HDTV 1394 -> PC Programs

[Joe The Dude]

I have a Motorola DCT 6200 / 1000 HDTV Box provided by my cable company, Time Warner Cable (Houston).

I have been tooling around with it, and can capture the .ts to my pc using the firewire port and a program called CapDVHS.

CapDVHS lets me set up timers to record the .ts but won't change the channels on my cable box.
It also will not let me watch the shows live on my pc.
I can only watch the .ts files it captures after the fact.

I've been google-ing for the past couple of days trying to find a program i could use that'll let me watch live, as well as record on the fly, and set up timers and change channels via the firewire setup i'm using.

Any linkage or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Baldrick]

visit www.avsforum.com.

[edDV]

It's only a matter of time. Let us know when you find one.

[lchiu7]

Have no idea if it would work but if your recorder program can be accessed with command line parameters you might be able to do the recording and auto channel changing using

GBPVR as the front end (with XMLTV or ZapIt) as the program listings talking to your recorder program

http://www.bladerhq.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Plugin/ExternalRecorder

Then use a USB-UIRT for GBPVR to change the cable box to the right channel by emitting the channel change light pulses at the right time

Larry

[Joe The Dude]

Thank you all for your suggestions and help.

I've decided to go with a DVICO FusionHDTV3 Gold (QAM) PCI Card for my PC and invest in an antenna.

This should solve most of my issues, especialy since Time Warner (at least in my area) doesn't even carry the HD versions of The WB or UPN.
Oddly enough, while they do have Fox in HD, the pixelation is insane.

Don't even get me started on all cable channels having intermitant droupouts every couple of hours on bright and sunny days...

Oh well.
Hopefully, the Fusion Card (OTA) will ease the processes of capturing, editing, converting and then authoring DVDs of cartoons and Anime for my niece to watch from WB and Fox.

I've done the research and already purchaced an antenna that is 3 times the size of the one reccomended at antennaweb.org.
It's already mounted, and i have the cable run.
It's a single RG6, 53-foot cable that is not spliced.
I even "hollowed out' the hole in my wall plate so the wire runs right through it instead of screwing into it.

All that's left is the arrival of the card.

Again, many thanks for your suggestions and help.
If not for it, I wouldn't have come upon, and started researching:
DirecTv's upcoming MPEG4 which will require new boxes to decode it.
DirecTv's B&W Tivo Issues.
Dish Network's PVR headaches.
The Doom of VOOM. (sorry about the word play)
SBC's TV Over DSL scheme.
Verizon's FTTH Flavors. They look sweet, but don't have an ETA for Houston.
And, finally, Over The Air HDTV.
It is the best soloution for my particular location, needs, and situation.

[redwudz]

Let us know how the DVICO card works for you. I have been using one for HDTV to my video projector for about six months. Works well, but there are only 4 stations transmitting HDTV around here, so not a lot to watch. I use a ATI Radeon 9550 AGP card for video with a ATI DVI to Component adapter.

[Joe The Dude]

Will do!