Capture resolution is dependent on the source (ie 720p video will be captured as 720p, 1080i as 1080i, etc.) but the bitrate is user-selectable from 1 megabit/second up to 13.5 megabits/second. The streams are multiplexed into a slightly modified MPEG-2 Transport Stream container. The HD PVR captures at resolutions from VGA/D1 (480i) up to 1080i, and encodes the component inputs in real time using the H.264/MPEG-4 video codec and the AAC audio codec. Prior to this device, component capture devices were cost-prohibitive and were not directly supportable within Linux. In other words, since component video is not and cannot be encrypted, previously uncapturable HD sources such as satellite and premium television will now be fully accessible in MythTV. The HD-PVR is a highly popular capture device because it captures video via component output, permitting the user to capture high-definition video from most sources and without concern for encryption. The HD-PVR is a USB device that captures the component video outputs and analog/optical audio outputs of any consumer device (including cable/satellite set-top-boxes, HD disk players, video game consoles, and various other home media devices). The Hauppauge HD-PVR is the first consumer-level analog HD capture device available.

Hauppauge hd pvr 2 software