Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[mr-scarface]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it's possible to connect a PVR (Motorola DCX 3400-M) to a PC?

I want to capture the video in real-time, so I can edit it immediately. Will this hauppage card work? Does it create files on your PC? Or does it send the video stream to your PC, allowing you to capture it yourself?

Any insight would be appreciated.

[jman98]

PVRs encrypt what they record. So you can't attach the disk drive from one to a PC and do anything with it. You can play the recorded video and send the output to the Colossus and record it in real time. I do that with my PVR that comes with AT&T's Uverse TV. I suggest using component output from your PVR if it supports it. Do note that the Colossus only records video in H.264 format and audio defaults to AAC. You can get it to record AC3 audio ONLY if you use an optical cable AND the source is in AC3. For my PVR recordings, they are in AC3 as this is the audio format used in North America for digital TV. So if you want to get AC3 audio, be sure to use an optical cable from your PVR to the Colossus.

Your comment about "edit it immediately" concerns me because it is vague. I hope you understand that must wait until the capture is finished to edit or you will likely have horrible problems.

[oldfart13]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it's possible to connect a PVR (Motorola DCX 3400-M) to a PC?

I want to capture the video in real-time, so I can edit it immediately. Will this hauppage card work? Does it create files on your PC? Or does it send the video stream to your PC, allowing you to capture it yourself?

Any insight would be appreciated.

It may be your box is too new. The older boxes could be modded to do just what you want to do:

http://www.nextcomwireless.com/R5000/cableinfo.htm

I've run into the same problem with the STB I have as the stream cannot be captured nor the contents of the drive read.

[jman98]

If your PVR can output via component video, there's NO NEED AT ALL to worry about whether it can or cannot be modded as oldfart13 mentions. That was for the old "record via firewire" stuff which doesn't work at all under 64 bit versions of Windows anyway. My method WILL work as long as your box doesn't do something stupid like not output via component. You can try to use HDMI output from the PVR to the Colossus as the Colossus can accept HDMI input, but the catch is that the HDMI input must be unencrypted. You would just have to try it to see if it works or not. Component video cannot be encrypted, so that is why it works.

[Brad]

I think the DCX3400 does have Firewire output. That would be better than component captures despite being "older".

You didn't say your cable provider or whereabouts you are. I have tested Firewire recording on Shaw in cities in two provinces and it worked well with only a few crappy channels being encrypted (and all PPV/VOD).

[jman98]

I think the DCX3400 does have Firewire output. That would be better than component captures despite being "older".

You didn't say your cable provider or whereabouts you are. I have tested Firewire recording on Shaw in cities in two provinces and it worked well with only a few crappy channels being encrypted (and all PPV/VOD).

While your post is useful to the guy who asked the question, firewire is irrelevant to the Colossus (it can't use it) and the purpose of this thread is not to discuss how to do firewire captures from Canadian cable company PVRs but to talk about the Colossus.

[Brad]

Had I realized he also started a separate topic about his box, I would have ignored the discussion here.

I still think it is worth noting that both component and HDMI capturing will produce a lower quality result than Firewire when it's an option.

[jman98]

I still think it is worth noting that both component and HDMI capturing will produce a lower quality result than Firewire when it's an option.

I call bs on this. Do you even own the Colossus? If you set the bit rate to 5000 or higher what it captures is indistinguishable from the source for cable TV recordings. I defy anyone to compare a firewire capture and a Colossus capture done at 5000 Kbps or higher and to find noticeable differences.

You do get that component is not crap, don't you? It's incredibly high quality, it's just analog.

[Brad]

When the Colossus first came out, the AnandTech reviewer offered an FTP site where he uploaded clips of CableCard recordings and the same thing recorded via component with the Colossus.

Despite the reviewer pushing the bitrate to its max, the component captures were clearly smoothed over. You might even prefer that look, as the CableCard recordings were rife with MPEG-2 macroblocking.

That doesn't change the fact that Firewire and CableCard are the actual signal, and Colossus captures are an imitation of that signal.

[emielch]

Hi,
Does anybody know if the Colossus can be used as a normal video capture device?
I'm trying to use the Colossus as a video source in Resolume, but I can't get any images out of it.
Other capture devices like my webcam or a digital video converter (http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/video-2-pc-mkii) work just fine.

[godai]

hi i just check avermedia website, they release a new firmware for Game Capture HD (its equal of hd pvr of hauppaugge?) can let you pause and keep record like function of vhs

New firmware, new features
The new firmware update for the Game Capture HD makes it the only standalone game recorder solution that allows you to play your games at full frame rate. With both Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 featuring native support for 1080p60 output via their respective component video outputs, you now get the full gaming experience while still being able to record your adventures, races, goals and every other imaginable in-game experience, so you can share it with your friends.
On top of this, the new firmware also brings along the ability to pause and then resume the recording, handy if you want to take a break from your game for a few minutes. What this means is that you now have the ability to continue to record to the same file, saving you time when it comes to editing your videos.


amazing, thing for me its like you skip comercials, why tv cards,capture cards cant make it?

Support for 1080p resolution (60 fps pass-thru and 30fps recording)

Its not amazing. For me Play 60, record 60. This only way.




Claudio

its only works fine with 60fps?

60fps i just read its good for sports specially , i want game capture for directv recordings, i will be fine with 60fps?

[jagabo]

i want game capture for directv recordings, i will be fine with 60fps?

DirecTV will be 720p60 or 1080i30.

[godai]

i want game capture for directv recordings, i will be fine with 60fps?

DirecTV will be 720p60 or 1080i30.

cauptain mention that stables recordings are only via 60-60 , i dont know if recordings will be fine with analog channels, and hd channels when you have a film or other different thing of sports events,

[jman98]

Do note that most TVs available today cannot display 1080p60 so support for this is bleeding edge and right now fairly useless unless you want to watch everything you record this way on a PC.

[jagabo]

i want game capture for directv recordings, i will be fine with 60fps?

DirecTV will be 720p60 or 1080i30.

cauptain mention that stables recordings are only via 60-60 , i dont know if recordings will be fine with analog channels, and hd channels when you have a film or other different thing of sports events,

I believe cauptain is recording 1080p60 gaming output from a game console. As I understand it, no DirecTV broadcasts are 1080p60. And they can't even output 1080p60.

http://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1398/~/1080p-on-directv

[Brad]

Do note that most TVs available today cannot display 1080p60 so support for this is bleeding edge and right now fairly useless unless you want to watch everything you record this way on a PC.

This is very, very wrong. All of the HD game consoles output 1080p60, as did the earliest Blu-ray players that weren't capable of 1080p24 output.

[jagabo]

This is very, very wrong. All of the HD game consoles output 1080p60, as did the earliest Blu-ray players that weren't capable of 1080p24 output.

I don't agree about the earliest Blu-ray players. They only output 1080i30, 30 frames per second with each frame containing two fields, so 60 fields per second. Blu-ray disc doesn't support 1080p60. The only 1920x1080 formats are 1080p24, 1080p25, and 1080i30. The only p60/p50 formats supported is 1280x720.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Video

Of course, most modern Blu-ray players can output 1920x1080p60. But it will either be upscaled 1280x720p60, bobbed 1920x1080i30, or frame duplicated 1920x108024/25.

[jman98]

Do note that most TVs available today cannot display 1080p60 so support for this is bleeding edge and right now fairly useless unless you want to watch everything you record this way on a PC.

This is very, very wrong. All of the HD game consoles output 1080p60, as did the earliest Blu-ray players that weren't capable of 1080p24 output.

You don't understand my point. Perhaps I should have said it differently. jagabo gets what I wanted to say. I meant to say that most TVs cannot display 1080p60 as 1080p60, not that they can't do something with the signal to display it. jagabo's post explains what most TVs do.

[jagabo]

I meant to say that most TVs cannot display 1080p60 as 1080p60, not that they can't do something with the signal to display it.

I disagree with that too. Most modern 1080p HDTV's can display an incoming 1080p60 video as 1080p60 on the screen. Both of our HDTVs do, even the 22 inch Vizio. Older HDTV's didn't support 1080p as in incoming signal.

The real issue is there are very few true 1080p60 sources. Maybe game consoles (though I think most of them are rendering at lower resolutions and upscaling to 1920x1080) and some HD camcorders.

So even though there are few true 1920x1080p60 sources, why would you want a device that can capture 1920x1080p60? Because many devices output only one format. If you set your cable box to output 1920x1080p60, incoming 1920x1080i30 content will be bobbed, 1280x720p60 will be upscaled, 720x480i30 content will be bobbed and upscaled. You could just as well capture each of those sources in their native format but then you'd have to change the cable box's setup for each source, very inconvenient.

[Brad]

I don't agree about the earliest Blu-ray players. They only output 1080i30, 30 frames per second with each frame containing two fields, so 60 fields per second.

I thought they also output 1080p60 by frame duplication, unlike the first HD DVD players that could only do 1080i60. But I defer to you.

Maybe game consoles (though I think most of them are rendering at lower resolutions and upscaling to 1920x1080)

Yeah. There are people who spend their time counting pixels along diagonal lines trying to determine the true rendering resolution. I'm not here to judge.

[jagabo]

I don't agree about the earliest Blu-ray players. They only output 1080i30, 30 frames per second with each frame containing two fields, so 60 fields per second.

I thought they also output 1080p60 by frame duplication

Well, I'm not an expert on early Blu-ray players either. But there were few TVs that accepted 1080p60 input in 2006. So I doubt many players could output 1080p60. 1080p24, yes, then the TV duplicated frames to the panels native 60 Hz.

[godai]

why capture cards, tuner cards dont have pause function for recordings (skip commercials )? i was surprised game capture hd has that function

[chris27]

Hi - I've bought a 32 Flat screen for bedroom and I'm trying to use the Pass-through on the Colossus to display the video. I'm using the long Component lead that came with the Colossus card and I've used the adapter which goes into the AV2 input on the TV but I'm not receiving any picture. I can't fathom what I could be doing wrong because I've connected all the leads correctly. Is there an Component/HDMI adapter option (note not converter) so I can utilise the HDMI inputs on the TV - or I could connect the PC via the TV's DVI input but want to avoid this because that would display the whole of the PC environment and I just want to display the TV source. I appreciate you have to have the PC switched on to display the pass-through but you don't have to open ArcSoft or any other program do you?

[jagabo]

I don't think the passthrough on the Colossus converts component to composite*. It's literally a passthough -- component in, component out.

* An input labeled AV2 is normally composite.

[jman98]

I think jagabo is correct. You can buy a component to composite converter, but the good ones are a little expensive. You do understand that composite video is low quality, right? Even if you get this working by any method, don't expect the output video to look anything like a source over HDMI, DVI or component. And if you stretch a 4:3 composite video to 16:9, it will look just dreadful.

[chris27]

Hi thanks for replies -

This is the TV I got http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/VIERA+Flat+Screen+TV/Smart+VIERA+LED+TV...trackInfo=true

It seems to suggest a shared input for Component and Composite video - so am I right in thinking that if I feed it component it should still display it? That said I cannot see any picture so can't judge if it is component or composite.

Due to it's thin profile they give you an adaptor like so - (attach1)

I plug this into the AV2 input and was hoping to get a picture. I notice that the remote control allows me to select Video or Component but doing both still don't present me with any picture.

The other end I use the cable adaptor that came with colossus... (attach2) I'm always unsure weather this as seated correctly as it doesn't click or let's you know it's in the port, but I've pressed it as firmly as I can and it doesn't pop out or anything.

So I'm a bit stumped. I suppose I could feed a separate HDMI cable from the Tivo box downstairs but I would need to buy a 3-way HDMI splitter and I only just bought the Neet 2-way Splitter a few months ago. Should have done some forward thinking I suppose.

[jagabo]

I think you have it wired up correctly. Try removing the Colossus from the loop. Run a cable (and adapters) directly from your source (cable box? satellite box?) to the HDTV. Be sure you get a picture. Then add the Colossus back into the loop. Have you successfully gotten a picture in the software for the Colossus?

[tigerb]

For those who bought this card, can you please let me know the length of the included cables?

I'm thinking of getting this card instead of the "box" version (HAUPPAUGE HD-PVR). My PC is about 9 feet from my cable box Motorola DCX 3400.

How does the connection actually works? For the "box" version (HAUPPAUGE HD-PVR) I understand that I need to connect the USB port from HAUPPAUGE HD-PVR to any USB port of my PC, but since this card is already inside my PC, no need for USB connection?

Thanks.

[chris27]

I think you have it wired up correctly. Try removing the Colossus from the loop. Run a cable (and adapters) directly from your source (cable box? satellite box?) to the HDTV. Be sure you get a picture. Then add the Colossus back into the loop. Have you successfully gotten a picture in the software for the Colossus?

Thanks, I've got a picture now and it shows simultaneously both via the PC (Arcsoft) and to the TV. It's a very good picture to the TV so I'm happy with it. I can't get no sound though, tried optical out but no luck. Wish there was a way of connecting via HDMI as that carries the sound/video all-in-one. If i'm using a two-way splitter from the cable box downstairs to feed one of the HDMI leads to the Colossus in the upstairs bedroom, could I use another 2-way splitter upstairs to send a direct HDMI signal to the bedroom TV?

[MounaLafi]

Hi everyone,

I bought Colossus model 01414 recently.

I have Sat Box with the following outputs:

Video Out.
Audio Out (Left)
Audio Out (Right)
Digital Audio (Coaxial)
Digital Audio (Optical)

HDMI

As you know the Component Video In for Colossus is (YCrCb), so I connected Video Out Cable between my Sat Box and one of the Video In cables from Colossus (The blue cable namely).

And I connected a Toslink Cable between my Sat Box and Colossus.

I Opened ArcSoft ShowBiz to start capturing.

I picked the AVCHD setting and started to capture.

Everything worked OK and I could even capture over 1 Hour from all the channels SD or HD. It didn't matter.

Also, the Captured Audio was in Dolby 5.0 format.

Now, the problem is although my Sat Box HD setup resolution is set to: 1080i the captured video resolution is set to: 720*576 no matter what I'm doing with the settings.

My question, could this be due to my Sat Box is not having Component Video out (YCrCb) or is it related to something else?

And if I tried to capture through HDMI using HDCP stripper is there going to be any difference.