Why buy WinTV HVR 1600 from Hauppauge?
There was a time when the HTPC was thriving. Building a PC decked out with all the features suited to back an awesome Home Theater setup a fulfilling project. For many, slapping the Hauppauge PCI Video Card into your machine was an integral step.
The Hauppauge WinTV HVR 1600 ATSC/QAM/NTSC PCI video card was designed to let you pull in analog and digital TV signals and view or record on them on your PC.
This device played nice with Windows Media Center - on all version! Windows XP, Vista, 7...it didnt' matter. In fact, it was 'Big Cable' that killed the video card. Even before the digital transition was complete in the Mid-West, Comcast had transitioned its signals to no longer be compatible with his device.
The included IR remote was not inspiring and had too many buttons that you would never use. Fortunately I owned a Firefly remote that used USB-to-RF so it had an unlimited range.
Will it be missed? Probably not. For the price and convenience, most cable/IP TV providers offer DVR boxes that are far easier to work with. Why did I buy the Hauppauge HVR 1600? Because Big Cable wasn't there yet and I wanted to explore what it would be like to really own the signal I was paying for. For now, Big Cable wins.
