AVerTV USB HD DVR- Finally Competition for the HD-PVR

[reggie14]

According to Engadget, AverMedia is coming out with a competitor to Hauppauge's HD-PVR. The AVerTV USB HD DVR sounds very similar to the HD-PVR, in that it accepts SD and HD signals and encodes them to H.264. The announced MSRP is $199.99, which should undercut the HD-PVR a bit.

Details are somewhat limited, but there are a few additional interesting pieces of information- some good, some bad. The big feature is that it has HDMI input. It's unclear if it also has component, or just HDMI. It is also apparently USB powered, which I think is interesting. I wonder if that would be useful in recovering from lockups automatically without having to manually power cycle the unit, like some have to do with the HD-PVR.

On the bad side, Engadget suggests that it will only capture stereo sound, not 5.1 sound. That would probably be enough to keep me away from it, unless it ends up being remarkably more reliable than the HD-PVR.

[Skirge01]

Stereo? That's just cruel. Competition for the HD-PVR would have been nice. Then again, there are probably a large number of people using only stereo on their HD-PVR. For some, this may be due to the issues getting 5.1 audio working on the HD-PVR.

[ChaOConnor]

Somewhat off topic, but I was looking at the HAVA devices today. Can they record HD content? They through the term HD around all over their website, but I couldn't find any confirmation of what it will record HD content in. I was trying to find a competitor to the HD-PVR. Thanks!

[joe123]

HDMI is supperior to Component, so this is a step up for less money than the HD PVR.

A lot of us are using RCA jacks (Stereo) and the older drivers for the HD PVR, so that's no different there. I tried using the newer driver for the HD PVR but mine locks up serveral times during a single recording with the new driver.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by joe123

HDMI is supperior to Component, so this is a step up for less money than the HD PVR.

Only theoretically (in practice there's usually no perceptible difference) and HDMI is often encrypted (HDCP) and thus unrecordable.

And what's with the blue text?

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Only theoretically (in practice there's usually no perceptible difference) and HDMI is often encrypted (HDCP) and thus unrecordable.

And what's with the blue text?

Didn't you know? Blue text is superior to black text!

[stlbearboy]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815100049

Is this not supported by SageTV? Seems like a totally superior solution. Dual Inputs into PCI-E 1x for a much cheaper price than Hauppauge. Also looks like it can record in Mpeg2 so comskip processing can be real time!!! How did this get released without anyone mentioning it????

[gibsonpa]

Originally Posted by joe123

HDMI is supperior to Component, so this is a step up for less money than the HD PVR.

A lot of us are using RCA jacks (Stereo) and the older drivers for the HD PVR, so that's no different there. I tried using the newer driver for the HD PVR but mine locks up serveral times during a single recording with the new driver.

I had the exact same experience with the newer drivers. The older drivers and rca jacks has been 100% solid since early last year.

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by stlbearboy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815100049

Is this not supported by SageTV? Seems like a totally superior solution. Dual Inputs into PCI-E 1x for a much cheaper price than Hauppauge. Also looks like it can record in Mpeg2 so comskip processing can be real time!!! How did this get released without anyone mentioning it????

This card does not do hardware encoding like the HDPVR. You would need a quad core, or very fast dual core to encode in real time and HD levels, and that's just one tuner. You could possibly get this working with some GraphEdit tricks and integrating your own software encoders etc.... Follow the link below to see similar info about the BlackMagic Card from a few years ago.
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...ght=blackmagic

[ChaOConnor]

Originally Posted by stlbearboy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815100049

Is this not supported by SageTV? Seems like a totally superior solution. Dual Inputs into PCI-E 1x for a much cheaper price than Hauppauge. Also looks like it can record in Mpeg2 so comskip processing can be real time!!! How did this get released without anyone mentioning it????

Looks great on the surface, but from what I'm reading it doesn't have on board encoding, so you're forced to use the Aver software. Not good...

[Clift]

Originally Posted by stlbearboy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815100049

Is this not supported by SageTV? Seems like a totally superior solution. Dual Inputs into PCI-E 1x for a much cheaper price than Hauppauge. Also looks like it can record in Mpeg2 so comskip processing can be real time!!! How did this get released without anyone mentioning it????

This capture card does not have hardware encoding for 1080i. The H.264 capabilities of this site are limited to SD resolutions IIRC

[joe123]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Only theoretically (in practice there's usually no perceptible difference) and HDMI is often encrypted (HDCP) and thus unrecordable.

And what's with the blue text?

Yes, that's the one danger I see with HDMI - the encription side of it from the STB box making any HDMI recorder useless if they want to. It may be ok today, but not in the future.

As for the blue text, it's nice. I like it.

[Clift]

Originally Posted by joe123

Yes, that's the one danger I see with HDMI - the encription side of it from the STB box making any HDMI recorder useless if they want to. It may be ok today, but not in the future.

As for the blue text, it's nice. I like it.

It's pretty much useless today. Try plugging your cable box to an older (read: non HDCP) computer monitor using an HDMI to DVI adapter and you will get a big fat HDCP error. This would probably happen with this device as an encoder of this type would probably not get an HDCP certification.

[SHS]

From what I tell the HDMI connection is output not input base on AverMedia Press Release and there nothing about component input at all.
Man talk very poor Press Release info.

[stlbearboy]

Originally Posted by SHS

From what I tell the HDMI connection is output not input base on AverMedia Press Release and there nothing about component input at all.
Man talk very poor Press Release info.

Component input is a must for connecting to a HD source since as you say the HDMI is output. I am guessing the HDMI is a passthrough from the component input and not a separate display output from the PC.

[SWKerr]

Found this:
http://www.showstoppers.com/?p=2002

AVerTV HD DVR is only $90 but the HDMI input is useless for anything but a camcorder (DRM). It has component input as well from a special dongle but it captures HD input at raw data sizes and only works with their crappy software.

The above link suggests that the AVerTV USB HD DVR will capture HD over Component connections as h.264 without killing the cpu. I suspect it will not work with Sage right away but if they want to sell more than just a few of these they had better get some partners to support it. There software is pretty weak.

[Chriscic]

Originally Posted by Clift

It's pretty much useless today. Try plugging your cable box to an older (read: non HDCP) computer monitor using an HDMI to DVI adapter and you will get a big fat HDCP error. This would probably happen with this device as an encoder of this type would probably not get an HDCP certification.

I agree. You won't be able to record premium TV with this. I'd say "definitely will not get an HDCP certification."

[CollinR]

That aver unit is software encode and hence worthless.

[Graygeek]

Originally Posted by ChaOConnor

Somewhat off topic, but I was looking at the HAVA devices today. Can they record HD content? They through the term HD around all over their website, but I couldn't find any confirmation of what it will record HD content in. I was trying to find a competitor to the HD-PVR. Thanks!

Yes, the HAVA will record from HD source but actual result is 720x480i

[ChaOConnor]

Originally Posted by Graygeek

Yes, the HAVA will record from HD source but actual result is 720x480i

Hmm... so when you go to watch it, it doesn't even look like HD then, right? That's an odd decision on their part, why not just capture it like it's supposed to be, then you'd have a killer product!