Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[jagabo]

The composite output on your satellite box will always be standard definition. Run the signal directly to your HDTV and you'll see it's SD. Capturing via HDMI with an HDCP stripper should get you HD.

[MounaLafi]

The composite output on your satellite box will always be standard definition. Run the signal directly to your HDTV and you'll see it's SD. Capturing via HDMI with an HDCP stripper should get you HD.

Thanks for your prompt reply jagabo.

I've read somewhere that even with composite output, higher resolutions can be obtained from HD channels.

Anyhow, I'll try with HDCP stripper that I've already ordered, thanks to this thread .

Thanks & Regards,

[jagabo]

I've read somewhere that even with composite output, higher resolutions can be obtained from HD channels.

Local downscaling of HD to SD can be slightly sharper and have less artifacts than SD broadcast. But it's nowhere near the original HD.

[MounaLafi]

I did some research and I found the following:

What I'm trying to do is connecting Composite A/V Cable (Video Out in my Sat Box) to Component A/V Cable (YCrCb).

According to the below link:

Difference Between Composite & Component AV Cable

Both composite and component cables carry analog signals. The video carried by composite cables is a compressed version of the video carried by component cables. As a result, the video quality of composite video is lower than that of component video.

Nevertheless, there seems to be a solution using the below device:

Component to Composite w/Down Scaling

But I don't know if it worth the try since I'm going to capture using HDMI as soon as my HDCP Stripper arrives, which is much better.

Edit: Besides, there will be no quality improvement, since the Composite A/V Cable is coming from the source not the other way around.

[jagabo]

Forget the component to composite downscaler. Your satellite box is already doing that (though from a digital frame buffer, not a component signal). You can get decent HDMI cables for the equivalent of about US$5. The difference will be night and day.

[MounaLafi]

Now I'm able to capture HD Channels using HDMI with a resolution of 1920*1080

The issue now is that I like to use the scheduler option which is available in WinTV & not available in ShwoBiz.

The other issue is that I don't see any options to control the bitrate in WinTV unlike ShwoBiz which has this option in Format Settings ----> Video Encoder.

So, which program I should use.

Also, I want to know which settings are most convenient to capture with as I want to capture documentaries and cut commercials from them and re-encode later.

Any suggestions to achieve this.

[jman98]

If you want a scheduled recording then you have no choice. You must use WinTV.

I suggest that you not record to MP4 format as many have reported audio synch problems when doing that. I record to TS format. The other settings really don't matter much and are personal preference. I change the brightness setting on some VHS captures but otherwise the only setting I ever change is bitrate.

[jagabo]

So, which program I should use.

I used to use a filter graph and rcTvCap along with Windows' Task Scheduler:
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

[jman98]

Very interesting, jagabo. I had not heard of any of that before.

[jagabo]

Capture graph:

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/353688-Hauppauge-HD-PVR-2-issues?p=2231644&viewfull=1#post2231644

The last (far right) filter is the Dump filter.

[MounaLafi]

So, which program I should use.

I used to use a filter graph and rcTvCap along with Windows' Task Scheduler:
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

I've already give a try jagabo.

The issue is that I can't find a similar Video Encoder for Hauppauge Colossus like Hauppauge HD PVR.

As you can see in the attached jpg the only Video Encoder I've found for Hauppauge Colossus is TS Encoder,
and the problem that it doesn't have "Virtual Video/Audio In".

I'm just wondering if anyone used rcTvCap successfully with Hauppauge Colossus or is it just limited to Hauppauge HD PVR?

[jman98]

I had no idea that what jagabo is doing was even possible, but I personally find the graphing system cumbersome to use. I haven't done that in a very long time. Of course, others may not feel that it is cumbersome to use at all.

The Colossus and the HD PVR family of devices use exactly the same encoding chip so if it works on one, it should work on the others.

[jagabo]

I personally find the graphing system cumbersome to use.

You only have to do it once. Then you save the graph.