Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2

Reviewed by: mchan1

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Relatively simple setup; It works!

Weaknesses: WinTV software isn't that good;Quality of TV signal is affected by computer's performance;must manually update software;radio antennae stinks!

Overall Evaluation: Bought this product from a well-kwown computer chain store when it was on sale!Setup wasn't bad but all the wiring involved made it frustrating! Just connect the cable to the device then to the computer.Software setup was relatively easy. WinTV2000 software to view shows is Not that good though it does work!No option is available for users to be notified that software updates are available. Must manually check every few months for driver/software updates!Forget the automatic scan! MANUALLY enter the channels and their NAMES to get it correct! This applies to BOTH the radio and television settings!Scanning only helps with SOME channels found but NO NAMES!!! It's Time consuming for the scanning process and FRUSTRATING having to enter all the associated NAMES of the channels/stations.After clicking the WinTV icon, there's a delay ~5-10 secs. from when the software pops up and opens the tv channel. Most likely it has to cache a portion of the signal before delivering it for viewing.I have a 19" LCD monitor with a resolution of 1280x1024. The screen picture isn't that great like that of a television but it's good enough for a computer monitor. It'll probably look better with a higher-resolution display or HD connection.The TV and Radio sound is good considering I have a high-quality sound card. The antennae really stinks because it's not powerful to bring in signals whether via TV or radio (esp. from the strong local stations). Performance of the video is affected by the performance of the computer (i.e. buring a DVD) or download files while viewing the tv. You can tell when the sound does Not synche with the picture.Overall, the product is pretty good. At least I'll still have the USB unit whenever I decide to later donate or upgrade my current computer or when I want to use it on my laptop.It's still a bit pricey though for an External USB TV Tuner.