Product Summary
Mfg Part#: 052507HP
Buy.com Sku: 205073920
UPC: 00094922731005
Item#: C32XER
Buy.com Sales Rank: 81937
If you are looking to improve your home theater experience, the HAVA Platinum HD is a natural fit. By connecting any of your HD video sources directly to HAVA you now have the ability to stream your live TV programs to multiple PC’s simultaneously around the home using your existing home network. If you have Media Center PC’s, HAVA will allow you to watch TV on them without requiring a TV Tuner card installed or even a TV connection in that room. HAVA Platinum HD enables any network connected PC to pause, rewind, fast forward and even record your favorite TV shows to your PC’s hard disk. If archiving of your favorite shows is important, then use the HAVA software client to Burn them onto a DVD. Don’t leave your home theater experience at home, HAVA Platinum HD allows you watch and control you home TV, set top box or DVD player from anywhere in the world from a broadband Internet connected PC or mobile phone.
| Key Features |
Hava Platinum HD |
Slingbox AV |
Slingbox Pro |
| Standard DVR functions |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Access to set-top box controls |
Yes |
No
| No |
| Record TV programs on PC over local network |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Windows Media Center Support |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Work as a virtual tuner for live TV |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Schedule recording with TV guide |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Schedule TV series recordings |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Pause and timeshift TV |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Support for Windows XP Media Center Editon |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Support for Windows Vista Media Center Editon |
Yes
| No
| No |
| Video Quality |
|
| |
| Local network streaming format |
MPEG-2 (DVD Quality)
| WM9
| WM9 |
| Streaming format over the Internet |
MPEG-4
| WM9
| WM9 |
| Compatible with HD TV |
Yes
| No
| Yes |
| Additional adapter needed for HD TV |
No. Saves $$$
| N/A
| Yes |
| Streaming and Multicasting |
|
| |
| Streaming to multiple computers on a local network |
Up to 5
| No
| No |
| Comparison as of June 2007 |
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Home Viewing Over The Home Network
Watch your television programming in DVD quality anywhere in your home
Supports multiple users who can each watch/record the same program simultaneously over the home network through our patent-pending VBooster Multicast technology.
Eliminates the installation of TV connections and the expense of set-top boxes in every room.
Quality of Service algorithm ensures smooth delivery of video and audio to all clients, or any priority client the user may select.
Remote Viewing Over The Internet
Watch your local television programming from anywhere in the world with a broadband internet connection.
Other members of the household can watch the same programming at DVD quality on the wired home network simultaneously.
Out-of-Sight Remote Control: HAVA provides full control from the PC for virtually any type of A/V device, including PVRs, digital cable boxes, and satellite TV receivers.
Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista Media Center PC compatibility
HAVA creates a virtual TV tuner for Media Center PC’s, eliminating the need for both a TV Tuner to be installed in the PC and a TV connection in the room you wish enjoy your Media Center experience.
DVD Quality Video
HAVA uses a high-performance video compression chipset and utilizes the standard MPEG-2 (and optionally MPEG-4) format to provide the best possible video quality and DVD compatibility over the home wireless network. Furthermore, the chip is capable of simultaneously encoding the video source at low data rates using the MPEG-4 format for remote viewing over a broadband internet connection by a single client. Watch your television programming in DVD quality anywhere in your home.
Smooth Viewing Experience
HAVA leverages proprietary VBooster technology to deliver an optimal viewing experience.
Users can watch high quality video (up to 30Mbps full D1 MPEG-2) over their home network on any number of computers (“multicast”).
Users can continue to use their home network for all the services they are used to (web browsing, e-mail, chats, printing, file transfer, etc.), while watching high quality video. VBooster, while introducing powerful new functionality, leaves your home network intact.
Automatic adjustment of encoder parameters based on dynamic calculation of the available network bandwidth, to ensure smooth delivery of the video stream to all the clients on the network.
HAVA Mobile Player for Nokia Internet Tablets
Watch and control your home TV on your Internet Tablet from anywhere in the world.
If you like to watch your home TV shows whenever you can, you will want HAVA Mobile Player!
HAVA Mobile Player lets you watch and control your home TV on your Internet Tablet, from anywhere around the house or around the world. All of the channels, features and services you have at home are now available wherever you have broadband internet connectivity ; over WiFi, WiMAX or Bluetooth through your 3.5G phone connection.
HAVA Mobile Player works with the NTSC, PAL and SECAM video standards.
Enjoy your home TV:
at home in any room or in your backyard
in your hotel room around the world
on vacation, at work, at a Starbucks cafe
at the airport
basically anywhere you have access to high-speed internet on your Internet Tablet.
Quick tour of HAVA Mobile Player for Nokia Internet Tablets
As you will see and experience, the user interface gives you convenient access to the key buttons of your TV set top box remote. All the buttons are large enough to be operated with your fingers (or the stylus, of course).
As soon as you have tuned to the show you want to watch, tap once on your screen for a stunning fullscreen playback of your TV show on your Internet Tablet:
The amazing audio quality of the built-in speakers or the headset will make for a most delightful TV experience far away from your sofa.
One-tap again on the screen and you are back to our friendly user interface to control your TV source. Choose one of the four modes at the bottom to bring up the corresponding remote: CHAN (for Channel control), FAV (for your Favorite channels), STB (for Set Top Box functions) and PVR (for Personal Video Recorder functions):
The CHAN mode allows you to enter the channel number you want to change to, onscreen, to go Channel Up or Channel Down with the arrows, or call on the Previous or Favorite commands of your set top box. The onscreen digit buttons come in handy if you don't want to expand your N810 keyboard, or if you have an N800 which has no keyboard |
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The FAV mode allows you to assign your favorite channels to the 12 onscreen buttons. You can enter a text label or channel number to identify each of your favorite channels, or you can use channel logo buttons that you would create yourself or get from other users. Then, to switch to one of your favorite channels, just press the corresponding onscreen button. |
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The STB mode gives you access to the main functions to control a set top box: Menu, Guide, Info, Record, Page Up, Page Down, Last, Exit, List. In case, your set top box uses non conventional IR commands, you can specify them to enable them on your device. The 4 colored buttons can be also assigned any command of your choice.
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The PVR mode provides access to all the commands for Personal Video Recorder (PVR) if your set top box includes PVR functionality: Pause, Play, Stop, Skip Back, Skip Forward, Fast Rewind, Fast Forward, Info, Exit, Live TV, Record. In addition, you can also assign other favorite commands to the 4 colored buttons of this onscreen remote.
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Another great feature is the Mute On/Off button in the top right corner of each onscreen remote. Someone barging in the room and you don't want them to know that you're watching TV?
Press on that Mute Off button quickly...!
For the power-users or keyboard-mongers among you, many of the most used commands also have convenient keyboard equivalents like the digits, channel up and down, menu navigation, page up, page down, play, pause, stop, skip back, skip forward, fast rewind, fast forward, mute on/off, menu, guide, etc.
Features
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Connect any HD video source |
|
TV viewing on a Microsoft Media Center PC without having a TV Tuner installed |
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Watch TV on multiple PCs in Local Network and on a Single PC or on a mobile phone from a Remote Location simultaneously |
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Record, pause, fast forward, rewind live TV on your PC |
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Burn recorded TV shows to DVD |
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Easy to use |
Tech Specs
|
Device Features |
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A/V capture base-band inputs (Composite, S-Video, Component) |
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Built-in hardware MPEG encoder (ViXS Xcode 2105) |
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Market leading MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile formats |
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Can encode incoming video stream simultaneously into 2 different output formats |
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This allows local viewing at home, and remote viewing over the internet, simultaneously |
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Dynamic bit rate and frame rate adjustment |
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This ensures best quality video and audio without hiccup, at all times |
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Base-Band Audio/Video Inputs |
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Composite Video |
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Left and Right Audio |
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S-Video |
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Component Y-Pb-Pr |
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Auxiliary Audio (currently not supported in software yet) |
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Pass-through Outputs for every A/V input for connection to TV set or other A/V equipment. |
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Allows for convenient end-user installation in existing home theater setup. |
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Note: no pass-through Output for the Auxiliary Audio |
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Macrovision detection (not currently supported yet in the HAVA software) |
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Networking: Wired Ethernet (802.3) 10/100 Interface |
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Front panel LEDs |
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IR Emitter for set-top box control |
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Connectors |
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A/V Input/output mini-phone jacks - 1 Vp-p, 75 Ohm video, 10 dBV, 47 kOhm audio |
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S-Video Input/output jacks - 1 Vp-p, 75 Ohm |
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Y/Pr/Pb (HD) input/output mini phone jacks - 1 Vp-p, 75 Ohm component |
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Auxiliary Audio mini-phone jack 10 dBV, 47 kOhm |
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802.3 Ethernet RJ-45 |
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IR Blaster output |
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Power — 9V DC 1 Amp |
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PC Client |
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Driver on the PC represents the HAVA Platinum HD device as "Virtual" WDM TV Tuner device, fully compatible with Windows Media Center under Windows XP and Windows Vista. |
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This allows to fully enable the TV Feature of an MCE PC via the home network, without requiring a TV tuner and TV source connection on the PC. |
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Setup for configuring HAVA PLATINUM HD |
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The Setup Wizard locates the HAVA Platinum HD device and automatically connects to it for configuration |
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Configuration includes selection of the set top box (STB) to ensure successful IR control, and configuration of the unit for remote viewing over the internet |
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IR learning could be provided for cases where IR codes are not readily available for the STB. (Note: IR learning not currently implemented in HAVA software build) |
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Remote viewing setup is fully automated and requires one push of a button on the Setup UI. |
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(no manual port forwarding or firewall configuration on the router is required in almost all cases) |
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PVR Application |
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HAVA Platinum HD is compatible and can be used out of the box with Microsoft Media Center Edition (XP or Vista) |
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Monsoon HAVA PC Client is provided for non-MCE configurations. |
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Monsoon HAVA PC Client can be customized for OEM branding. |
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PC Client Requirements |
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Desktop or laptop computer with minimum Intel Pentium 1.2 GHz or equivalent (1.5 GHz or higher recommended) |
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Operating System: Windows XP SP2 (Home, Pro or MCE) 32 bit, or Windows Vista (32/64 bit) (all versions) |
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System RAM: 512MB for WinXP, 1GB for Vista |
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Disk space: 75 MB to install the HAVA software; at least 500 MB for time-shifting; 10 GB recommended for recording |
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10/100 Ethernet equipped PC (for wired mode) |
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Wireless 802.11g LAN-equipped PC (for wireless connection to HAVA or wireless cleints) |
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Wired or wireless home router with available Ethernet port |
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DirectX 9-class graphics card |
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Audio output capability |
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Home networking requirements |
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10/100 base-T router with available Ethernet port (wired connection to HAVA and clients) |
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Wireless 802.11g home router (for wireless connection to HAVA or wireless clients) |
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Broadband internet connectivity for remote viewing (recommended 300Kbps upstream) |
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Special Features |
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High quality full D1 MPEG-2 video for home viewing and simultaneous CIF MPEG-4 for remote viewing over the internet |
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Send your video content to multiple clients at once on the local network |
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(number of simultaneous clients dependent on available local network bandwidth) |
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Dynamic video quality adjustment based on available network bandwidth |
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Internet browsing, e-mail, chat and access to other standard applications off the home network can be run simultaneously with video streaming from HAVA Platinum HD |
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At-home Requirements |
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DHCP-enabled router recommended |
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TV source: any analog video source, including but not limited to digital cable box receiver, satellite receiver, IPTV set top box, or PVR such as Tivo, ReplayTV, etc. |
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Broadband internet connectivity for remote viewing (recommended 300Kbps upstream) |
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Slingbox AV Slingbox Pro HAVA Platinum HD |
|
Standard DVR functions |
|
Access to set-top box controls Yes Yes Yes |
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Record TV programs on PC over local network No No Yes |
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Windows Media Center Support |
|
Work as a virtual tuner for live TV No No Yes |
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Schedule recording with TV guide No No Yes |
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Schedule TV series recordings No No Yes |
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Pause and timeshift TV No No Yes |
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Support for Windows XP Media Center Editon No No Yes |
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Support for Windows Vista Media Center Editon No No Yes |
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Video Quality |
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Local network streaming format WM9 WM9 MPEG-2 (DVD Quality) |
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Streaming format over the Internet WM9 WM9 MPEG-4 |
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Compatible with HD TV No Yes Yes |
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Additional adapter needed for HD TV N/A Yes No. Saves $$$ |
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Streaming and Multicasting |
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Streaming to multiple computers on a local network No No Up to 5 |
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Comparison as of June 2007 |
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1 HAVA Platinum HD unit |
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1 Quick Start Guide |
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1 Software CD-ROM |
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1 Power Adapter |
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1 RJ-45 Ethernet Cable |
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1 IR Blaster 2-Prong Cable |
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2 RCA to Mini-Jack Audio/Video Cables (composite) |
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2 RCA to Mini-Jack (component cables) |
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Please click here to download the HAVA Platinum HD. |
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File Name: HAVAPlatinumQSG.pdf |
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File Size: 1.24 MB |
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Average Download Time: 1.5 Minutes |
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Requires Adobe® Reader. Please click here to obtain Adobe® Reader for free. |
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http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=205073920
| Customer Reviews |
 |
| Value |
 4.7 |
| Performance |
4.7 |
| Ease of Use |
4.5 |
| Overall Satisfaction |
4.7 |
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
5 of 5 Great Product 7/10/2009
GJT from South Holland, IL
I received my HAVA Platinum HD the next day after it was ordered. It was very easy to set up ( don't use the Hava Software that's included if it's 1.7a ver. or older, just install the must current version from Hava'a web site). Works great with AT&T U-verse both with local network and mobile connection. Using the included software you can burn a DVD from your recorded files in no time. Great buy if you currently have cable or AT&T U-Verse.
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1 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
5 of 5 Kicks Butt!!!! 4/14/2009
Martin from Pasadena, Ca
This is a cool device and it wont break your wallet like Slingbox. You can watch your tv on your cell phone and it looks pretty good. Nice Product Monsoon.
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4.7 of 5 Best Toy Ever 3/30/2009
MilesofTx from Sealy,Texas
This is the coolest thing I have seen in a while. I tried an HD USB tuner for my laptop, to recieve local programing, but it was just not a smooth feed. The Hava is smooth and clear as long as you have an upload speed over 400kbs. The only bad thing is . I had to hook mine up to a standard definition box in my kitchen so I didnt interupt what my wife watched on the main tv. Even thought my Dish Network box has two tuners, you cant change the channel on tv 2, because the remote is uhf. So you have to hook up through tv 1, which means you will be changing the channel on your home tv also. Your spouse will not like that. But the standard def box is fine it looks great. I love it.
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5 of 5 Took me a bit but worth it! 3/16/2009
from st louis, mo
There is almost no way you will understand this with the instructions but a call to support and I was up and running. It is nice to be able to have the baseball games at work. !!
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3.7 of 5 works well, after initial setup issues 3/8/2009
Jay from CA
Pros:
* Less expensive than Slingbox
* Supports multiple simultaneous clients
* Video quality better than expected, even when viewing remote
Cons:
* Installation could have gone more smoothly. I had a lot of trouble installing the software on a Vista PC. Installer kept failing during driver installation. I eventually re-installed my OS, and then it worked.
* The unit had trouble with DHCP, where it would often lose its address. I can't be certain if it was the Hava or my router, but configuring a static IP resolved this.
* The unit occasionally hangs. I've had to reset it a handful of times during its first week of use. However, it's been more stable since then.
Overall it's an attractively priced placeshifting device, but maybe more suited for a tech savvy user who is comfortable debugging hardware / software issues.
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5 of 5 easy to use, 3/7/2009
from ma
easy to use, works well with comcast cable box.
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5 of 5 Perfect for my home - wireless 2/20/2009
from Northbrook, IL
Nobody mentioned before whether this platinum can connect to my existing router. So I tried and it's working fine.
I have ATT U-verse so first I connected to ATT U-verse but connection was too bad. I had D-Link router before so I connected D-Link to U-verse and it's working fine. Very clear screen and sound....
If you have a router, you don't need to purchase WIFI version at all.
Nothing to complain about the product.
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1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
4.7 of 5 Great Device 12/9/2008
from Fayetteville AR
Device does what it's designed for at a decent price. Setup wasn't too difficult and the video quality of the stream was good. I would recommend that you get the Titanium version instead of the Platinum for the extra features. I've seen the Titanium ($99) here for on special for only a little more than what I paid for the Platinum version ($89).
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5 of 5 Has Slingbox beat. Gotta HAVA it. 12/5/2008
BG from Highland, MD
Install was smooth. Updated software & firmware easily. I have the original Slingbox (not HD) so in comparison, the HAVA is clearer and allows up to 5 computers to access video. Slingbox has better software ( virtual remote which looks identical to the Verizon Fios remote and guide). HAVA has a generic remote which is functional and adequate. At $90, this was a deal compared to the Slingbox HD which is normally $250. Great product and price.
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5 of 5 Better than Slingbox Solo 12/5/2008
JScottB from Fairfax, VA
The good: No DRM! 5 simultaneous DVD-quality mpeg-2 streams to local PCs, and 1 simultaneous mpeg-4 stream to remote computers. Works great not only as place-shifter, but also time-shifter through easy recording to local PC hard drive.
The bad: No Mac or Linux or W2K clients (yet). No off-button!
The confusion: Not a true HD box. Can accept HD component input, but that is scaled down to 720X480i before real-time compression.
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5 of 5 Better and cheaper than SlingBox Pro 12/1/2008
from CA
I already had a slingBox Pro (2 years) when I decided to try the Hava Platinum HD instead of buying the SlingBox HD cable ($50). The Have works great from a remote location (College) coast to coast. I have my Hava connected to my HD Tivo and it works great, the remote user can control my Tivo and they can even record/pause on their laptop using the Hava PC player. I would recommend it for everyone wanting to extend their Home HD video system in-house or remotely. Great buy
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5 of 5 Better than a slingbox. 11/14/2008
Jordan from NYC, NY
This device will take just about any video source you feed it (not HDMI) and stream it locally at 720p and remotely at 480p. Easy to set up and use. You can also view the output without installing the software via unencrypted RTSP using something like VLC. Basically rtsp://[device ip address]/[channel number to change to] (you don't have to include a channel number). This means you can view the video output from any computer including Linux or Mac boxes. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with the Hava for the price. The only real complaints I have are that there is no option for digital audio i/o and you cannot use the on screen remote if s-video is your input source (hopefully they'll fix this in the software). It would be great if HDCP we're so draconian and HDMI input were a possibility at some point...
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5 of 5 Better than expected 10/8/2008
from Sierra Vista, AZ
The Hava Platinum HD worked great right out of the box. I stream HD video from one DVR to my 50 inch tv in another room tru a pc connection and the picture is great. I stream video all over the house across wireless and wired connections with no problems. Remote streaming can be limited but watchable. The product was a great value for the price and exceeded my expectations.
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2 of 4 customers found this review helpful.
1.7 of 5 Too bad it doesnt deliver! 11/28/2007
from St. Louis, MO
The HAVA Platinum HD is an excllent concept, record HDTV without taxing your PC. The problem is that the software and firmware for this box is beta-ready at best. It is very unstable and requires countless hours of tinkering with to work properly... stability is a whole other issue. It has a tendency to fail you when you need it the most.
I have been building HTPCs and MCE systems for several years now professionally, and I was very excited when I read about this device. But the reality is it's not ready for prime-time (check out the MyHava forums for user complaints). On a positive, I would like to commend their support staff, they are true professionals who listen to their customers.
If you use this to record an SD signal you should be good.
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5 of 5 Love It! 9/17/2007
LP from New York
I was looking at the sling box for quite some time but the price seemed steep. Then I saw the Hava and was unsure since it was a newer product. Since the price was much lower and I didn't have to pay extra for a high def cable like with sling box (I thought that was a real rip off), I figured I would give it a try. Setup was a breeze - no problems at all - the wizard takes you through all the steps. I only need it to control my high def cable box with built in DVR and for that it does a great job. Although there are several inputs, there seems to be only one working audio in so I believe it would be difficult to hook up multiple devices if that is the goal, but it may be possible - I never tried. I also hear a future firmware update will let you use the second audio input but that is not confirmed. The picture is excellent on the network and very good to decent when online in a remote location – as you would expect, it depends on your connection speed. The remote skin is just like my home remote control and works as advertised. Just select your cable box in the wizard and the correct remote is configured - very easy - no programming of buttons was needed. I downloaded the free trial of the viewer on the Have web site for my Sprint pocket PC phone (ppc6700)(not sure if there will be a fee for this in the future, but for now it was free - Sling Box charges for their pocket pc phone viewer). It is very cool to view and control TV on my phone. Compared to some expensive plan option with a cell phone company that gives watered down TV, this is much better and much cheaper in the long run. I have used it plenty so far. I use my phone as a modem on my laptop (using a program called PDANet) and can watch on the big screen or I can watch on my pda phone screen with a great picture! I can watch TV on the Metro North train, at the pool, in the car, just about anywhere I can get an internet connection or I have my cell phone. I don't have Vista or Windows Media Center, but may on my next computer, and that will allow me to use the computer as a DVR and schedule recordings - The Hava is supposed to act like a tuner. Makes me want a new home computer. For the price, the Hava Platinum HD is a steal. It is a much more refined product than I expected as a low cost alternative to the Sling Box - I see no reason to spend more and don’t feel that I sacrificed anything.
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