71 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
Very good value Slingbox HD competitor that doesn't nickel and dime you for add-ons
I am a HUGE fan of the Slingbox Pro, another video broadcast device which is the direct competition to this unit (see my review of the Slingbox Pro elsewhere). It is the rare internet based appliance that does exactly what it promises, with minimal headaches and excellent support.
What I don't like about the Slingbox Pro is that they nickel and dime you to...
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Video Quality, Reasons to Love, Reasons to Cry
This device simultaneously exceeded my expectations and failed to meet them. Let me start with the bottom line of whether or not you should buy this device.
Buy IF:
- You want good quality streaming video
- You want to watch this from a Windows PC.
- You want to watch this from a Windows mobile device or one of the other supported mobile...
This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
I am a HUGE fan of the Slingbox Pro, another video broadcast device which is the direct competition to this unit (see my review of the Slingbox Pro elsewhere). It is the rare internet based appliance that does exactly what it promises, with minimal headaches and excellent support.
What I don't like about the Slingbox Pro is that they nickel and dime you to death for add ons. Want wireless? You'll have to pay for that. Want to actually use the high definition capabilities of the "HD Pro" Slingbox? That'll cost you another $50 for a proprietary dongle. Want to watch your Slingbox on a cell phone? That also extra.
The HAVA includes all those options in the package AND it's cheaper to boot. In addition, the HAVA offers capabilities not available on the Slingbox, namely the ability to stream to up to three devices simultaneously (Slingbox only streams to one device at a time) and the ability to record to an attached hard drive (option), to act as a low budget DVR (I didn't test this). So far, so great. But the question is: How well does it work.
The answer is, mostly, very well. Setup is not quite as slick as for the Slingbox (which is incredibly easy), but I found it straightforward and not particularly time consuming. Once setup (using their setup program), and having connected my Tivo Series 3 high definition box, I was ready to see how it worked in the field. The first test was using a PC elsewhere in my home. The connection there is very strong, and not unexpectedly, given the good bitrate, the picture was excellent. (Note that although this is marketed as "high definition" it's actualy the low definition version of high definition, 720 x 480--a limitation of wireless among other things). The picture was strong and constant--no stuttering or other snags. Of course, this was an easy test, since the wireless signal is excellent.
The better test was to see how the remote software player dealt with poor or mediocre bit streams. To test this, I took both my laptop and my Windows Mobile phone to a local coffee shop where the wireless connection is only fair. Trying out the laptop first, I found the video to be pretty good. On occasion the video would stall, but it was mostly smooth and DEFINITELY very watchable. As is the case with Slingbox, the viewing software appeared capable of reducing the resolution as the bitrate fell (the picture got softer when the bitrate fell). I had the same experience watching on my Windows Mobile phone.
For comparison, I also viewed my Slingbox remotely from the same location. The picture quality was generally comparable, although if pushed to the wall I would say that the Slingbox picture was perhaps a little better. But it was certainly not a substantial difference.
On the whole, I found the HAVA + player software to be nearly as good as the Slingbox. Now, if they were comparably priced, I'd suggest going with the Slingbox. However, given that the HAVA player gives you several options for free that Slingbox charges for, and offers two functionalities not available at all on the Slingbox (stream to more than one device at a time, connection to a USB hard drive) I am inclined to recommend the HAVA.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
This device simultaneously exceeded my expectations and failed to meet them. Let me start with the bottom line of whether or not you should buy this device.
Buy IF:
- You want good quality streaming video
- You want to watch this from a Windows PC.
- You want to watch this from a Windows mobile device or one of the other supported mobile phones.
- You have a wired LAN.
- You run your TV signal through a box of some sort (even a vcr works).
- You don't mind doing some cable re-wiring on your home theater.
Buy WITH CAUTION IF:
- You want wireless at home, but you have a lot of wireless interference on your current network.
DON'T Buy IF:
- You want to watch this from a Mac
- You want to watch this from an unsupported phone (such as a Blackberry or iPhone).
- You are expecting to be able to run a COAX signal to the HAVA.
- You want HDMI input and output.
- You are expecting it to be more or less cable free.
- You want to run a WIFI connection other than 802.11g.
Tips:
- If you want to use a mobile phone, check the HAVA website for support for your phone before buying.
- Don't install the software using the disk included. Go straight to the HAVA web site and get the latest software. If you don't you'll end up doing it anyway.
Now for some background information.
I really didn't know what to expect in terms of the actual device and the setup. I was left both pleasantly surprised and frustrated.
To start with, the packaging is surprisingly simple. All the cables (except HDMI) are included and are clearly labeled in individual packages. The device itself is quite small and lightweight. The getting started guide is simple and straightforward. You can tell that they took time thinking about the initial experience out of the box.
I have a wired LAN, but I don't have an HD receiver other than the one built into my TV. Since I didn't want my TV to be on every time the hava is accessed, I ended up routing the signal through a DVD recorder. Luckily, the included cables made it easy.
I installed the software on my Vista Home Premium computer. The install didn't have any crashes and was fairly simple, except that it doesn't ask you to check for updates until it is completely done. You immediately then are redirected to a site where you download the whole setup and re-run the install, which includes a reboot and several messages from Windows about Media Center being stopped and started. Wasn't a problem, just something to note.
The setup wizard was simple. I was surprised at how easy it was to configure the device and to be remotely changing channels, powering off, etc. It also upgraded the device firmware without issue. Having it on the wired LAN saved a lot of time. I had it fully setup in about 10 minutes (not including the time it took to install the software). The wireless option works fine (with the included usb attached WI-FI adapter), but if you use an encrypted network, expect to have to take a few extra steps to get it all working (visit their support website for details).
The player that is installed on Vista is very nice looking. The interface is simple and attractive. The video quality exceeds my expectations. I am very impressed with the video quality over my 100/1000 Mbit LAN.
The next thing I wanted to do is view it on my blackberry curve... this is where I wanted to cry. This was the main reason I wanted the device and I find out that, as of the time I write this, that only Windows mobile devices and a couple of Nokias are supported. No Blackberry, no iPhone, etc. This was very disappointing. Be smarter than me and check what mobile devices are supported before you buy.
I was able to view it remotely over the internet without much hassle. I had to register my device with the service (which actually happens when you run the setup wizard) and then install a player on the system that I wanted to watch. All I had to do was use the name and password I gave it during the setup wizard... really couldn't be much easier.
So, why 3 stars and not more? I have a Macbook. I have a Blackberry. I can't watch TV via the HAVA using either device. If you only want to watch using Windows or Windows Mobile devices, then I would give this 4+ stars (assuming the cell phone player works well) and can certainly recommend it for the price.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
The Hava Titanium HD Wi-Fi is the obvious competitor for the better known Slingbox Pro, which lets you watch your TV on your laptop or other mobile device while you're on the go. But which one is better? You decide.
Both the Hava and Slingbox are easy to connect to your TV, DVR (like TiVo), cable or satellite box, but the Slingbox Pro offers three inputs. You can connect your Slingbox to your cable box or satellite box, your DVD player and your DVR at the same time. Both work with HD. The newer version of the Slingbox Pro (not tested) has a digital off-air tuner to work with a digital signal received through an antennae. Hava comes with a Wi-Fi dongle. The Slingbox Pro doesn't, but the company offers products like the SlingLink Media Ethernet Connection Bridge or the Slinglink Turbo Enet Connection Bridge for an additional price. Still, when it comes to input options, the Slingbox Pro is easily the winner.
Both the Hava and the Slingbox are easily set up on your computer with a little help from customer service. Both offer excellent customer service, and--at the time of this review--both let you talk with native English speakers, not a small thing in this day and age when most companies seem to hire customer service employees with impossible to understand accents. Slingbox customer service can take over your computer if needed to make installation easy and pain-free. Hava's device is so easy to connect, their customer service can simply walk you through it. Both let you download the latest software easily. Both are constantly updating their software and offering new features. For example, at the time of this writing, Slingbox says it will soon allow you to watch many popular TV shows directly from their website. Round two is clearly a tie.
But what about the picture? Here's where I started to notice a slight difference between the Slingbox Pro and the Hava. The picture quality is good for both, but the Slingbox Pro's tended to drop on occasion and cause a delay in streaming. That wasn't a problem for the Hava. Comparing both systems to live TV, the Hava had a two second delay, but the Slingbox's delay became longer with each drop in the picture, with delays up to 12 seconds on a computer in the same house. Round three goes to the Hava.
Both give you buffering, which lets you rewind and so on. However--and this is a big plus--the Hava lets you record what you're watching to your computer, something the Slingbox does not do. This is a clear win for the Hava.
And finally there's the most important question: do both systems let you watch your home entertainment programs while you're out of the house like they're supposed to? I have repeatedly encountered problems with the Slingbox. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But I have never encountered this problem with the Hava. Another round for the Hava. I have yet to test either device with a smart phone.
All in all, I like the Hava better than the Slingbox Pro because it works when I need it out in the field, and not just on my home network. Still, I like the Slingbox Pro's multiple inputs. Which one is best for you? You decide.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
This is the only that you can record from a HD DirectTV unit and be able to play back video anywhere in the house. The video is standard MPEG2 unlike Slingbox so any media extender can read the video. The quality of video is flawless, the interface is slick, setup is straight forward. It works well over the home wifi (802.11g).
The rough spots:
Integration with Microsoft Media Center Edition (MCE) is rough: a) you need a MCE remote IR blaster before MCE will control the DIrecTV unit though the Hava. You must cleanly exit MCE before shutting down or going into standby, if you don't MCE loses the ability to change channels. The only other media software that seems to work with unreasonably with the Hava is SageTV and it requires a different blaster (it can't use the Hava remote SW yet) than MCE and someway of sending the blaster signal to the DirecTV unit.
It's better than anything else out there but still early in the development cycle. The video quality is there but the firmware/software is still rough around the edges.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
The unit is manufactured by Monsoon Multimedia. It is a lesser known brand than its major competitor, Sling Media, makers of Slingbox. Generally speaking, the Hava line offers more features at a lower price point. Hava has a very impressive comparison chart on its website. It is definitely worth reviewing as you make your decision. In fact, I would strongly suggest that you review the detailed specifications for each of the competing units on their respective websites. It's an education in what may be a new technology for many and well worth the time it takes.
Installation took a few hassle-free minutes, including a firmware update.
What is the result of so little effort? You can view your television channels on any computer connected to your local network - and from any computer connected to the internet.
With the advent of very lightweight, inexpensive but reasonably powerful netbooks, Hava can open a new dimension in portable entertainment. With WiFi, you can watch your television from anywhere accessible by your network. In my environment, on a 802.11g wireless connection, the picture is gorgeous and lags just a few seconds behind the cable-fed box. There's an onscreen remote to use with TiVo, in my case, any many others for those controlling their cable box or other device.
The number of users on a local network is limited only by bandwidth.
You can also log in via the internet, which is a hoot and also very convenient. Staying at a motel that doesn't carry your favorite channel? Watch it using your Hava and for a potent combination, your DVR, such as a TiVo.
Hava also provides remote clients for a number of cell phones and PDAs. For some reason, I had poor results with my two Windows Mobile 6.x VGA devices in landscape, but reception was nothing less than astounding in portrait mode. On one I was using WiFi, on the other, Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network.
This is a product that delivers what it promises. A hassle free installation and problem-free performance. I am very, very pleased with it.
A word about Hava's customer support: it is exemplary. I had a problem understanding something: not a difficulty with the product - just something about its use that I could't figure out. I called Hava tech support and was amazed at how much time and energy the Hava tech spent with me. A rarity in this age.
Overall, I find the Hava to be an excellent product and would recommend it over the Slingbox, based on specifications and my personal experience.
Jerry
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
If you are reading a review for Hava Titanium HD TV device, I guess that you already have some knowledge about Slingbox. Yes, this device is a Slingbox-like product with a wireless capability. It streams your cable TV to you no matter where you are if there is an internet connection. You can place this device close to your video source since Hava can be connected wirelessly. The pain I had for Slingbox was that it is always hard to find the wired internet connection near TVs or a cable box. So I had a high hope for this device.
As other reviewers stated, the installation process is not plug and play. It took me lots of trials and errors and I finally got it working. Once the device was up and running, the picture quality was better than I expected. When I compare it with Slingbox that my friend uses, I prefer the Hava over the Slingbox. For the wireless connectivity, the Hava had no problem connecting to my Linksys WRT54G router.
Since I am not a TV person, I tried to test Hava with video sources other than a TV or cablebox. I have a multimedia player that can play most of the video files (I got it from Korea). It has a hard drive in it and I can store video files ripped from my DVDs and other sources. Specially, I ripped all my DVDs for my kids there, since my kids are watching the same movie over and over and they sometime make scratches on DVDs. I connected the Hava to the multimedia player by using a S-video cable and my kids love it. Now they can watch all their DVDs in any computer at my house. Also the projector that my kids occupy for their viewing of movies in a multimedia player is now free and I can use it for my own fun. Installing all the software for Hava to every computer that my kids use is kind of a pain, however, once it is setup, it works as advertised.
I also used the Hava to broadcast the pastor's sermon at our church. We are using a wireless video sender (RF-Link AVS-5811 audio and video transmission system) to broadcast a sermon to the room where moms with kids stay during the sunday service. However, the quality of the picture coming out from the wireless video sender is poor and it gets noises when anyone blocks the signal pathway by simly walking between the video sender and the receiver. Since we have a wireless network installed in our church, I decided to test Hava to replace the wireless video sender. And it worked very well. The camcorder that takes video of a sermon is connected to an AV/IN port of Hava. Only the difference is that people in mom's room uses a computer to watch the sermon instead of a TV. The picture is clearer and the sound is better than the wireless video sender and I like it. I will recommend to buy Hava for my church.
Overall, the Hava serves well for my purposes and I am happy with it. I have not extensively tested this device with my cable box or a PVR so I do not have many compaints like other reviewers. My only complaint is the troublesome installation process and I hope the manufacturer works more on this issue.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
I wish I could give the Hava Titanium HD WiFi more than three stars. I really, really do. But, with all the rough edges that I've encountered over the couple of days, I just can't.
First the good news: It works. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting in my office, typing this review, while watching WGN in another window. The video quality is good and the sound is in sync with the video. It's pretty cool. Video input signals can come from composite, component or s-video sources. Note that there are no HDMI connections. Audio can come from standard right-left audio inputs where necessary. Pass-through outputs exist for every input. Your home network can be connected via either wired or wireless connections. I tested both; they both work fine, but settled on the wired connection as the wireless signal is weak in the room where I placed the Hava.
Now...the problems: It's obvious that this is a work-in-progress. The unit I received had software and firmware that was two releases old. The software partially installed, suggested that I download the latest version and then promptly bombed when I tried to install the upgrade. After numerous reboots (and a few words that I don't use around the kids) I finally managed to install the shipped -not the upgraded- version. Unfortunately the shipped version doesn't support a hard drive on the USB port for video storage...you can only use your computer's hard disk. Filling up my laptop's hard drive with reruns of 'My Mother the Car" doesn't seem like a particularly intelligent idea. Since I couldn't get the latest software/firmware version to install, I found an intermediate version which included hard drive support (1.7.3.322-Beta, if you're curious) on the myhava.com web site. It installed and forms the basis of this review. If I ever get 1.7.4.7 to work, I'll file an update.
Over the last year and change, I've owned DirectTV, ATT U-Verse, Comcast and finally TiVo DVRs. (Don't ask...it's a basic character flaw.) This gives me a pretty good basis to evaluate the Hava as a DVR. I'm controlling the Hava using the Have-supplied PC client, not Vista Media Center Edition or something else more sophisticated. It works fine recording and playing back a video stream, but there are several key features that are missing. First of all, there's no program directory to assist you in recording a specific show. You set-up a recording by entering the date, start time, program length and channel number. Obviously, if you're watching TV, you can pull up your provider's program directory, but there's no interaction between that and the Hava. Secondly, once you've programmed it to record something, I haven't found a way to cancel that recording, or even list what's queued up to record. These may be included in a future update...or might not. Meanwhile, they're pretty serious deficiencies.
So...to make a long review short, I'd give the Hava an "A" for its networked video capabilities, but only a "C" for use as a DVR.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
I bought a HAVA Titanium HD WiFi so that I could watch live TV in my kitchen, where I don't have a cable connection. I connected the HAVA to my TIVO HD. I am delighted with the result: I now have a good picture and good sound on my laptop in the kitchen. I haven't tried HAVA's remote control feature or the DVR feature.
The setup process was difficult and frustrating, although not as frustrating as my experience with a Slingbox. I spent hours (due to Slingmedia's poor documentation) discovering that a wireless Ethernet bridge is necessary because the Slingbox is designed for an ethernet connection. Slingcatcher didn't work because my TIVO, and therefore the Slingbox, is in a different room on a different electrical circuit than my router. The Ethernet bridge procedure described in Slingbox's documentation doesn't help because it is for a Netgear bridge that apparently is no longer available, per my internet search. I bought a Linksys wireless Ethernet bridge, and, after spending two hours on the phone (he did try hard) with Linksys' tech support, I gave up when the Linksys technician wanted to transfer me to another tech because he thought the problem was with my 2Wire router's settings.See my review of Slingbox.
I had three problems with HAVA setup:
1. During the setup dialog, when I accepted the invitation to upgrade the software, the upgrade failed and I had to start the setup process again. This was a minor problem, but it's sloppy work on HAVA's part. I wasn't surprised, since other customers' reviews mentioned this.
2. Setup stalled when it tried & failed to connect to the HAVA. I had to move the HAVA to my router and connect it and my laptop directly to the router with two Ethernet cables, one of which was provided in the box by HAVA. Then setup detected the HAVA, and I was able to complete the setup. However, the setup dialog includes a chance to adjust the TV image, which is supposed to appear in a little box on one of the setup dialog screens. My box was black, presumably because my connection was by Ethernet cable, not wireless. I skipped this screen.
3. HAVA's setup documentation is woefully inadequate. I found the solution described in the previous paragraph by looking at a Setup Wizard Troubleshooting tip entitled "Can I configure HAVA's wireless properties if I set it up initially over Ethernet?" None of the other descriptions of the setup procedure (which are sparse) refer to the need to connect the HAVA directly to the router during setup. I realized that this was possible because the Slingbox requires it. Also, it would be helpful to novices to mention that the player software must be installed on the computer that you plan to view on. This isn't obvious if you don't have a clue as to how the HAVA works. Also, I had to search the HAVA online forum to find out how to view TV on Windows Media Center (which works well under Vista).
A comment on HAVA user support: I received prompt and helpful responses to two e-mails, in which I described a problem I was having. (This problem was of my own making, not a result of the skimpy documentation for the HAVA.) However, my several attempts to contact HAVA by telephone failed; I just wound up in an endless loop in which I was presented over & over again with their initial voice menu. If I weren't retired I probably wouldn't have had the time or energy to complete the installation process (or to write these comments).
The bottom line, however, is that it was worth the trouble--my wife can now watch the news and weather report in the kitchen while she's preparing dinner. With the advent of HAVA, Slingbox will be obsolete until it provides wireless capability.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
This product is amazing. I think it is so awesome to be able to watch TV from my home cable box here in Germany! I am able to keep up with news and local programs all while being 5000 miles away. This is great to be able to change channels, pull up my cable program guide, and watch something in English. This will be great no mater where I travel too now.
This system does come with a few down falls.
The first is the setup. I am sure if I was home and I was setting this up I could have figured this out in a few hours. I did not buy my HAVA before I left home for Germany and had to get my wife to setup the unit by me talking her through, tech support and the instructions. The instructions didnt help her much and customer support helped but had her confused. I spent several hours on the phone before we were able to get this to work. It was very frustrating trying to get this to work, but when we finally got it to work is was fantastic.
The second item that has been a problem at times happens when I have a poor signal here in the hotel. When this happens the video gets delayed but the sound keeps on track. Very difficult to watch a program in this mode. Sometimes I have to go to the lobby and plug into the hard wire network and then have perfect reception. I use the player on my wireless laptop at work and have no issues at all.
A third issue is that there is a small delay when clicking on the remote remote. This is sometimes 2 to 10 seconds before the action is seen. I can stand the delay and am just happy to have that option. Others might be put off by this. Another issue I have seen when changing channels is sometimes while I have a 2X view it will revert to 1X when changing channels. Just a gripe.
One last complaint is when you start the player on my laptop it starts a file havasrv.exe which for some reason will let me do nothing online till I shut it down in windows task manager. I only have this problem with my laptop at the hotel. My work laptop has no issues and works great with the player and the exe file.
Overall I am very pleased with my HAVA. I can't wait till I am able to get home and setup an external hard drive to record programs on. I was going bonkers here in a hotel with no English speaking channels on the TV. Now I switch to what I want to watch just like I was sitting at home. Another nice feature is instead of clicking on the remote is to just type the channel number in with the keyboard. Using the HAVA like a TIVO is another function that is so great. Being able to pause and go back is so nice or slip through commercials is nice.
It looks like I have cut this system down. I have just described my problems for others here. The HAVA works and that in it self is unbelievable and worth it to me.
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This review is from: HAVA Titanium HD TV Device with Wi-Fi (Electronics)
I've been using my HAVA for about a month and half. While I enjoyed the ability to watch my TV remotely, there is a major flaw. The remote access feature goes down from time to time with no apparent reason. I was getting 'HAVA is not responding' error. The only fix I know of is to power cycle the HAVA box. This would be a fatal bug if I'm on a business trip and nobody at home can reset it for me. I've done some research on HAVA support website. This appears to be a common problem many users are experiencing.
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