HD TV, without the monthly fee
Come to daddy
The days when folk owned HD displays but didn’t make much use of them, because of expensive peripherals or satellite subscription costs... could be over. Hauppauge Digital has created an HD TV tuner card that picks up free-to-air HD channels.
The Hauppauge WinTV-Nova-HD-S2 card plugs into a PCI slot on a PC and connects to a satellite dish, giving you access to HD satellite channels on your PC, such as BBC HD broadcasts. Although you still won’t get access to all Sky’s HD content, unless you have a subscription.
Hauppauge's HD card promises better quality telly, for a single fee.
The HD tuner, compatible with both DVB-S and DVB-S2, also enables content to be recorded onto a hard drive or external source in the H.264 format, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10. The card also supports Digital Satellite Equipment Control 1.0, a communication protocol that enables switching between up to four satellite sources.
Included in the pack is an infra-red remote control transmitter, which works in conjunction with the supplied IR remote control receiver.
Hauppauge’s HD tuner card does demand a fairly high-spec PC though, with a 3.2GHz CPU recommended alongside 1GB of memory.
The Hauppauge WinTV-Nova-HD-S2 card is available now for £99 ($200/€156).
COMMENTS
ReallY?
Are you sure it's the full BBC HD channel or just the reel-feed? I'd love to get this if it does cos then I can watch Top Gear in HD!!
HD Channels
No, you can't and won't get the Sky HD channels, but you will get the free to air ones that are provided.. such as BBC HD
you dont need a sky hd box
investigate the world of the dream box and dragon cams etc - these can work with the subscription sky hd channels - no sky hd box required - you still need a valid subscription though
Not quite what it seems
As far as I can see the only channel you will get with this card is the BBC HD Preview channel, and for the majority of the time all that shows is a 30minute revolving series of clips from old BBC programmes which were made in HD. Wimbledon, some of the Proms and the occasional sporting fixture are about all you'll see,
Can't pick up Sky HD on this surely?
Your article says that "... you still won’t get access to all Sky’s HD content, unless you have a subscription."
Surely in actual fact the only way you will (legally) get access to Sky HD content is via a Sky HD box - Sky still haven't licensed their encryption for use in anything other than their STB's. Unless the Reg knows something we don't...?
