New to Video Capture - help!

[hodak]

Hi there - just joined a few minutes ago Ok i admit having limited experience/exposure to higher end hardware so do bear with me ya

Currently i am using my old HVR-3000 TV card and using it to capture via S-Video stuff to record off my set top box. The strange thing is when i use the adapter and try capturing from component/composite off the box, either nothing or garbled images turn up. My provider is offering more HD channels soon so i am thinking of moving to HD capture but with component not working i am worried If it helps the box has HDMI/Component/Composite/S-Video outs for video and red/white RCA and optical SPDIF for audio out. Also i have some assumptions but i think it best consulting with you guys if they are flawed?

1. HD capture does not work with S-Video and composite only HDMI/Component? Also up to 720P/1080i for component? I experimented recording the few HD channels to S-Video and just as expected they all turn out SD not HD

2. If the content is encrypted almost all HDMI capture cards have issue so we have to switch to component? I hear the Avermedia C027 highly recommended. How do i even know if stuff off my set top box is encrypted? My country implemented IPTV instead of cable/sat for paid tv so i am at a loss with this

3. Is there are "IPTV tuner" card that works like a cablecard so i could do away with a stb?

Thank you for reading and to anyone who could help me out with these questions

[yoda313]

There is a chance that the analog out might be disabled. At least on things like dvd and bluray players the analog out features are being phased out.

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about that. If component out did work you could use the hauppauge hd pvr to capture at up to 1080i to h264. Usually component shouldn't be encrypted but I think premium content would be even through component - not a 100% sure on that as I don't have anything premium on my cable package.

[hodak]

Thank yoda13 - alternatively do you think i could route HDMI off the box to a HDMI splitter with 2 outputs and feed one to TV and the other to say an Avermedia C027 : would that work?

[yoda313]

The trouble with hdmi is encryption. For unencytped channels sure but sometimes even non premium channels may be encrypted by error and your stuck.

Also its my understanding hdmi capturing is cpu intensive and requires a raid storage system. That may have changed as computers and software get more powerful each generation.

[Guest34343]

Try to troubleshoot the component connection. It shouldn't be producing garbling like you described.

Yes, composite and S-Video are SD only.

[usually_quiet]

Hi there - just joined a few minutes ago Ok i admit having limited experience/exposure to higher end hardware so do bear with me ya

Currently i am using my old HVR-3000 TV card and using it to capture via S-Video stuff to record off my set top box. The strange thing is when i use the adapter and try capturing from component/composite off the box, either nothing or garbled images turn up. My provider is offering more HD channels soon so i am thinking of moving to HD capture but with component not working i am worried If it helps the box has HDMI/Component/Composite/S-Video outs for video and red/white RCA and optical SPDIF for audio out. Also i have some assumptions but i think it best consulting with you guys if they are flawed?

1. HD capture does not work with S-Video and composite only HDMI/Component? Also up to 720P/1080i for component? I experimented recording the few HD channels to S-Video and just as expected they all turn out SD not HD

2. If the content is encrypted almost all HDMI capture cards have issue so we have to switch to component? I hear the Avermedia C027 highly recommended. How do i even know if stuff off my set top box is encrypted? My country implemented IPTV instead of cable/sat for paid tv so i am at a loss with this

3. Is there are "IPTV tuner" card that works like a cablecard so i could do away with a stb?

Thank you for reading and to anyone who could help me out with these questions

1. The HVR-3000 only allows A/V capture from a composite or S-video connection, plus RCA stereo audio. Analog output on some STBs may be disabled when using HDMI. You may need to disconnect HDMI and configure your STB to use analog. Also. if you are using an unpowered component to compsite adapter, it won't work. You need a powered component to composite converter/scaler to convert from HD component to SD composite or S-Video. Here is an example: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10114&cs_id=1011407&p_id=...mat=4#feedback

2. Composite and S-Video are only capable of providing standard definition resolutions. When you move to capturing in high definition you should probably plan on using component video for capture. HDMI output is likely to be HDCP-protected, and virtually all HDMI capture devices are unable to record HDCP protected signals. The Avermedia C027 is one of a handful of capture devices I have heard of that may work for what you want to do (using hacked software), but it uses software for encoding. Software encoding HD content to a highly compressed format in real time requires a fast quad core CPU. Using component video for capture gives you the choice of using a capture device with a hardware encoder, which places no demand on the CPU for encoding.

3. IPTV equipment has to come from your service provider. There is no such thing as a 3rd party IPTV tuner card.

[olyteddy]

There are also capture methods that just grab the original stream. I get my TV from ComCast and have a HDHomerun Prime that decodes and streams cable channels. I admit I'm not familiar with IPTV, what is the set top box and delivery method?

[usually_quiet]

There are also capture methods that just grab the original stream. I get my TV from ComCast and have a HDHomerun Prime that decodes and streams cable channels. I admit I'm not familiar with IPTV, what is the set top box and delivery method?

IPTV is what AT&T U-verse uses as its delivery method. CableCARDs aren't used for IPTV. Plus the only country I know of that uses CableCARDs is the USA, and it sounds like the OP lives in a different country.

[hodak]

2. Composite and S-Video are only capable of providing standard definition resolutions. When you move to capturing in high definition you should probably plan on using component video for capture. HDMI output is likely to be HDCP-protected, and virtually all HDMI capture devices are unable to record HDCP protected signals. The Avermedia C027 is one of a handful of capture devices I have heard of that may work for what you want to do (using hacked software), but it uses software for encoding. Software encoding HD content to a highly compressed format in real time requires a fast quad core CPU. Using component video for capture gives you the choice of using a capture device with a hardware encoder, which places no demand on the CPU for encoding.

Ok that was helpful - alternatively are there software encode where the GPU offloads or does a portion of the work so we dun need quadcores and such? My living room HTPC is just an old Athlon X2 4400+ and a 780G/IGP combo while very silent and cool running, i am hoping to keep cost down while snagging a HD capable capture card

[usually_quiet]

2. Composite and S-Video are only capable of providing standard definition resolutions. When you move to capturing in high definition you should probably plan on using component video for capture. HDMI output is likely to be HDCP-protected, and virtually all HDMI capture devices are unable to record HDCP protected signals. The Avermedia C027 is one of a handful of capture devices I have heard of that may work for what you want to do (using hacked software), but it uses software for encoding. Software encoding HD content to a highly compressed format in real time requires a fast quad core CPU. Using component video for capture gives you the choice of using a capture device with a hardware encoder, which places no demand on the CPU for encoding.

Ok that was helpful - alternatively are there software encode where the GPU offloads or does a portion of the work so we dun need quadcores and such? My living room HTPC is just an old Athlon X2 4400+ and a 780G/IGP combo while very silent and cool running, i am hoping to keep cost down while snagging a HD capable capture card

I can't recall ever seeing an HD capture card that uses GPU assist for real-time software encoding. If you use a HD capture card that does software encoding with that CPU, I'm not sure you could successfully use lossless compression (produces very large files) plus a dedicated capture hard drive to capture in real time, and then encode to H.264 or another highly compressed codec later. An HD capture device that does hardware encoding would be more likely to work and would make capture simpler and easier.

[hodak]

Hmm so best option is just try capturing HD via component/hardware assisted then?

[usually_quiet]

Hmm so best option is just try capturing HD via component/hardware assisted then?

Yes I think an HD capture device that records from component video and uses hardware encoding is the configuration that will work best with the HTPC that you have. Hardware encoding means the capture device contains a chip which does all the actual encoding. All the capture software has to do is write the encoded stream to a file. I would not call it hardware assist, because the CPU is not involved in the encoding process.

Hauppauge makes a couple of HD capture devices (HD-PVR (USB interface) and Colossus (PCI-e interface)) with a built-in component video and audio pass-through, which is nice because it is possible to watch the TV show while it is being recorded. However, you need to know that they aren't designed to be left on all the time. They both need to be power cycled every couple of days. Other solutions require using a component distribution amplifier to split the incoming A/V signal.

[sanlyn]

Hauppauge makes a couple of HD capture devices (HD-PVR (USB interface) and Colossus (PCI-e interface)) with a built-in component video and audio pass-through, which is nice because it is possible to watch the TV show while it is being recorded. However, you need to know that they aren't designed to be left on all the time. They both need to be power cycled every couple of days. Other solutions require using a component distribution amplifier to split the incoming A/V signal.

For the latter, this is the only way to go: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Electronics-AV400COMP-Labs-Switcher/dp/B0009QW4MM

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