Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T Review

Overall Rating

Picture quality very good, (when it works - see bad points)

1. Timed recordings would create the file on time but nothing would be recorded. The files would have zero bytes. It didn't do it all the time of course but often enough for me to do backup recodings to VHS tape - which rather defeats the object.
2. Recordings, when they did start would stop of their own accord. This happened during timed recordings or when recording manually. Bear in mind this is recording to an almost empty 160GB disk so it's hardly running out of space.
3. If you give a timed recording the same file name as one that already exists, i.e. 'Fraser' when you hadn't watched last weeks episode, the software happily overwrites the older file. This is appalling behaviour for any application let alone a PVR one that should expect to see reoccurring file names.
4. This forth fault is the most bizarre. It only seems to occur on channel 4 and then not all the time. A picture with reds in gets a cast the same shape (someone's coat for example) ghosting over other parts of the image. The weird thing is that as soon as the adverts start the picture is OK, but ghosts again when the programme resumes. A VHS recording made at the same time from a digital Freeview Pace receiver had a perfect picture.

The problems were pretty random and it took me a while to go through the process of attempting to sort out the problems, by which time I was beyond Scan Computers 28 day policy and they refused to exchange it for another product. I had;
1. Visited the Hauppauge site and downloaded the latest software and patches for the unit.
2. Followed all the suggestions in their FAQ sections.
3. Sent them an email. No reply. Phoned them, got put through to the answer phone.
4. Bought a new high gain TV aerial (more expense), installed it on the roof and aligned it with a compass to the nearest digital transmitter.
5. Phoned them again. Got through this time and the disinterested guy suggested changes to my PC setup. He also suggested my aerial lead is defective despite the Pace box showing signal strength of between 82% and 92% with no errors.
6. So I uninstalled every unnecessary programme from my C drive (that's a lot as this machine is now my dedicated PVR now) deleted browser files and all temp files and any old dump files.
7. Then I ran a defrag and set the software to record to the now almost empty C drive rather than my new 160GB.
8. I also increased the virtual memory file to an initial size of 1Gig.

And how does all that repay me? I still get colour casts and the application now hangs after every recording. In fact the last one I attempted just kept recording. I stopped it once the file reached over 4Gig and was still getting bigger over an hour after it was supposed to stop.
This product is not fit for purpose. It may be OK to watch an occasional TV program on your PC, but as a part of a personal video recorder setup it is DIRE. And I suspect other Hauppauge products that share the same software will have similar problems.

Members' Comments onSniper2000's Review

• Big Hal on 3rd Feb 2008

  I found this review helpful because of the amount of detail given.