Hauppauge 1196 WinTV-HVR-1250 PCI-E x1 TV Tuner 1196

Pros:

One of the lowest cost Hybrid Tuner Cards out there that can do both Analog and Digital Tuning. It works well, can view a clear picture on the computer, smooth, NOT choppy nor freezes. Includes WinTV7 which is needed to watch digital channels (ATSC or clear QAM), Windows Media Center only supports Analog (NTCS) Channels. The card is small (1/2 Height with 1/2 Height headers that can be swapped on) and its PCIe so it will fit a PCIeX1 or PCIeX16 slot.

64Bit supported just as well as 32Bit, running this on Vista Home Premium 64Bit.

Cons:

Does NOT have a MPEG Encoder chip, so no hardware conversion of the Analog signal, your CPU will have to work harder to do a software MPEG conversion. With weaker CPU's that might be a problem, my Athlon X2 6000+ runs at 40%-50% utilization while watching analog channels. I'm pretty sure Digital Channels do NOT need a MPEG Encoder chip, the digital signal is already streamed as MPEG, and watching digital channels my CPU utilization is 15%-30%, more often at the lower end near 15%.

Like mentioned, WinTV7 can crash suddenly, but restarts and runs fine after a crash. Its NOT to often, but enough that its more than a fluke. Runs just as well 64Bit as 32Bit. Remember, you can't watch Digital Channels in Windows Media Center, only analog, you'll need WinTV7 or another 3rd Party Program to watch Digital Channels.

Other:

Windows 7 will support Digital Channels in Windows Media Center.

If your cable company offers clear QAM, Comcast in my area has a digital alternative for every analog channel as well, so I can get every channel they offer in digital, then there is NO reason to pay extra for a Tuner Card with a MPEG encoder chip onboard, its NOT needed for Digital Channels. I'm pretty sure its NOT used at all for digital channels.

Remember, this card is PCI"e" NOT PCI, it will NOT fit your PCI slots, its for PCI"e"X1 or even PCI"e"X16 slots.

I purchased this card to be put into a MythTV (Linux) home-built DVR. I previously was only recording standard definition non-digital cable channels. I recently purchased a HDTV for my bedroom/office and wanted to be able to take advantage of that. This card works perfectly with MythTV and Linux. The tuner found all of the digital channels in the air that my TV was able to find with the antenna connected directly to it. This card seems to lock onto signals very well, as I havnt seen a single issue in any of the recordings made from it yet. You can't beat free over-the-air high definition of the local networks!!! I'm thrilled. Buy it!

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If you have Windows 7, there's really no point in delaying the purchase of this TV tuner. Windows automatically identifies the tuner, installs the drivers, and then it's only a matter of opening up Windows Media Center (WMC) and letting it guide you through the steps. I was concerned that just having a direct cable connection (no cable box...obviously) would limit the channels. But I get pretty much all the cables I do normally plus the HD channels. Having an HD monitor and a large hard drive (HD recording takes up about 5 GB/hour) makes this capable of taping full seasons and plenty of movies without batting an eye. Movies on all cable and basic channels are categorized for you. You can browse titles in an iTunes-like view and BluRay movies are even marked as such just the way they would in the store. I use iTunes for a lot of things, but not anymore. Why pay the money for shows and movies you can record yourself? Why wait patiently for buffering and annoying commercials on Hulu when you can just fastforward? WMC has really come into its own, and this Hauppage tuner really allows you to exploit its full potential.

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This TV tuner card works great in a Dell Dimension desktop with Vista. Highly recommended when combined with Windows Media Center. Note that the card will fit in either a PCI Express x1 or x16, but not in a regular PCI slot. I did not set up the remote as I did not need it, so I can't speak for how it works. It looked somewhat cheaply built, though, so if the remote is a selling point, you may want to look elsewhere.

If you want a cheap and easy recording option in Vista, go with this card.

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The card works well on my win 7 media center system with QAM Clear channels from Comcast (no cable box). Here are some concerns.

o The remote supplied seems to not launch media center from the desktop like another Hauppage remote (USB) that I have. It appears you need to have Media Center Launched, then the remote works. A minor inconvenience.

o The cable tv receiver is not as strong as my TVs. When my signal was weak, my TV would receive the channel, but the 1196 was getting dropouts.

o I put a Wireless N PCI express card in the slot right next to the 1196. It was causing a dropout of the cable signal every few seconds. I tried to build a shield, but that didn't work. I had to take out the wireless N card and the 1196 worked perfectly after that. Definitely confirmed interference between the PCI express Wireless N card and the 1196. I'm not sure which card to blame. I have a small form factor PC so I couldn't try separating the cards more, so I don't know if that would have helped.

o Many clear QAM channels scan in the setup as if they are locked and scrambled, but if you select them, many can be viewed. After finding them in setup, you need to manually set them up in the guide so that the system knows what shows are on what clear QAM channel. That is a bit of a pain to do but worth the effort it makes it very easy to record shows. In my area Comcast offers HGTV, History, Comedy Central, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, Fox News, CNBC, Golf, Style, and many more through clear QAM.

All in all, I like using this card with Windows Media Center and not having to have a cable company's DVR or cable box. Comcast offers plenty of basic channels through clear QAM, but you can't get premium Comcast channels or encrypted channels through this card. You need to set up a cable box and use an IR blaster to get those to record on this card.

Edit 7/4/2012: Comcast has moved most of the basic cable channels off Clear QAM now, forcing subscribers onto their cable box so the use of this DVR is limited to local TV and PBS. There was no good reason to do this except to gain control over the viewers equipment (especially after they promised the digital conversion would have no impact). There was no impact when they broadcast in clear QAM, but then they forced everyone off their own TV's remote and DVRs and onto Comcast's equipment for the same channels (impact: extra rental costs, loss of use of personal equipment, and their ability to monitor all my activity). I filed an FCC complaint on this (Comcast offered me one time discount, but has no intention to change). I'm using internet channels now more than ever and hope that Comcast eventually realizes the folly of this and makes our TVs work without a box in between (if it isn't too late....based on the number of people leaving cable).

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