This review is for the most recent revision of the 950Q, purchased in January of 2012. It's worth pointing out that this is a different package than that sold previously, with the same model number. The back of my stick reads as follows:
NTSC/ATSC/QAM HD TV receiver
72001 LF Rev B4F0 4311.
(It also lists a unique MAC address, which you may need if dealing with your local cable company)
The box this shipped in is a smaller box than shown in the images, above, and instead of the white styrofoam insert, there's a brown corrugated cardboard insert.
The stick is present, as is the little AV patch cable, and the antenna, as well as a remote. I say "A remote" because the remote provided is NOT the remote shown in the images above. My remote is not the type with a membrane switch face, and would not slip into the card slot of a laptop (and since those slots are not even included anymore, that makes sense). The new remote has the same raised rubber buttons most remotes have, albeit in a small and portable form factor. It seems as though there are a couple of buttons on the other remote which aren't present on this one, but since I can't see a close-up of the other remote, I can't be certain.
The remote I was provided with seems to work fine, but there's a significant "lag" between using it and having the WinTV 7 software respond. (By the way, this package came with the latest version of WinTV7, v2.4d, on CD, which leads me to conclude that this is a newer release, not an older one, though there's no way to be certain).
The antenna seems to work better than I'd have expected, and should be more than servicable for my "travel use" needs. I need to get a slim coax cable to travel with to patch into cable TV as well, and that's not provided here... only the antenna is provided. But the antenna works nicely... I was able to get 16 channels here in Austin, TX, while the FCC's site suggested I could only expect to receive about ten.
It's worth noting that I get more channels using the provided WinTV application than I do when using Windows Media Center. I fail to see why the provided application would receive more, but it does. I get about ten channels using WMC, with the rest being "below threshold."
The antenna provided is acceptable, but a better antenna will undoubtedly improve overall reception. I plan to obtain a "leaf plus" antenna (which should be easy to carry when traveling) which will, if reports hold true, double the number of receivable stations for me. We'll see. Of course, a real, outdoors directional antenna would be a huge benefit, but that's impractical for a device whose main reason for existence is to be PORTABLE, after all.
As several others have mentioned, the device becomes warm. Not "HOT" (ie, you can still touch it) but it clearly draws a lot of power. Your best bet, long-term, is to use it with an external, powered USB hub. However, it works just fine off my little netbook's internal power. The install guide recommends not using it with a hub, but that seems clearly to be more about power than about "lag," and going through an externally-powered hub should cause no problems. (I plan to obtain a new 8-port powered hub later tonight, and I'll revise this review if this changes.)
The remote isn't "ideal" but is acceptable. However, I strongly recommend trying a little device made by a Chinese company called "Riitek." You'll find several variations of that being sold on Amazon right now, and often using different names (usually the exporter selling it into the USA, not the original manufacturer, though).
I have this little device in both BT and 2.4Ghz radio versions. Unless you find the idea of using a "dongle" undesirable, I actually prefer the 2.4Ghz version overall, though they're effectively identical in most ways. Here's the one I bought... though the name it's listed under on Amazon has changed since I bought it.
http://www.amazon.com/FAVI-Entertainment-Wireless-Keyboard-TouchPad/dp/B003UE52ME/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t
And here's the Blutooth version... which is nicer, overall, but nearly identical... and which has the minor drawback of occasionally dropping connection in "blutooth-heavy" environments (like, say, airports).
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Cellphones-touchpad/dp/B0042VF30U/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1326141350&sr=1-3
You'll find these sold by a number of folks on Amazon. ALL are made by Riitek. They're GREAT devices, frankly, and are of high-quality (unlike so many Chinese-made-and-designed objects I've dealt with over the years). I'm very happy with them, and strongly recommend them. Using this as a "remote mini-keyboard and mouse" easily replaces your little Hauppauge remote, especially when working with Windows Media Center.
| RAM | 1 GB |
|---|---|
| National Stock Number | 7025-01-541-0437 |
