save: $18.49 (26%)
New (29) Used (3) from $38.99
Seller: Meghan O'Donohoe
Rating:  58 reviews
Format: CD
Platform: Windows
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Operating System: Windows
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 10 x 7.8 x 7
MPN: 1200
Model: 1200
UPC: 785428012001
EAN: 0785428012001
ASIN: B00169CDUY
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
 | TV tuner allows for viewing and recording of television on PCs via high-speed USB | | | Compatible with 32 bit and/or 64 bit Windows 7 | | | Record your favorite shows in high-quality MPEG-2 directly to your hard disk | | | Small size makes it easy to carry and ideal for laptops | | | Includes Personal Video Recorder software for scheduled recording of programs |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description The Hauppauge 1200 WinTV-HVR-850 Hybrid TV Stick External TV Tuner/Video Recorder will bring high-definition television directly to your PC. This handy device lets you watch your favorite TV shows through your computer and record them digitally for future playback using high quality MPEG-2. More economical and versatile than a DVR, or digital video recorder, this PC Video Recorder, or PVR, gives you virtually unlimited options for saving and playing back your favorite TV broadcasts and clips.  | The Hauppauge 1200 WinTV-HVR-850 Hybrid TV Stick External TV Tuner/Video Recorder offers: - Ability to watch television on your PC in a window or full screen.
- Portable, small size for on-the-go television viewing on your laptop.
- Compatibility with digital and analog signals.
- Ability to record your favorite shows with the WinTV-Scheduler software.
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WinTV software makes it easy to record your favorite shows. View larger. | | 
The small, pocketable size lets you easily take it everywhere. View larger. | Play and Record Television Digitally
The WinTV-HVR-850 is a simple-to-use device that brings over-the-air high definition ATSC digital TV as well as analog cable TV directly to your PC desktop or laptop. With the additional included antenna, it can also receive analog TV broadcasts. More versatile than a DVR, the WinTV-HVR-850 is a pocket-sized device that simply plugs into your PC's USB port. It features a built-in digital ATSC over-the-air TV receiver. If you live in one of the more than 200 cities in the United States that receives ATSC digital TV, you'll have immediate access to as many as 1500 digital TV stations. ATSC digital TV is the over-the-air HDTV standard for North America. ATSC broadcasts range in resolution from standard definition up to the high definition 1080i format. (To check the ATSC digital transmissions in your area, input your zip code at titantv.com.) A portable digital TV antenna, which can be used to receive digital TV up to 10 miles from an ATSC transmitter, is included with the PVR . If you live in an area where you can't currently receive ATSC digital TV, the WinTV-HVR-850 can still be used to watch and record analog TV from cable TV or a TV antenna. (The WinTV-HVR-850 cannot receive digital cable TV or digital satellite TV.) Once the WinTV-HVR-850 is connected, you can begin to record your favorite shows in high-quality MPEG-2 directly to your hard disk using the Hauppauge SoftPVR MPEG-2 encoder. Television recordings will typically consume 5 GB of disk space per hour for ATSC high definition, while analog recordings will typically consume 1.5 GB of disk space per hour. You can also use the included WinTV-Scheduler to program your computer to record your favorite analog or digital TV shows for play back at any time. Compatibility with Microsoft's Windows Media Center means that you can watch TV as well as your recordings with Windows Media Center. The included WinTV application also lets you watch your shows in a window or on full screen. More about PVR Technology
PVR stands for PC Video Recorder. The WinTV-HVR-850 is a PVR that allows you to play television through your computer and record the broadcasts digitally. PVR doesn't use standard videocassettes; instead, it uses your computer's hard disk to store the broadcasts. Once you record a television show to your PC's hard drive, you can burn a CD or DVD that will allow you to play the show back on another computer or on your television. With video editing software (not included with the WinTV-HVR-850), you can even edit the shows. This is a great feature if you want to save clips from movies or sitcoms, or keep your favorite player's grand slam or TD kick-off return for posterity. And just like a typical VCR, the WinTV-HVR-850 offers you several recording options, depending on your play back needs. If you want the highest quality recording for playback through your HDTV, all you need is enough hard drive space to support high-quality recording. By using the lowest recording option, you can use your WinTV-HVR-850, along with an inexpensive video camera, as a low-cost on-site video surveillance system. In fact, the possibilities of how you can take advantage of the WinTV-HVR-850 are endless. What's in the Box
WinTV-HVR-850 high-speed USB TV stick with cable TV and ATSC antenna connection; USB extension cable; portable antenna; software on CD-ROM; and quick installation guide.
Product Description
WINTV-HVR-850 TV STICK USB PERPHYBRID NTSC OR ATSC DIGITAL HI DEF
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
 Great for use in our RV, but that's it. July 26, 2010
Julie Doyle (Tennessee)
We purchased this tuner specifically to use with our laptop when traveling in our camper. Our camper has an antenna with a booster, so our reception is wonderful! The tuner pulls in at least a dozen (local, HD, and PBS) channels. If I were rating this product for our specific use, I would give it 5 stars. The software was simple to install, and after updating our laptop's graphics, we get a great picture. However, I gave a lower rating for this product in general, because if one was depending on high performance using only the provided portable antenna, then one might be VERY disappointed. With use of just the portable antenna, we generally have ZERO reception. Sometimes we might get 1 or 2 channels, but they are very choppy.
We purchased this item through Amazon, where I found the best price anywhere, and it was shipped promptly. 5 stars Amazon!
 Great, but not for PCs with Windows XP --- and buy NEW antenna! June 19, 2010
Wade Thunborg
The TV tuner Hauppauge 1200 WinTV HVR-850 HDTV Tuner Stick is great, but not with all PCs. I have these observations:
I purchased and installed (or attempted to install) the HVR-850 on two popular PCs that I have recently purchased.
For the Hauppauge HVR-850 I recommend:
1. The ASUS eeePC 1005PEB with Windows 7 Basic. It installed easily without a hitch (due to the SLOWLY improving Microsoft operatating system). However, since this is a netbook PC and does not have an internal DVD player to run the installation disk, you need to use an external DVD player (which not everyone has). The Hauppauge software REQUIRES the disk for installation. Downloaded software is not sufficient.
For the Hauppauge HVR-850 I recommend:
3. After you install the TV tuner card, you MUST buy another antenna. The one Hauppauge supplies is terrible! I use a Terk amplified indoor HDTV antenna. It increased the number of channels I received from one to ten. (While it retails on Amazon for about $75, it is often on sale for about $38)
For the Hauppauge HVR-850 I CANNOT recommend:
2. The Acer Aspire Revo AR1600 with Windows XP Home Edition. Unless you are a PC nerd, don't think you can use it for this otherwise excellent bargain computer (which for all other uses I adore). I could not get the creaky, primative Windows XP operating system to recognize the HVR-850 and therefore the installation software refused to install. Over the years I have purchased an ATI TV Wonder TV tuner card and two Hauppauge TV tuner cards for use with desktop PCs using Windows XP and have been greatly disappointed. I found them all terrrible until Windows Vista was introduced (and Windows 7 is better).
 Easy to connect, lousy TV even with cable June 6, 2010
William Scarbrough (Elkton, MD)
With a computer that's overbuilt and more than capable of running this component (Windows 7 Ultimate 64x, Opteron 170 AMD Dual Core Processor 2.0 Ghz, 4Gb RAM) I have to say save your money!!!
Yes, it's very easy to install and considering what it's capable of, it connects very quickly but that's where the pleasure an awe end.
I've used this with Windows XP Pro in both 32 bit and 64 bit mode, 3Gb and 4Gb of RAM respectively, Windows Ultimate x86 and x64 again with 3Gb and 4Gb of RAM and the picture quality is horrible at best.
Used with Comcast Cable and no tuner box you get a rolling screen, intermittent signals, and then it locks up constantly after about 4-6 minutes of viewing. Restart the program, same thing. Restart the computer, same thing. I've tried stock with the processor and overclocked, stock with RAM and overclocked, it doesn't matter.
I hope their high end tuner cards are better than the portable tuners because this is absolutely wasted money! I would have been better off lighting up and burning the $80 I spent on it brand new.
Even when you do get a picture it looks as if you're using the old fashioned rabbit ears type antenna.
The included antenna is nothing to marvel at either. I suppose if you're in the midwest with perfectly flat land or similar, it might perform ok but even on the eastern seaboard with minimal to no blockage the antenna is almost useless.
In good conscience I definitely would not recommend this device. Save your money and check out either their high end tuner cards or go with another manufacturer or card type!
Hauppauge 1200 WinTV HVR-850 works as advertised May 29, 2010
Matthew Decker (Pittsburgh, PA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My situation...Windows 7 64bit on 4-year-old Dell Latitude D630 with analog cable service. Also, have a 22" LCD monitor and 30" tube CRT TV. Factoring all this in, I decided on this make/model. It works great with Windows Media Center. The WinTV software is "OK" but it would give choppy streaming at times and it can't compete with Media Center's TV guide and ease of recording.
I have also used the provided HDTV antenna and am absolutely amazed at how well broadcast hdtv looks on my LCD. Recordings in HD are just as good, just make sure you have plenty of hard drive available. Viewing analog cable on my widescreen LCD monitor isn't that nice. But my intent is to watch the analog cable recordings on my tube TV and they look much better on the tube, just like watching my live cable programming. HDTV recordings viewed on the CRT tube look wonderful as well.
I bought this device to record World Cup soccer games over analog cable but after doing some test recordings, I was not happy with the results. All the action on the field looks fine except whenever the camera pans, the white sidelines and on-field lines jump around and it's really distracting to me. So I will be watching my WC2010 recordings on good old VHS! Any other analog cable playback on the CRT looks just fine (Fox News, NHL, Golf, Movies, MLB, etc.). But for some reason on soccer games the sidelines "dance". Maybe one day I'll upgrade to digital cable!
So I will keep this device I guess if I want to start recording over-the-air HDTV because that's where this thing really shines for my situation. I had no issues with drivers and what-not. It was a cinch to setup and start using with either the provided software or the free Win7 Media Center. I don't think I read any instructions, everything just worked.
If you have analog cable and want to use a CRT for viewing then this is a good buy. Just don't bank on it for soccer games. If you have HDTV over the air or digital cable and use a LCD/Plasma for viewing, this will certainly work well for you as well. Just note that you cannot run this device in over-the-air mode and cable/satellite mode at the same time...because there is only one coax connector for both of those services to share. I guess you could try using a coax Y-splitter but if you use Windows Media Center, you have to run through a configuration wizard anytime you want to toggle between cable vs. antenna mode input. This would become irritating if you had to do this very often.
 Barely works, so don't expect much. May 10, 2010
A. Van Schaik (Seattle, WA)
It sounds appealing but if you want mobile access to digital TV stations through your laptop this is a band aide rather than a real solution. Now to be fair the unit did try and pull in a few stations but unless you are very close to those stations, forget it.
Since the idea is to have mobile TV access through your laptop it makes the idea implausible because the system must re-initialize numerous times while you travel, that's just a big hassle.
The antenna provided is only adequate for connecting with the nearest and strongest local stations, if there are any objects like buildings and trees in its path the reception is poor. In order to pull in stations that don't constantly break-up you would have to purchase a better quality antenna costing close to the price of the converter which makes it cost prohibitive.
If you really want mobile TV you should investigate some other alternative.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
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