Support: WinTV-HVR-1900 and WinTV-HVR-1975
- WinTV v8
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Latest WinTV application and driver for Windows
WinTV version 8.5 application and Windows drivers
Note: If you have run HCWCLEAR, you must reboot your PC and leave the WinTV-HVR-1950 installed. After a reboot you will see the Found New Hardware Wizard installation message, hit Cancel. then continue below.
Note: to use the WinTV-HVR-1950 with Microsoft's Windows Media Center application (DVB-T only), you only need the WinTV-HVR driver.
WinTV v8.5 application and Windows driver package
This download is a complete WinTV v8.5 application, including Windows drivers for supported WinTV products plus utilities.
Installation notes for WinTV v8.5:
A WinTV v8.5 Activation Code will be needed to install this WinTV v8.5 version.
You must use WinTV v8 if you have a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-930C (16xxx), the original Colossus, HD PVR model 1212, WinTV-HVR-1100, WinTV-HVR-1300, WinTV-HVR-1400, WinTV-HVR-3000, WinTV-HVR-4000 or WinTV-NOVA-HD-S2. WinTV v8.5 does not support these products.
If you do not have an Activation Code, but you have a WinTV v7 CD, you can install the WinTV v8 application.
If you have neither a WinTV Activation Code or your original WinTV v7 CD-ROM, you can purchase a new WinTV Activation Code on the Hauppauge webstore. This can then be used to activate WinTV v8.5 or WinTV v8.
If you have an Activation Code for WinTV Extend, the latest version of WinTV v8.5 with Extend will be installed.
WinTV v8.5 installer
For Windows 10, 8, and 7
File name: wintv85setup_37352.exe | File size: 101 MB | Date: Dec 27, 2019 Release notes | Backup download site | Previous version
To install the WinTV v8.5 application
- Step 1: Download the WinTV v8.5 installer by clicking the download button above. The WinTV v8.5 Installer is normally saved in the Download folder on your PC
- Step 2: Run wintv85setup from the Download folder on your PC. Halfway through the installation, a message will pop up asking for you to enter the Activation Code.
- Step 3: At the Activation required screen, click on Enter Activation code and enter the activation code which was emailed to you, is printed on the WinTV v8 activation card or printed on your WinTV v8 CD. You do not need to enter the dashes, and you can use upper or lower case characters.
- Step 4: When the installation is complete, you will find the WinTV icon on your Windows desktop. Double click on this icon and the WinTV application will run. On the first run of WinTV, it will automatically go through the TV source selection and will scan for channels.
Windows driver
Name: Driver73_3_2_34313
Version: 3.2.34313
Size: 4.4 MB
Updated: 07/12/2017
To install the latest Windows driver only:
Leave your WinTV-HVR plugged into your PC. Follow the following steps:
- Download the Windows driver above.
- Double click the downloaded driver. This will install the WinTV-HVR-19xx Windows driver.
- At the completion of the driver install, you should see a message which says Drivers have been updated successfully.
- At this point, the Windows driver will be installed.
Windows Media Center
Note to Windows Media Center users:
If you want to use WinTV-HVR-195x to watch and record analog cable TV with Microsoft's Media Center application, do the following:When you run Media Center, go to Tasks / Settings / TV / Set Up TV signal
At 'Set Up your TV signal', click Next
At "Regional settings', make sure your region is correct and click Next
At 'Download TV options', click Next.
At "TV Signal', click 'I will configure my TV signal manually' and click Next
You will then see: Cable / Satellite / Antenna. Chose the source of your TV signal (Cable for use with analog cable TV) and click Next.
Click through the rest of the settings, set up your Guide listings and click Finish. Then return to the main menu.
Go to TV + Movies and then live TV to watch and record TV.
Setting up your TV tuner in Windows 7 Media Center
Here is a screen by screen view of the setup of Windows Media Center. It was based on the WinTV-HVR-1600, but the setup with other WinTV-HVR products will be similar.
Windows Media Center remote control receiver/blaster configuration utility
Use this utility to enable or disable the built-in IR receiver/blaster hardware on the WinTV-HVR-1850 and WinTV-HVR-2250 for use with Windows Media Center. You would disable the built-in IR receiver/blaster if you are using an external USB attached Windows Media Center remote control.
To use this tool:
- Download, unzip and install the Hcwcirconfig tool
- After installing the Hcwcirconfig tool, run the program. The tool will be located in Start / All Programs / Hauppauge WinTV / HCWCIRConfig Tool
- To configure as a Windows Media Center remote control, put a check in the box labeled Hauppauge Consumer Infrared Receiver click OK – Save Changes.
- Your computer must be restarted for the changes to take effect.
Name: hcw_circonfig_tool_1.2.28165.zip
Name: 322KB
Name: 6/16/2010
Bug fixes for the Windows Media Center "Low bit rate" error message
Microsoft has released Windows Media Center patches for the "Low bit rate" error message.
Click to view the information from Microsoft.
Accessory software for the WinTV-HVR-19xx
WinTV Digital Signal Strength Indicator
The WinTV Digital Signal Strength indicator displays information about the quality of the digital TV channel you are watching. This application is used with the WinTV v7 and WinTV v8 applications.
Click here for instructions on using this application.
IR Remote control application
Remote control applet. After you run this applet, an icon will appear in your Windows device tray showing that the Hauppauge remote control is active.
Name: 2.71.33113_IR32.exe
Size: 450KB
Updated: April /2015
IR Blaster Configuration program
This program configures the IR blaster for use with the WinTV v7 application. Included is the selection of the set top box and the learn mode.
Name: irblast_28025.exe
Size: 414KB
Updated: 2/3/2010
IR Remote/Blaster Hardware Installation Guide
WinTV-Scheduler update for WinTV version 6
This TV program scheduler for WinTV version 6 allows 'background recording' on dual tuner WinTV products.
Name: sched25_26071.exe
Size: 3.8 MB
Updated: March 11, 2008
WinTV Radio application for use with WinTV version 6
Notes:
- this application runs with WinTV version 6 on WinTV boards equipped with FM radio
- WinTV v7 has a built-in FM radio application
To install, download to a temporary directory and run RADIO32.EXE
New features include 30 presets and local/distance reception. Also, name radio stations by creating a preset and then clicking on the freq display and typing in the string you want.
Click here to see instructions on using the new WinTV Radio32 application.
Name: radio32_154_26154.exe
Version: 1.54
Size: 340 KB
Updated: June 3, 2008
Prodinfo: get information on your Hauppauge TV tuner
Prodinfo.exe is a program you can run which will extract information about the WinTV product you have installed such as model and serial number, MAC address, revision, and features which can be used to identify the exact model of your product. The driver for the device must be installed in order to run Prodinfo.exe
HCWClear: remove all driver and files that were installed
HCWCLEAR.exe is a program you run to remove all driver and files that were installed with the installation of the WinTV application.
None at this time.
IR Blaster installation and configuration
IR Blaster Configuration program
This program configures the IR blaster for use with the WinTV v7 application. Included is the selection of the set top box and the learn mode.
Name: irblast_28025.exe
Size: 414KB
Updated: 2/3/2010
IR Remote/Blaster Hardware Installation Guide
IR Remote control application
Remote control applet for use with WinTV 7. After you run this applet, an icon will appear in your Windows device tray showing that the Hauppauge remote control is active.
Name: ir32_28015.exe
Name: 442KB
Name: 2/3/2010
3rd Party Applications
Is a free Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and Media Centre application for Microsoft Windows.
SnapStream Beyond TV™ 4 : "Proving that a PC can rival TIVO" !
- Supports the latest Hauppauge TV tuners.
- Record more than one show at the same time or watch one while recording another with multi-tuner support
- Record an entire TV series Record one show, every episodes, or only new episodes of your favorite show
- Enjoy the full screen interface Choose shows and setup recordings from the comfort of your couch
- Easily find shows using the integrated Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
- Record and watch HDTV shows with over-the-air HD support on the WinTV-HVR-1250
- Skip commercials with SmartSkip™
- Find shows faster with the new browse by category feature, or search by title or keyword
- No subscription fees
- Schedule recordings away from home via the Internet or a web-ready phone
- Download FREE 21-day trial today
WinTV-HVR-1950 installation guides
WinTV-HVR-1950 QuickInstall version 3
Updated: December 2010Making a TV connection to your WinTV
What Operating Systems are supported by the WinTV-HVR-1950?
- Microsoft Windows 8 and 7 -32 and 64 bit
- Windows Vista (all versions), 32 and 64-bit
- Windows® XP, XP Pro or Windows XP Media Center Edition, with Service Pack 2 (or greater)
System Requirements
- Processor Requirements (minimum):
- 1.0 GHz Intel P4 or equivalent (for cable TV)
- 2.2 GHz Intel P4 or equivalent (for ATSC digital TV)
- Microsoft® Windows 7®, Vista or Windows XP with Service Pack 2.
- WinTV-HVR-1950 is Windows Vista Premium certified*
- Available USB 2.0 port (does not work with a USB 1.1 port)
- Graphics with 64MB memory (or greater)
- Sound card for TV audio
Specifications of the WinTV-HVR-1950
- Antenna input for analog cable TV, over-the-air ATSC digital TV and clear QAM digital cable TV
- FM radio input
- Audio/Video inputs:
- S-Video, composite video
- Left and right audio via RCA jacks
- MPEG-2 hardware encoder: Conexant -417 chip
- Size: 10cm wide x 10.4 cm deep x 2.8cm high
- Power: 5V to 12V at 2 amps
- Weight: 6.5 oz
Can I use the WinTV-HVR-1950 with Media Center?
Please note: you will only be able to configure WinTV-HVR-1950 as either a Digital tuner or an Analog tuner. You will not be able to switch between Digital and Analog channels.
What type of channels will I receive with the WinTV-HVR-1950?
NTSC Analog CableTV or over-the-air analog TV: You can use your cable TV from the wall to connect to the WinTV-HVR-1950 and receive all of your basic Cable TV channels. You can also use a roof top antenna to receive "over-the-air" TV.
Note: After June 2009, most areas in the United States no longer broadcast over-the-air analog signals.
ATSC over-the-air digital TV: Supports all ATSC formats, up to the high definition 1080i format!
Note: For ATSC digital TV, a rooftop/out door antenna is recommended for optimal results/signal strength.
ClearQAM cable TV Channels: Clear QAM digital cable TV channels are unencrypted digital cable TV channels. Clear QAM allows users to watch unencrypted digital TV channels from their cable TV provider without a set-top box.
Note: WinTV v7, WinTV v6, Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows TV Pack 2008 for Vista are required for clear QAM reception
Note: Check your local cable TV provider for clear QAM reception over your cable TV network
Can I get HD with the WinTV-HVR-1950 through my Cable or Satellite box?
What type of recordings can I make with the WinTV-HVR-1950?
Using the WinTV 7 application the WinTV-HVR-1950 will record in a transport stream (TS)
For ATSC and Clear QAM digital TV recordings, the recording format and bit rate is exactly the same as the broadcast format (i.e. ATSC 1080i is recorded at 1080i).
For NTSC analog cable TV recordings, our HardPVR is used to create Transport Stream files (TS)
Note: TS files can be converted to MPEG files using options in the WinTV 7 configuration menu.
Note: The WinTV 6 application recording are in MPEG format for both digital and analog.
Note: Not all recordings made with ATSC/QAM signals are DVD compliant.
Can I Record One Channel while watching another with the WinTV-HVR-1950?
Black video window or choppy video when watching a digital TV channel
If you are watching a digital TV channel and you see choppy video, no audio or a black screen, then it is possible your PC is not fast enough to decode and play the digital TV channel you are watching. Please verify that your system meets the minimum requirements for using the HVR-1950
Digital TV, especially ATSC high definition digital TV, is very CPU intensive. Many graphics cards have special built-in hardware to speed up decoding of high definition TV channels.
On graphics cards without special video decoding features, you can often improve the playback performance by using the Video Renderer settings located in the settings menu of WinTV 7. To open the setting menu click on the “gear” button located in the lower left of the WinTV 7 screen.
The default mode is EVR. The other modes are VMR9, VMR7 and Overlay. Each mode uses a different process to render video. Try each mode and use the one which gives you the best results. To use hardware acceleration put a check in the box “use hardware acceleration when possible. This will allow your graphics system to use hardware acceleration for video decode. Note: graphics hardware acceleration does not work on all systems. After making a change in video rendering settings Wintv must be restarted to take effect.
If you are using WinTV 6 then the render options are part of a separate program called Primary. Changes in the Primary applet must be made with the WinTV application closed. Open the Primary program by going to Start – All Programs – Hauppauge WinTV – Primary. After making changes close the Primary applet and open the WinTV application.
Connector overview for the WinTV-HVR-1950
Click to enlarge.
I receive a "Low bit rate" error message when using Windows Media Center in Windows 7.
Click to view the information from Microsoft.
What file size will the recorded videos be?
Digital Broadcasts (ATSC or QAM)
The file size of a digital signal capture depends on the bitrate of the digital signal. The bitrate is set by the broadcaster and cannot be user configured. Bitrates for digital signals can range anywhere from about 1.2 Mbits/sec up to 19.3 Mbits/sec. Most of the time these bitrates are variable and not constant. Capture sizes for ATSC & QAM recordings are approximately 1.7 Gigabytes per hour up to 8.3 Gigabytes per hour.
Analog Broadcast.
The WinTV application has to convert analog signals to digital in order to record. There are four recording profiles. The following list shows recording file sizes for burning to 4.3Gb DVD:
Best - Approx 1 Hour+
Better - Approx 1 1/2 Hours
Good - Approx 2 Hours
Fair - Approx 3 Hours
WinTV v7 does not open or opens and then disappears?
This can be caused by a corrupt Channel database so you will need to uninstall and reinstall. First you need to go to start, all programs, Hauppauge Wintv and in that folder run
“uninstall Wintv7” (or remove Wintv7 using control panel "add/remove programs) then you need to remove the backup channel database.
Windows Vista, 7 and 8 go to C:\program data ( this folder is a hidden folder so if you do not see it you need to “show hidden folders “ in your search
Options) once you can get to this folder you will see a folder label “Hauppauge” delete this folder.
Windows XP go to C:\documents and settings\all users\shared documents\application data ( this folder is a hidden folder so if you do not see it you need to “show hidden folders “ in your search Options) once you can get to this folder you will see a folder label “Hauppauge” delete this folder.
Then download the latest version of Wintv7 located in the support section of the website and reinstall (note: you must have your original CD to validate the download.)
Remote control
Note: this remote control is supplied with some TV tuner models
click to enlarge
Making connections to your WinTV
Here is a chart which shows some of the things you need to know about each type of connection.
 Antenna |
 Cable or satellite TV set top box RF output |
 Cable or satellite TV set top box A/V output |
 Cable TV wire from the wall |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which type of TV can this connection be used with? | Over-the-air TV | Cable or satellite TV box | Cable or satellite TV box | Cable TV |
| What types of video do I select when scanning for channels in the WinTV application (Device Setup Wizard)? | Digital ATSC | Analog TV | External inputs (S-Video or Composite video) | Digital QAM plus Analog TV (if available in your WinTV tuner) |
| What remote control do I use to change channels? | WinTV remote control | Remote control from your set top box | Remote control from your set top box |
WinTV remote control |
| Notes | You can use a roof top antenna for best reception. | Most set top boxes allow you to switch to Channel 3 or 4. When you scan with WinTV, it will pick up the TV signal on the correct channel. Some satellite receivers use channels 60, 70 or 73. But when you scan for Analog TV channels, WinTV will pick up whatever channel is being used by your set top box. |
Most set top boxes have A/V connections on the back, which can go into the WinTV's A/V input. | Some cable TV networks transmit analog TV channels, so we recommend scanning for both Clear QAM and analog TV. Not all cable TV networks transmit clear QAM. Check with your local cable TV operator for the availability of clear QAM in your area. |
WinTV v7 error messages and what they mean
First time installation of Wintv 7 or reinstall: “WinTV board not found” or “No TV tuner available”
Step 1: Check the status of the drivers in Device Manager
- Click Windows Start, click on Control Panel and click on Device Manager In Device Manager, click on Sound, video game Controllers
- You should see your Hauppauge product
- If the Hauppauge device has a yellow exclamation mark, click on the device to open it
- If you see the following:
"Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source. (Code 52)"
This appears to be a bug in windows 64 bit OS. The Hauppauge drivers are signed.
The following is probably the easiest fix to Error Code 52 on Windows 7 or Windows 8 64bit.- In Device Manager, right click the Hauppauge product under Sound Video and Game Controllers with the exclamation mark and select Uninstall. If you have a USB product you might see multiple listings, please right click the first one on the list. (For this example we will use the WinTV-HVR-950Q. )
- On the Confirm window please check the box for “Delete the driver software for this device” and click OK
- Repeat the uninstall for the other two WinTV-HVR-950Q entries. (note you won’t be asked to ‘confirm device uninstall’ again)
- Once the drivers are removed, right click on Sound, Video, Game controllers and click Scan for Hardware Changes
- Windows should now look online automatically for the 950Q drivers
- Take a look after a few minutes if the drivers are installed automatically properly under Sound Video and Game Controllers.
- If they still come back as “unsigned” try the procedure again
ERRORS when running WinTV 7: “TVserver cannot Start” or “.NET framework errors
This can be caused by a corrupt WinTV v7 Channel DatabaseM. You will need to uninstall and reinstall the WinTV v7 application to fix this.<
Click Windows Start, click on All Programs -> Hauppauge WinTV and in that folder run Uninstall Wintv7 (or remove Wintv7 using control panel "add/remove programs) then you need to remove the backup channel database.
- Windows Vista, 7 and 8 go to C:\program data ( this folder is a hidden folder so if you do not see it you need to “show hidden folders “ in your search Options) once you can get to this folder you will see a folder label “Hauppauge” delete this folder.
- Windows XP go to C:\documents and settings\all users\shared documents\application data ( this folder is a hidden folder so if you do not see it you need to “show hidden folders “ in your search Options) once you can get to this folder you will see a folder label “Hauppauge” delete this folder.
Then download the latest version of Wintv7 located in the support section of the website and reinstall (note: you must have your original CD to validate the download.)
Settings.xml file is corrupt or missing”
Uninstall WinTV v7 using control panel Add/remove programs under programs and features and then reinstall WinTV 7
Linux for the WinTV-HVR-1975
Linux for the WinTV-HVR-1975
For the Linux driver, please send an e-mail message to: davidz@hauppauge.com