Capturing Video from DVR

[Omdeoli]

I have to capture video from my DVR; only option available is the use of composite video connection on the DVR. I will like to capture to my hard drive with a USB connection. I have Intel i5-760 CPU, MSI H55M-E23 motherboard, 3.5 GB DDR3 RAM. I do not have a TV capture card. I tried a device VC-211V, but it did not capture audio.

I plan to convert video to mpg 2 format.

I will appreciate recommendation for a video capture hardware and the related capture software.

Thanks.

[edDV]

I have to capture video from my DVR; only option available is the use of composite video connection on the DVR. I will like to capture to my hard drive with a USB connection. I have Intel i5-760 CPU, MSI H55M-E23 motherboard, 3.5 GB DDR3 RAM. I do not have a TV capture card. I tried a device VC-211V, but it did not capture audio.

I plan to convert video to mpg 2 format.

I will appreciate recommendation for a video capture hardware and the related capture software.

Thanks.

Who it the cable/sat provider and DVR model number?

Many of these boxes allow streaming the output over analog component, HDMI or IEEE-1394 but the provider can selectively turn these features off in their firmware. HDMI will be HDCP enabled in most cases. There is no USB file copy and even if there were, most providers encrypt the files on the disk.

In most cases the video is already MPeg2 except Dish/DirectTV which store HD as encrypted MPeg4.

[Omdeoli]

Thanks for your quick response.

Cable provider is Verizon and DVR is Motorola 7232. Verizon did not disable video composite output, all others (s-video, USB) are disabled. Using the USB capture device I bought ( VC-211V), which does not require video capture card on the computer, I connected red, white and yellow cables to DVR and USB to the PC. I was able to get video and audio but audio was of very poor quality. Probably the issue was slow processor on my laptop. I wanted to use my desktop but had problem with installing the driver, Arc Soft showbiz DVD, which has the driver. This software came with the hardware. I could not get any support from ARC Soft and I want to use another device which is more reliable with good technical support.

Thanks.

[edDV]

Composite (Yellow-Red-White) is lowest standard def video and audio. Surprised they turned off S-Video.

There are many reliable composite capture devices. Best quality is probably the ATI 650 with 3D comb filter.
http://www.amd.com/us/products/pctv/tv-wonder-tuners/Pages/tv-wonder-hd-650-pci-ntsc-atsc.aspx
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2028

Hauppauge also has good cards.

[hech54]

My Kabel Deutschland box is also pretty handicapped. The only way "out" is the SCART connection...and maybe the RCA connection(haven't checked it yet....my Hauppauge card only accepts s-video).

[sanlyn]

Thanks for your quick response.

Cable provider is Verizon and DVR is Motorola 7232. Verizon did not disable video composite output, all others (s-video, USB) are disabled. Using the USB capture device I bought ( VC-211V), which does not require video capture card on the computer, I connected red, white and yellow cables to DVR and USB to the PC. I was able to get video and audio but audio was of very poor quality. Probably the issue was slow processor on my laptop. I wanted to use my desktop but had problem with installing the driver, Arc Soft showbiz DVD, which has the driver. This software came with the hardware. I could not get any support from ARC Soft and I want to use another device which is more reliable with good technical support.

Thanks.

I hear the capture device you're using has poor audio anyway.

I, too, am surprised Verizon turned off every output except composite. Then again, not really -- I'm seldom surprised by anything Verizon does or doesn't do. I'm also surprised you were able to capture anything, as many cable broadcasts are single-use copy protected.

When this DVR is connected to your TV, what output do you use to view recordings? Most Verizon DVR's I've seen will connect the incoming cable to the box, then to the DVR, then to TV with an RG-6 or RG-59 RF cable (the absolute worst, even worse than composite!).

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for your quick response.

Cable provider is Verizon and DVR is Motorola 7232. Verizon did not disable video composite output, all others (s-video, USB) are disabled. Using the USB capture device I bought ( VC-211V), which does not require video capture card on the computer, I connected red, white and yellow cables to DVR and USB to the PC. I was able to get video and audio but audio was of very poor quality. Probably the issue was slow processor on my laptop. I wanted to use my desktop but had problem with installing the driver, Arc Soft showbiz DVD, which has the driver. This software came with the hardware. I could not get any support from ARC Soft and I want to use another device which is more reliable with good technical support.

Thanks.

According to Motorola, the 7232 HD DVR is supposed to have component, S-Video, Composite, FireWire (IEEE-1394), and HDMI connections for video. It's possible that the component and S-Video ports won't work whenever the DVR settings have been configured to use HDMI for output. Verizon can also legally disable all analog video output for some programming, like on-demand movies that have not yet been released on disc. However, it would be very odd if both component, and S-Video are deliberately disabled for all programming, all the time, even when the DVR is set up to use them, and not HDMI, for output. I would talk to Verizon and find out what is going on if the component and S-Video ports are always disabled.

USB ports on a cable DVR or STB are usually for service, or reserved for some hypothetical "future use" such as a game controller or keyboard, that hasn't yet been implimented and probably never will be. The other hypothetical "future use" for USB and SATA ports on cable DVRs is for expansion HDDs, but I have not heard of that function being utilized for them.

The FCC mandates working FireWire (IEEE-1394) ports on all cable HD DVRs, and this regulation does apply to Verizon FIOS as well. See the third paragraph from the pottom of this page. http://sujan.hallikainen.org/FCC/FccRules/2005/76/640/

However, if you want to record something other than your local broadcasts using FireWire, you may be out of luck. Cable providers are only required to provide unprotected FireWire output for programming originating from your local over-the-air stations. They are allowed copy protect FireWire output for everything else if they want to.

If your cable company has the FireWire port completely disabled and you want to use it, you can request that they correct that situation to comply with FCC regulations. If they refuse you can can lodge a complaint with your local cable franchise authority (usually listed on your monthly bill).

It is easy to add a FireWire port to a desktop if there is a free PCI expansion slot, and CapDVHS is free software that works for capturing output from a DVR which is not copy protected.

Software encoding is not good when using an underpowered laptop, and most USB capture devices rely on software encoding. PC-compatible USB capture devices that do hardware MPEG2 encoding are few. ATI's TV Wonder 650 devices do hardware MPEG2 encoding, but went out of production last year. (Although they may still turn up on eBay and elsewhere sometimes.) Tech support from AMD/ATI, Diamond or Visiontech for these products is not likely be good, especially at this point, but there are quite a few members here at VideoHelp who have one, as I do.

ATI's current TV Wonder 750 devices don't do hardware MPEG2 encoding and are not as well liked as their earlier TV Wonder products, but may be OK for your desktop.

There are still a few TV tuner cards with a PCI or PCI-E interface for use with a desktop that have capture capability and can do hardware MPEG2 encoding.

[Omdeoli]

Thank you very much for the information. There is enough information here for me to proceed further.

[lacywest]

On my Directv HR10-250 ... I have all video outputs available but if I want to capture from S-Video ... I have to change the video out to 480p

[sanlyn]

According to Motorola, the 7232 HD DVR is supposed to have component, S-Video, Composite, FireWire (IEEE-1394), and HDMI connections for video. It's possible that the component and S-Video ports won't work whenever the DVR settings have been configured to use HDMI for output.

Right, usually_quiet. That's true of many cable sets.