Recording high definition video to your PC has always been problematic. You can do it, if you invest in an expensive Media Center PC with a built-in CableCard tuner. You can spend money on pricey gear more oriented towards video editing and content creation.
Now Hauppauge delivers a small box that promises to capture component video in full 1080p glory from almost any source. The secret: The Hauppauge HD DVR takes advantage of the analog hole.
Most video that feeds into set top boxes—particularly from premium sources, such as HBO, Cinemax, or Showtime—are encrypted. Even those non-premium channels aren't so easy if you have a non-cable TV source. (Cable TV viewers have been able to capture high def using tuners capable of clear QAM capability—but only non-premium, unprotected content.)
One of the capabilities built into set top boxes, Blu-ray players, and other similar devices is the ability to downscale high definition signals when they're played through analog outputs. To date, we've heard of no set top box or high definition disc that activates this feature. So most content is played through component video at full 1080p, assuming the output device is 1080p capable.
This is the so-called "analog hole." The signal isn't digital, it's analog, and hence is unprotected and capable of being captured. The downside is potential image quality degradation. The signal is converted from digital to analog, then back to digital when it's captured. That's two generations removed from the pristine, original digital content.
Still, even when converted in this matter, high def content can look pretty good. And if you're looking for a solution to archive unlimited amounts of high definition content—provided you've got enough disk space—then the Hauppauge HD DVR seems pretty attractive, especially at its $249 MSRP.
So does Hauppauge's HD DVR deliver? We spent a little quality time to find out.
Now Hauppauge delivers a small box that promises to capture component video in full 1080p glory from almost any source. The secret: The Hauppauge HD DVR takes advantage of the analog hole.
Most video that feeds into set top boxes—particularly from premium sources, such as HBO, Cinemax, or Showtime—are encrypted. Even those non-premium channels aren't so easy if you have a non-cable TV source. (Cable TV viewers have been able to capture high def using tuners capable of clear QAM capability—but only non-premium, unprotected content.)
One of the capabilities built into set top boxes, Blu-ray players, and other similar devices is the ability to downscale high definition signals when they're played through analog outputs. To date, we've heard of no set top box or high definition disc that activates this feature. So most content is played through component video at full 1080p, assuming the output device is 1080p capable.
This is the so-called "analog hole." The signal isn't digital, it's analog, and hence is unprotected and capable of being captured. The downside is potential image quality degradation. The signal is converted from digital to analog, then back to digital when it's captured. That's two generations removed from the pristine, original digital content.
Still, even when converted in this matter, high def content can look pretty good. And if you're looking for a solution to archive unlimited amounts of high definition content—provided you've got enough disk space—then the Hauppauge HD DVR seems pretty attractive, especially at its $249 MSRP.
So does Hauppauge's HD DVR deliver? We spent a little quality time to find out.
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