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It’s time to share my Christmas wireless gadget story! My sister gave me a Gift Card from RadioShack for Christmas. That surprised me because I manage a RadioShack dealership store at this point in my multi-faceted career. What was I going to get that I had not already gotten? What I finally decided on was a gadget that I had at first avoided or had not really taken seriously. I wanted something that was cool but something that wasn’t necessarily already on my got-to-have radar if you know what I mean. Something that my little sister might actually get for me just for fun. What I had passed over was something that I was not real sure was worth the money and frankly wasn’t sure it would work as well as…well read on.
I purchased the Hauppage WinTV-HVR-950. This turned out to be a great decision. I’m a wireless geek. Since I can remember I have been impressed by radio, by TV, by anything that communicates by radio waves. When I connected the the HVR-950 to the USB port on my Dell Inspirion 600M laptop and connected it to an outdoor UHF television antenna I was completely in awe. The device was unbelievable.
The HVR-950 did what it said it would do and very well indeed. I watched high-definition and regular television channels on my laptop computer. It worked right out of the box with minimal effort. Like I do with most new devices I purchase I look skeptically at the install CD and go immediately to the product website. Hauppage had new drivers and software for the device ready for download.
Once the latest software was installed I connected the outdoor antenna. The device detected over thirty high-definition and regular TV signals. Initially only the regular TV signals were visible. Another quick visit to the website gave me a quick workaround to see the video for the high-definition stations where at first only audio was heard. It seems that some processors on earlier computers do not have the power to deal with high definition TV. After you make an appropriate change to the product setup screen the TV software takes primary control of the CPU and you have HD video!
Later at home, I discovered the device connects readily to cable television and detects cable channels up to those normally available to a standard cable TV tuner. The so-called ‘digitally provided” channels are not decoded. That was cool because I rarely go there being a Sci-Fi network and FOX News fan that I am.
The convenience of being able to put my laptop wherever I have a cable connection in my home expanded the places where I watch television to include every bedroom in the house and even my home office. No more leaning out the doorway to see the action on the TV in the den. When the February 2009 digital TV deadline rolls around I am ready for HD off air and cable anytime.
The HVR-950 is simply amazing. So much occurs in such a little device. You would think it is positively alien! Hauppage has a winner here. It is a gift most travelers would appreciate. It comes with a magnet mount vertical antenna used for off-air TV reception. When you travel to a place with television you can get your channels off air and not have to rely on the few channels fed to you by the hotel.
The software allows you to watch a program in full screen mode. Channels have to be changed using a mouse. Not having a TV-remote takes some getting used to. You will find yourself adding cable outlets to rooms where you want to take your laptop or the office you want to add PC TV to. This product is a winner. It is an excellent gift for the geek in your life and if you want to watch off-air TV including HD TV where you get a decent signal and only have a laptop this device is for you!
Englewood Cliffs, N.J. — LG Electronics’ digital-to-analog DTV converter box was officially certified for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) converter box program, the company said today. (Click read more below to read the original article.)
(PopWireless: There is also some interesting background on the converter reimbursement program as well as some idea of where prices may go. TWICE.COM is in the PopularWireless.com blog roll because I believe as the editor that they are an excellent source for the latest industry news. It is not everyday I recommend that reader subscribe to yet-another-mailing list but I highly recommend being on the list at TWICE.COM.)
SALE: Reg.
$169
