Recording cable HDTV via firewire

[hipser]

I have a Scientific Atlanta 4250 cable box from comcast, it has a firewire output but when i connect it to the firewire input of my DVD recorder, I can' see or record a signal, I can only record through the analog Svideo for an inferior image. Somebody help? :?
C.H.

[Krispy Kritter]

It's possible your cable box isn't even outputting video over the firewire. Many cable and SAT boxes have the firewire and USB ports disabled.

[hipser]

Hi & thanks.
Although comcast and scientific atlanta have assured me of the contrary, I suspect you are right.
C.H.

[jman98]

According to US law (I have actually seen the legal reference, although the website that had it is no longer operation), it is illegal to disable the firewire output ports on a US sold cable box. I'm not kidding. That does not mean that it hasn't been done due to ignorance or stupidity on the part of Comcast.

Take a look here:
http://home.comcast.net/~exdeus/stbfirewire/
There are drivers here and a capture program (CapDVHS) for you to use in recording from your cable box firewire port to a PC. What you propose to do may not work at all. Recording is possible with these drivers, so if you install them and your PC records, then you just can't record firewire out from the cable box to a DVD recorder. Note that some programs (ie. HBO) ARE copy protected. This is legal and you will not be able to record these. If you are trying to record HBO this way, it will never work.
However, you should not be blocked from recording any local network show, so you can test with something from Fox or ABC or NBC, etc.