Capturing shows from Bell Fibe PVR

[eday_2010]

I switched back to Bell Canada for services since they installed fibre to the home in our area and were offering very enticing deals. I am currently subscribed to Adult Swim and they are currently airing The Super Dave Osbourne Show and I want to be able to save them permanently on my computer.

The PVR is the 9500 HD PVR (Arris VIP5662W), which I can also access through the MyBell app and through the tv.bell.ca website. I know I can't just take the hard drive out of the PVR and copy the files, and downloading them through the website one way or another most likely won't work, or will probably be too complicated for me to figure out since I am not someone in "the scene" of capturing and sharing media. I know FFMPEG can grab web streams as I used that method for This Old House, but I don't know anything about from a PVR or PVR site.

I assume the easiest way is with a video capture card. I have never used one, so I don't know which one would be suitable and what's the best way and least time consuming way to get the episodes onto my computer. I am hoping someone here can give me a little advice on how to save these shows for posterity.

[october262]

the files stored on the PVR would most likely be encrypted.

[eday_2010]

I know, and I am assuming breaking that encryption takes some serious know-how if it's even possible. Video capture card seems to be the only real way to get these shows. I just need some advice from people who have gone this route on what I need and what I need to do.

[eday_2010]

No one has any suggestions or advice?

[october262]

No one has any suggestions or advice?

you might be able to copy the recordings to an external HDD - https://support.bell.ca/tv/receivers/9500_hd_pvr_receiver.how_to_transfer_content_from...my_pvr_onto_an

[usually_quiet]

No one has any suggestions or advice?

you might be able to copy the recordings to an external HDD - https://support.bell.ca/tv/receivers/9500_hd_pvr_receiver.how_to_transfer_content_from...my_pvr_onto_an

This feature is in line with what other satellite receivers allow. Essentially, the external drive permits users to expand storage but the transferred recordings will still be tied to the PVR that made them, encrypted and unavailable to other devices.

[eday_2010]

That's the main hurdle, which is to be expected. Apparently this thing will work just fine for recording from the PVR to my computer: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B087C3NG9W/

[usually_quiet]

I know, and I am assuming breaking that encryption takes some serious know-how if it's even possible. Video capture card seems to be the only real way to get these shows. I just need some advice from people who have gone this route on what I need and what I need to do.

Since this receiver has HDMI as its sole HD-capable video output, and that HDMI output supports 4K with HDR, capture may be difficult. Your PVR's HDMI output is probably HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2.

You need an HD capture device that accepts HDMI input and an HDMI splitter that removes HDCP as a side effect to capture HD video from the HDMI port on your DVR.

7 years ago, I captured HD video from my US cable box's HDMI output, which was only capable of supplying HD video, at most. There were HDMI 1.3 splitters then that could remove HDCP 1.2 although I don't know what current models do this and I don't know if one of those would allow you to capture HD video from your PVR and connect the PVR to your TV.

[usually_quiet]

That's the main hurdle, which is to be expected. Apparently this thing will work just fine for recording from the PVR to my computer: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B087C3NG9W/

I wouldn't be so sure. Typically, you get what you pay for and some reports I have seen about similar devices were not encouraging.

The device only supports 1080p at 30fps, so if you want to try one anyway and your PVR can be configured to output 720p60, recording at 720p60 is probably your best option. Your PC will need to encode the video so I hope it can use hardware assisted encoding for AVC/h.264 to reduce the burden placed on the CPU.

[sum_guy]

I have one of those USB capture dongles, not the one posted but, similar, also purchased on Amazon, I have it connected to a Roku 3 (1080) and it captures just fine with OBS. Mine accepts 4k input and outputs 1080, works perfectly. If you go this route, it won't be an expensive endeavor.

Mine has the same specifications as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Maomaoyu-Extension-Cable%EF%BC%8CInput-Broadcast-Camera%EF%BC%8..._t3_B08YRWB7VD

[eday_2010]

The show I want is one from the 80s/90s, so it's only 480p. Recording at 720/60 will be more than adequate. These devices are cheap enough that is they don't work its not a huge deal. Better than spending $100 or more and not having it work.

[eday_2010]

I have one of those USB capture dongles, not the one posted but, similar, also purchased on Amazon, I have it connected to a Roku 3 (1080) and it captures just fine with OBS. Mine accepts 4k input and outputs 1080, works perfectly. If you go this route, it won't be an expensive endeavor.

Mine has the same specifications as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Maomaoyu-Extension-Cable%EF%BC%8CInput-Broadcast-Camera%EF%BC%8..._t3_B08YRWB7VD

I ordered this one. It works to capture video in OBS Studio. The problem is I cannot get it to produce or output sound. Did you have any problems with this?

[sum_guy]

I did have issues initially getting sound, I'm sorry I don't remember what I did to remedy it. I'll look at my config when I get home from work tonight and get back to you.

[eday_2010]

I did have issues initially getting sound, I'm sorry I don't remember what I did to remedy it. I'll look at my config when I get home from work tonight and get back to you.

Thanks! Windows itself said the thing was not producing sound.

[sum_guy]

What version of Windows are you running, I'm on Windows 11 so my advice could be different from what you need

[eday_2010]

I am on Windows 10.

[sum_guy]

In Windows, Open the Volume Mixer settings, make sure your "Input Device" is set to your capture dongle and not a webcam etc.


[Attachment 62878 - Click to enlarge]

[eday_2010]

I did all that already. Tried two computers and they both set the USB capture device as the default input when it's plugged in. I'm wondering if I got a dud. I have another computer I can try it on before sending it back and trying a different one.

[usually_quiet]

I did all that already. Tried two computers and they both set the USB capture device as the default input when it's plugged in. I'm wondering if I got a dud. I have another computer I can try it on before sending it back and trying a different one.

Most HDMI capture devices can only capture 2-channel LPCM. Is the satellite receiver set cable box up to output 2-channel LPCM over HDMI?

[sum_guy]

This is how I have OBS setup


[Attachment 62886 - Click to enlarge]

[eday_2010]

Most HDMI capture devices can only capture 2-channel LPCM. Is the satellite receiver set cable box up to output 2-channel LPCM over HDMI?

Dang, good point. I hadn't even considered that. The Bell receiver is set to output surround sound. I'll have to change it to stereo and try it again.

[eday_2010]

No luck with changing the receiver output to stereo. I might try capturing from something else like the Nvidia Shield before I return it and try something else.

[october262]

No luck with changing the receiver output to stereo. I might try capturing from something else like the Nvidia Shield before I return it and try something else.

are you getting any sound if you use headphones ??
try right clicking your windows 10 speaker icon - click open volume mixer - make sure obs isn't muted there.

[eday_2010]

There is no sound at all. In OBS when I select the capture device as the audio source there is nothing coming through. The green indicator line that moves when there is sound is not doing anything. Windows 10 Also says it is not getting any sound from the device when I test it in the sound settings.

I am returning this gadget to Amazon and and looking at getting something else. Someone said they had success using this Foscomax capture device to grab something off their satellite receiver. Has anyone used this one before? Or anything on this search page that isn't a $20 HDMI to USB dongle?

[usually_quiet]

I found this advice in a review for another device similar to the one you are returning:

Just a tip to any OBS noobs out there like me. If you don’t hear the audio, you have to enable audio monitoring. To use the Audio Monitoring feature, click Edit -> Advanced Audio Properties and set Audio Monitoring to either Monitor Only, or Monitor and Output. This device is plug and play for windows. I was able to use my Nintendo switch with my laptop screen with this dongle.

[eday_2010]

I'll keep that in mind when I pick up a different device. Hopefully it will work better then the one I just sent back.

[cottage]

The problem is that HDMI has copy protection and you need to remove the protection and convert to USB to make a copy.

Here's what I have done. It's not cheap but it works well.

-HDMI output to HD Fury X3 (to convert HDMI to component with DD 5.1)
https://hdfury.com/product/hd-fury-x3/
-HD Fury X3 output to Hauppauge 1212 (converts component input to USB input to computer)
https://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_hdpvr.html
-USB output from Hauppauge 1212 to USB input on computer
Hauppauge capture software to record audio and video on computer

There are many other cheaper HDMI to component converters and I've tried a couple but they didn't pass through DD 5.1.

[eday_2010]

The show I am capturing is stereo at best, so I am not worried about 5.1. I am not sure I am willing to spend that much to capture The Super Dave Osborne Show...

[eday_2010]

So I purchased two more devices to try. One is the Guermok Audio Video Capture Card and the other is the DIGITNOW USB 3.0 HDMI HD Game Video Capture Card. Both behave the same way as the previous one. It captured video but there was no audio. When checking the audio devices in Windows, the DigitNow one actually showed some activity on the input, getting up to a whopping 14% in volume. But the captured video had no sound.

Screen capture software on my computer captured audio but no video. It looks like there is no easy solution for capturing shows from the Bell Fibe PVR that doesn't require an expensive solution. I wish I knew someone who knows how to do this sort of stuff.

[jagabo]

So I purchased two more devices to try. One is the Guermok Audio Video Capture Card and the other is the DIGITNOW USB 3.0 HDMI HD Game Video Capture Card. Both behave the same way as the previous one.

Of course. They're all the same device inside the plastic shell.

You can capture video and audio with those devices with ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -y -f dshow -rtbufsize 1G -rtbufsize 1G -show_video_device_dialog true -show_video_crossbar_connection_dialog true -video_size 1280x720 -framerate 60.00 -i video="USB Video":audio="Digital Audio Interface (USB Digital Audio)" ^
-c:v copy -c:a copy output.mkv

If those audio and video devices don't work use this to get a list of devices:

ffmpeg -list_devices true -f dshow -i dummy

Then substitute those devices on the previous command line.

That captures directly to a file with no preview. You will get an MKV file with MJPEG encoded video, and uncompressed 48KHz 2 channel audio. Both audio channels are identical so you will have mono sound. The device is incapable of capturing true stereo.

You can view the incoming video with:

ffmpeg -y -f dshow -rtbufsize 1G -show_video_device_dialog true -show_video_crossbar_connection_dialog true -video_size 1280x720 -framerate 60.0 -i video="USB Video":audio="Digital Audio Interface (USB Digital Audio)" ^
-c:v rawvideo -c:a pcm_s16le -f nut - | "ffplay.exe" -

It's also possible to re-encode the video to a more compressed codec on the fly. Though you may get dropped frames and A/V sync problems. It's better to capture MJPEG then convert later.