getting recordings off comcast dvr

[Knightmessenger]

So yeah, I hear that most of these things are copy protected and all that. Is there a simple way to rip them onto a computer?

Also, is there any good free software around that I could use to compress video files so they would be optimized for youtube? I've had enough trouble with stuff that took forever at a media conversion lab and darkened the gamma (Quicktime) that I'd rather just do it on my own.

[usually_quiet]

So yeah, I hear that most of these things are copy protected and all that. Is there a simple way to rip them onto a computer?

There is no way to simply copy recordings from its HDD. You have to capture the output from the DVR. There are SD capture devices for the PC that could work for an SD DVR. If it is an HD DVR, the most reliable way to save the recordings in close to the original audio and video quality is to capture from its component connection and optical S/PDIF connection using a Hauppauge HD PVR.

It might be possible to capture some recordings via the firewire connection on the HD DVR and the firewire port on a PC, plus CapDVHS, but it doesn't always work. Some recordings are copy protected in such a way to disable output or scramble output through the firewire port.