Watch pay-TV on your computer with Hauppauge WinTV-CI

by Parm Mann on 16 January 2008, 13:13

Tags: WinTV CI, Hauppauge (NASDAQ:HAUP)

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Watching subscription broadcast channels on your PC is now possible

Hauppauge today announced a card reader module for its range of TV viewing cards, allowing users to watch subscription based channels on their PCs.

The module, pictured below and known as the Hauppauge WinTV-Ci, is available now and priced at £79.99. When in use, it'll decode UK broadcast services including top-up TV channels and Setanta Sports, both available on Freeview. In Europe, the WinTV-CI will also decode dozens of other satellite services.

Hauppauge WinTV CI

Yehia Oweiss, Hauppauge Digital’s Vice President of Sales said:

"There are hundreds of subscription TV channels being broadcast to the UK, some mainstream, others specialist. With our new product it is now possible to enjoy these broadcasts on a PC, or Laptop."

It isn't quite that easy, but then, is it ever? In order to utilise the WinTV-CI's decoding capabilities, a user will be required to obtain an appropriate CAM for the broadcaster. Unfortunately, there is currently no compatible CAM available for Sky TV, ruling out the possibility of viewing subscription based Sky channels.

Official press release: Hauppauge first with PayTV on PCs

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nichomach
Pinnacle released a Satellite version with a CI years ago, didn't they? The PCTV Sat CI? Pinnacle PCTV Sat CI TV Tuner Review in TV Tuners at Review Centre

there are a bunch of CI-capable cards. i have an old technotrend at home

and the elephant in the corner with this product is: you can't legally use it for Sky or Virgin Media. same goes in most countries. Poles will be able to use it for Cyfrowy Polsat without issue, though.

perhaps more interesting from hauppauge recently is the hauppauge hd pvr which will capture HD video over component and encode it on the fly into h264 (and comes with an IR blaster so you can piggy-back it onto sky hd or virgin hd)

oh, and worth noting, this hauppauge CI thing is software-based. which means it's trivial to crack and use with non-hauppauge cards. and also trivial to crack and use to pirate pay tv

I have to say, I gave up the idea of home-brewing a DVR, being on cable, and my V+ arrives on Saturday (fingers crossed). With any luck it'll be a bit more stable than the POS Pace box I've got at the mo. I really think we ought to have some form of legislation/regulation to force the pay TV companies to allow the use of a choice of hardware, though; something like a “wires-only” service, and you can either get their box or supply your own (and I'm DAMN sure I could build a better mousetrap…).

nichomach
I have to say, I gave up the idea of home-brewing a DVR, being on cable, and my V+ arrives on Saturday (fingers crossed). With any luck it'll be a bit more stable than the POS Pace box I've got at the mo. I really think we ought to have some form of legislation/regulation to force the pay TV companies to allow the use of a choice of hardware, though; something like a “wires-only” service, and you can either get their box or supply your own (and I'm DAMN sure I could build a better mousetrap…).

not happening in the uk, unfortunately

sky are currently fighting the italian government over this though, for the exact reasons you give

Sky are way too paranoid to allow third party hardware to decode their streams. The fact is (too) they just don't need too - plenty of sheeple will carry on donating to the murdoch fund regardless of the quality of the set-top boxes.

I don't miss sky a bit - freeview/media center is fine for me - but they sure seem to miss me (i'm thinking of inviting some of their telesales staff round for tea).

Posted by nichomach - Wed 16 Jan 2008 15:23

Pinnacle released a Satellite version with a CI years ago, didn't they? The PCTV Sat CI? Pinnacle PCTV Sat CI TV Tuner Review in TV Tuners at Review Centre

Posted by directhex - Wed 16 Jan 2008 15:36