What can I do with a DirecTV DVR?

[pstrom]

Before the 3Net channel died, I recorded a lot of 3D shows. I intend to drop DTV as soon as my contract is up, and I understand I can keep the HR24-200 DVR receiver for the no-return fee of $135. They tell me, though, that I will not be able to watch those shows without being on DTV. Is this true? Is there some sort of workaround? Is this DVR useful for anything at all after I cut the cord -- can it be used like a Tivo -- is there any point in keeping it?

[ezcapper]

hdmi clonerbox from amazon.com, along with the firmware upgrade from the cloneralliance website, will let you watch the shows on your computer.

edit: sorry, missed the part where the shows were in 3d

[usually_quiet]

Before the 3Net channel died, I recorded a lot of 3D shows. I intend to drop DTV as soon as my contract is up, and I understand I can keep the HR24-200 DVR receiver for the no-return fee of $135. They tell me, though, that I will not be able to watch those shows without being on DTV. Is this true? Is there some sort of workaround? Is this DVR useful for anything at all after I cut the cord -- can it be used like a Tivo -- is there any point in keeping it?

I have read that once a newer DirecTV receiver is deactivated it is indeed rendered useless, even for watching previously recorded programming. This confirms it. http://forums.directv.com/thread/11255149

The DVR can't be reactivated by you and can't used for anything other than DirecTV, so you cannot use it to record over-the-air TV or cable TV like a TiVo. I would say that it isn't worth keeping.

Since the recordings you want to keep are in 3D, there is unfortunately no way to make copies by re-recording them with an HDMI capture device. (At least nobody here has said they were doing it with a consumer HDMI capture card.)

If you are going to record over-the-air TV, there are other recording options in addition to TiVo. Members here with ChannelMaster DVR+ seem to like them. I use a PC TV card and my PC for recording TV with PVR software. There are also a few cheap boxes with simple VCR-like timer-based recording (no guide) that record to an external hard drive.

[pstrom]

That's very disappointing, but thanks for the information. I explored the Cloneralliance website and found not a single mention of 3D, and a couple of hours on Google have produced nothing useful. What a waste. There are some wonderful 3d travel documentaries and nature programs in that box that are no longer available anywhere. DirecTV has done everything possible to cripple the DVR when not collecting outrageous fees so as to make leaving difficult; what they've accomplished is to guarantee that I, for one, will NEVER be back.

[ezcapper]

Before the 3Net channel died, I recorded a lot of 3D shows. I intend to drop DTV as soon as my contract is up, and I understand I can keep the HR24-200 DVR receiver for the no-return fee of $135. They tell me, though, that I will not be able to watch those shows without being on DTV. Is this true? Is there some sort of workaround? Is this DVR useful for anything at all after I cut the cord -- can it be used like a Tivo -- is there any point in keeping it?

This device claims to do 3d, but it would be a huge risk to pay $125 to find out if they are lying.
grabbee hd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-HDMI-to-USB-Blu-ray-DVR-Video-Capture-Card-Grabb...item1c421507ce

[jagabo]

What do you see when you play a 3d recording on a TV that doesn't support 3d? Side by side images? Top/bottom images? Interlaced images? You should be able to record any of those with any HDMI recording device (you may need an HDCP stripper). On playback you might have to manually set the TV into 3d mode.

<edit>

I've read that 3net used side-by-side format.

[pstrom]

Before the 3Net channel died, I recorded a lot of 3D shows. I intend to drop DTV as soon as my contract is up, and I understand I can keep the HR24-200 DVR receiver for the no-return fee of $135. They tell me, though, that I will not be able to watch those shows without being on DTV. Is this true? Is there some sort of workaround? Is this DVR useful for anything at all after I cut the cord -- can it be used like a Tivo -- is there any point in keeping it?

This device claims to do 3d, but it would be a huge risk to pay $125 to find out if they are lying.
grabbee hd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-HDMI-to-USB-Blu-ray-DVR-Video-Capture-Card-Grabb...item1c421507ce

Thanks, ezcapper. Found it for $99.95 on Amazon, but feedback on it was generally not great. Keeping it on file, but still looking.

[pstrom]

What do you see when you play a 3d recording on a TV that doesn't support 3d? Side by side images? Top/bottom images? Interlaced images? You should be able to record any of those with any HDMI recording device (you may need an HDCP stripper). On playback you might have to manually set the TV into 3d mode.

<edit>

I've read that 3net used side-by-side format.

I've only seen it on a Vizio HDTV M701n ever on a non-supporting TV. To see in 3D requires passive glasses -- the same kind you get for 3D in a theater. Without glasses, the screen shows what looks at a glance like a single fuzzy image, actually two images (interlaced?) which are then separated into left and right by the polarized lenses. The TV displays a choice of watching in 2D or 3D and if you don't make a choice in a few seconds, it automatically switches to 3D mode.

So, are you suggesting that I could use the clonerbox to transfer 3D content from the DTV DVR to my PC (possibly with an HDCP stripper), and then burn it to a watchable 3D Blu-ray disk?

[jagabo]

So, are you suggesting that I could use the clonerbox to transfer 3D content from the DTV DVR to my PC (possibly with an HDCP stripper), and then burn it to a watchable 3D Blu-ray disk?

Yes. Though you may need the software to convert from side-by-side format to Blu-ray MVC format.

There are several different ways HDMI can carry 3d. It sounds to me like 3net used half width side-by-side format. Ie the 1920x1080 frame packed two 960x1080 images side-by-side. In that case the HDMI signal is no different than a 2d video, it just has a flag telling the TV to switch to 3d mode.

[pstrom]

So, are you suggesting that I could use the clonerbox to transfer 3D content from the DTV DVR to my PC (possibly with an HDCP stripper), and then burn it to a watchable 3D Blu-ray disk?

Yes. Though you may need the software to convert from side-by-side format to Blu-ray MVC format.

There are several different ways HDMI can carry 3d. It sounds to me like 3net used half width side-by-side format. Ie the 1920x1080 frame packed two 960x1080 images side-by-side. In that case the HDMI signal is no different than a 2d video, it just has a flag telling the TV to switch to 3d mode.

Thanks, jagabo, but not sure I understand. Without glasses, I've never seen two separate and distinct side-by-side images. What I see is the same as with 3D movies in theaters -- both L and R images each occupying the full screen together. That said, if I do need the conversion software, what is it called and can you tell me where to look for it? I have Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate -- would that do it?

[jagabo]

Thanks, jagabo, but not sure I understand. Without glasses, I've never seen two separate and distinct side-by-side images.

How the 3d video is transmitted to the TV is separate from how the TV presents the video to you:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/3d.aspx

In the case of half width side-by-side 3d two full width images are squeezed to half width and stacked side-by-side for transmission to the TV. On receipt of the signal the TV separates the two half width images, scales them back to full width, then presents them on the screen for the polarized glasses.

[Krispy Kritter]

So $135 for the DVR plus $99 for the capture card = $234+

How many of those movies do you actually have recorded and actually want/need to keep that can't simply be purchased for $234+?

[pstrom]

Thanks, jagabo, but not sure I understand. Without glasses, I've never seen two separate and distinct side-by-side images.

How the 3d video is transmitted to the TV is separate from how the TV presents the video to you:

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/3d.aspx

In the case of half width side-by-side 3d two full width images are squeezed to half width and stacked side-by-side for transmission to the TV. On receipt of the signal the TV separates the two half width images, scales them back to full width, then presents them on the screen for the polarized glasses.

Obviously, posting in the Newbie group was the right choice for me. I appreciate your patience. So, I understand that, with the cloner device, and maybe the stripper, I can get the content from the DTV's proprietary DVR to a hard drive in my computer in MPEG4 format with H.264 encoding. I may be able to burn that to a Blu-ray 3D DVD, or it may need conversion first. Is this the app I'd need for that?
http://www.3dtv.at/Products/MvcConverter/Index_en.aspx
Seems a bit pricy at 29 euros; are you aware of a freeware version?

[pstrom]

So $135 for the DVR plus $99 for the capture card = $234+

How many of those movies do you actually have recorded and actually want/need to keep that can't simply be purchased for $234+?

Excellent question, Krispy. Actually, once I get the content transferred I'll have no further use for the DVR and DirecTV is welcome to it back. So far it seems I'll need the Clonerbox ($125) and maybe a conversion app (about $33), plus a Blu-Ray burner ($23), and the disks. Still running about $200. The problem is that 3Net is defunct and the 25-30 hours of programs I recorded and would hate to lose don't seem to be available anywhere anymore.

[usually_quiet]

A new Blu-Ray burner costs more than $23. More like $50-$60. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136250

Good media, Verbatim BD-R non-LTH, costs around $1 per disc in bulk. http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Blu-ray-Recordable-25-Disc-97457/dp/B00471HK0Q/

[pstrom]

Thanks to all who tried to help, but it's time for me to give up on this. Here's my exchange with the manufacturer of Clonerbox:

>I'll be dropping satellite TV soon and want to preserve the shows
>I've recorded on DirecTV's HR24-200 DVR receiver - ESPECIALLY the 3D
>programs recorded from the 3Net channel before it ceased operation
>last year. Will this product allow me to transfer or capture those
>shows so that I can view them in 3D on my 3D TV, or so that I can
>burn them to 3D Blu-Ray disks?

Thank you for contacting ClonerAlliance Inc. support team.

HDMI-Cloner Box supports to record video from DVR receiver. The recorded
video is MP4 format, and it can be played on any device.

The recorded video is not the 3D format. You can't make a 3D Blu-ray disc.

HDMI-Cloner Helper is the bonus software of HDMI-Cloner Box Suite, which
enables you to burn the video files to DVD/Blu-ray movie discs for play back
on DVD/Blu-ray Player.

DTV has won this battle. But I'll win the war by cutting the cord the day my contract expires. The NFL games that matter to me are all on the local over-the-air channels that I pick up very well. Whatever else I want is available on Netflix and Hulu.

[jagabo]

The recorded video is not the 3D format. You can't make a 3D Blu-ray disc.

They're probably wrong. Or just don't want to deal with explaining how to do it.

[pstrom]

The recorded video is not the 3D format. You can't make a 3D Blu-ray disc.

They're probably wrong. Or just don't want to deal with explaining how to do it.

I suspect you're right. On the other hand, in this whole thread, and in all the other references Google has turned up, there have been a number of suggestions that seem reasonable, but not one person has said, "Yes, I have actually done it. Here's what works."

I have finally found a source (http://www.bigmoviezone.com/store/) for some of the titles I want, and it appears that I'll be able to find more. Unless I stumble upon an affordable, proven, way to preserve what's on the DVR before it goes back to DTV, I'll put my time and money into just buying these disks.

[usually_quiet]

I have finally found a source (http://www.bigmoviezone.com/store/) for some of the titles I want, and it appears that I'll be able to find more. Unless I stumble upon an affordable, proven, way to preserve what's on the DVR before it goes back to DTV, I'll put my time and money into just buying these disks.

If you can buy these titles at a reasonable price, that is indeed the easiest solution.