Question 1

Does this card have an HDMI input?

Accepted Answer

Correction.  No there is no HDMI input, output only.   This device is designed to connect to digital cable as a tuner.   You can use Windows Media Center to watch and record from cable.  I use a Ceton Echo media extender to access this tuner from another TV in my bedroom.

AFAIK the only way to record digital cable with this tuner is to use Windows Media Center

Question 2

How do you use this as part of a DVR and then how do you play it on a TV?  What sort of connection is needed?

Accepted Answer

The sole input for this device is a coax cable (from a cable tv system) and the sole output is a USB.  If you have a PC running Win 7 with Windows media center you have it made.  Following installation instructions you will get a DVR on your hard drive(s) and will be able to watch TV (HD supported) on your monitor and installed sound system.  Since it has two tuners you can do both simultaneously if you wish.

If you have a tv or stand alone DVR with USB input I suppose you can plug it into those, but I cannot tell you anything more than that.

I can tell you that I had quite a bit of trouble with my cable company (Comcast) getting a properly functioning cable card (they only have them because its required).  I also have an aggravating nuisance on watching TV because when I select a channel to watch it claims I need HDCP support.  If I minimize, then maximize the window, though, it works.

Question 3

I live in a dorm that provides cable to all residents.  Will I still need a cable card in order to use this tuner?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  It has a cable card slot in the back and will not operate without it.  You must obtain this cable card from the cable operator.  Just a note of caution:  I use Comcast and cable cards are a small niche for them.  I believe the FCC requires their availability, but it took several tries and a couple of service visits before I got one that worked.  It then required several significant "setup sessions" over the telephone.  Your "mileage" may vary significantly.

Another big caution:  I also have a VPN connection to the U of IL, as well as Comcast.  Apparently when I have the VPN connection open the Hauppage will not operate as it is apparently trying to communicate through the university firewall.  It does work when I close the VPN connection.

Also, I use it with a Win7 Pro w/ Media Center custom built machine.  I seem to remember it requires Media Center to work.

Question 4

I want to connect it to my living room tv, how good is it?

Accepted Answer

Good is a pretty ambiguous term. If you are concerned about picture quality, that will depend much more on the video card on your computer. You cannot connect this device directly to your TV. It uses Windows Media Center as its interface and must connect through a computer running Windows 7 or 8. If you are concerned about its overall functionality, the device itself works as advertised. You may need to check with your cable provider about compatibility with their system. You will have to get a CableCard from them to access any digital channels (they will likely charge a monthly fee). Mine did not list this as an "approved" device, but I was able to get it to run none-the-less with the CableCard they provided.

Question 5

Can you use this in conjunction with a Hauppage PCI TV tuner ?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I do have an internal tuner and this unit for a total of 4 tuners (2 tuners per device).  I'm capable of recording 4 simultaneous broadcasts I 4 different channels.

I've got my internal tuners hooked to an air antenna while the card tuner is hooked to my cable provider.

No c

Question 6

I understand I still need to insert a M-Card with the DCR-2650 or it wont work. My satilite provider is Verizon FIOS I have been in touch with them and they said they dont provide one that it is already included in my set top box. I like this unit as I want to watch TV on my Computer what do I do. Thank you.?

Accepted Answer

The DCR-2650, as I understand it, will not work without the M-Card, which provides the decryption from your programming provider signal to the unencrypted signal you need.

Now my understanding is that cable providers are required by the FCC to be able to supply this upon request, and you can read about it with a search on "FCC m card requirement".  The Wikipedia article is informative.

I get my signal through Comcast and I had a difficult time getting an M-Card which actually worked because it isn't a very popular item, and I had to make multiple trips and service calls to get it working, because more than one Comcast rep did not understand it.

I can only suggest that you keep trying, and escalate your problem to successive supervisors, citing the requirements.

Good luck!

Question 7

I have an older non-hi def Hauppage device that I've been using for years.  I didn't care for how Windows Media Center worked and opted to purchase different software.  Is Windows Media Center my only option to use with this?

Accepted Answer

I got a Hauppauge 2650 a couple of months ago. Windows doesn't support Win Media Player anymore, the last version of it was in earlier releases of Windows 8.1.  Since I'm using Window 10, I did download and try out 3rd party Win Media Player for Windows 10. Part of the problem with this is that it keeps asking for na activation code which, of course, I don't have since windows doesn't support it anymore.

Since I'm using Time Warner, I have been able to get it to read the Cable Card and work to some degree using Hauppauge's WinTV v8. I've also used it with a couple of other shareware programs. The primary problem I've had is not with the Hauppauge but rather with the cable card. The cable card does not decypher all the channels like one would expect, rather only those channels that one may find on the open air. So, you'll be able to watch/record things like pbs, abc, cbs, local news, the movie channel and the re-run channels. You will not be able to see things like SciFi, CNN, Fox, History, AMC, Nat Geo, Sci, etc. even if they're in your TV package.

Hauppauge support only had help data for connecting this tuner through Win Media Center. That help file they're reading may work, we just have to go to older software to be able to use it.

I have got Win 7 with Media Center on a laptop but have not yet hooked it up for testing.

Question 8

Can you connect more than one of these to a PC to get more tuners ?

Accepted Answer

Hmm. While Media Center CAN i(in theory) address multiple tuners, I'm not sure if it would work with two of these.

You'd be better off buying the 4 or 6 tuner Ceton cable card tuner. Do a search here on Newegg for "CETON CABLECARD TUNER".

The other benefit of that is that you would only need to get one CableCard from your cable company instead of two.

BTW: Ceton actually makes the chip in this Hauppauge tuner.

Question 9

I currently have A Hauppage PCI TV Tuner in my PC. Can I add this receiver with the required CableCARD without removing my PCI TV tuner to keep those tuners that receive and record basic cable ?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I have a Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E installed in the same box, The "basic" channels as well as the digital cable channels appear in the same program guide of Windows Media Center.

Question 10

Is this device able to stream analog as well as digital OTA signals?

Accepted Answer

I use the tuner for both analog & digital channels using a comcast cable card.  What is iffy is Windows media center.

Brand	Hauppauge
Model	1450

Type	External TV Tuner Box
Others	Requires Microsoft Windows 7 with Media Center.

TV Tuner	Dual Tuners
TV Standards	US Digital Cable

Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 Dual Tuner Digital CableCARD Receiver

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Item#: N82E16815116072