Do Antenna TV channels have hdcp?

[ezcapper]

Thinking of replacing my antenna passthrough box with one that has hdmi output. Will the hdmi output have hdcp, or can I hook it up to my video capture card through hdmi with no restrictions. I get ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS, CW, and a religious channel. Thanks

[redwudz]

AFAIK, only some of the premium cable channels use HDCP, such as HBO. This doesn't mean you may not have problems with HDMI/HDCP with some combinations of devices, but not likely.

[ezcapper]

Great, thanks for the help!

[usually_quiet]

Thinking of replacing my antenna passthrough box with one that has hdmi output. Will the hdmi output have hdcp, or can I hook it up to my video capture card through hdmi with no restrictions. I get ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS, CW, and a religious channel. Thanks

HDCP is unlikely, but it will ultimately depend on the OTA TV box you get.

[jagabo]

Why would you capture OTA TV via HDMI? You can use a capture device with an ATSC tuner and download the broadcast stream directly.

[usually_quiet]

Why would you capture OTA TV via HDMI? You can use a capture device with an ATSC tuner and download the broadcast stream directly.

True, and he wouldn't even need a PC TV tuner device. Some of the new inexpensive ATSC TV boxes with HDMI out even allow recording to an attached hard drive (purchased separately), and the resulting recordings are easily copied since they are not encrypted.

My guess is he wants a quick way to get recordings in H.264 format with AAC audio in an mp4 container.

[nic2k4]

I don't think it gets any easier and quicker than an HW150PVR and Video Container Changer.

[usually_quiet]

I don't think it gets any easier and quicker than an HW150PVR and Video Container Changer.

How do you figure that? If someone wanted H.264 and AAC in an MP4 container, recording with a Mediasonic hw-150pvr, and then converting the recording from MPEG-2 and AC3 in a TS container to H.264 and AAC in an MP4 container is bound to take more time than capturing directly to the desired end format with an HDMI capture device while the program is being aired.

[nic2k4]

Fair enough, but having the flexibility to do the job when you want has it's advantages. In this case MKV is the better container, all that's needed is a demux/remux with no change to the original.

[usually_quiet]

Fair enough, but having the flexibility to do the job when you want has it's advantages. In this case MKV is the better container, all that's needed is a demux/remux with no change to the original.

So tell me, how the job is not being done when someone wants it done if that person prefers H.264 and AAC audio to the original MPEG-2 video and AC3 audio, and wants the conversion to be finished as soon as the broadcast is completed? Some people put speed and convenience ahead of other considerations and would use an HDMI capture device for that reason.

Many people must prefer using an mp4 container. The designers of HD capture devices didn't arbitrarily decided to provide the mp4 container as an option.

[nic2k4]

I'm not contesting any of that. Sure, if you want your MP4 ready the moment the broadcast is done go ahead and capture it. I'm not going to speak of others preferences, but I like to get rid of the commercials. If I happen to be watching while I'm recording I'll stop and restart the recording to simplify editing them out. If I'm out or it's late at night I won't do that, but I have the broadcast in its original format. Should I want to convert it to MP4, I can start the conversion when I get up and have it run while I'm taking a shower and having breakfast. OTH, if it has to be encoded through a capture device the HW150 has an HDMI output, so go ahead and connect it to the HDMI capture device, record the playback and if for some reason (BSOD, setting error...) the capture has to be re-done, don't fret.

Of course you're right, everybody is free to choose their container. Just keep in mind that the technology is evolving. My Eureka HDD media player works great with Xvid AVI DVD conversions, but can't handle MKV's. My $100 Android tablet plays both without a itch, pair it with a Chromecast... As a bonus I can still use the Eureka as an external HDD with the tablet. I know it would handle MP4's just as well, but with my current hardware a demuxed m2ts remuxed to MKV makes more sense (even if it's not required, VLC on the tablet plays m2ts just fine). That doesn't mean I'm gonna start converting DVD's to MKV even though a container conversion wouldn't be that much work. You could argue that I'm creating files that are needlessly large, I look at it as quality over quantity, storage is dirt cheap, 32GB SD cards go for $13 and HDD's average 40 cents per GB. Besides, I have no intentions of distributing any, they don't need to be small.

Reminds me of fifteen years ago when capture was the only way to get any video digitized, I was hacking DVD players to be able to record off the output. The big idea was to record back to DVD and make road trip compilations for the kids, then FLASK came about (actually DVDshrink really made the difference).

[usually_quiet]

My point is not everyone is like you (or me either) and others have their own reasons for NOT doing things the same way you do them. Some of those reasons may even be practical ones. If you haven't figured that out yet, I pity you.

[Cornucopia]

Back to the original poster's question: my guess is that even though HDCP should NOT exist on the HDMI output from receivers receiving OTA/FTA and unencrypted, "copy=OK" channels, it is a good bet that they have erred on the side of restrictions (either by being technically lazy or by being overly politically cautious or both). So some things MIGHT work, but lots probably WON'T.

Scott