Recording an episode for personal use?

[Khaleesi1287]

I know there are TV recorders that cost $200+ on Amazon that I could use to record the episode that I was on, but are there any other more cost-effective methods? The floor here is holding up my iPhone to do it, but I'm trying to decide if there is anything in between. Thanks!

[missykat16]

This was something I went through last year. It depends on what your tv setup is, but you can buy a not too expensive device (HD Homerun Tuner is the one we got) that uses your home wifi network to allow you to watch tv on your computer. From there, programs like VLC or Windows Media Center will allow you to record live tv to your hard drive. We just have an over-the-air antenna, but you can plug a co-ax cable from any source (i.e. cable or satellite) into the device and it should work. Hope this helps!

[triviawayne]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

[bpmod]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

There are two models of HDHomerun. One is used for OTA and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable signals), the other with a cable card. I have 7 of the former connected, allowing me to record up to 28 shows at one time.

Brian

[opusthepenguin]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

There are two models of HDHomerun. One is used for OTA and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable signals), the other with a cable card. I have 7 of the former connected, allowing me to record up to 28 shows at one time.

Goodness! I can't think of a time when I've ever wanted to record more than 18.

I have an HDHomerun device that I use with an antenna. I used to use a Hauppauge device, but it expired just after the warranty did.

[triviawayne]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

There are two models of HDHomerun. One is used for OTA and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable signals), the other with a cable card. I have 7 of the former connected, allowing me to record up to 28 shows at one time.

Brian

I have an episode on my DVR, are you saying I can go from there through co-ax, into the homerun, and then from the homerun into my computer and record that episode I'm playing on the DVR?

[bpmod]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

There are two models of HDHomerun. One is used for OTA and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable signals), the other with a cable card. I have 7 of the former connected, allowing me to record up to 28 shows at one time.

Brian

I have an episode on my DVR, are you saying I can go from there through co-ax, into the homerun, and then from the homerun into my computer and record that episode I'm playing on the DVR?

No. I am saying that one model of HDHR will record through the co-ax coming from your antenna, or through the co-ax from your cable company, provided your cable company does not encrypt the signal. The other model works with a cable card the same way a DVR provided by your cable company does. (Actually, the HDHR doesn't record anything; it only provides the stream for something else (in my case, mythtv) to record.)

I also do not know if there is a model of HDHR that will allow you to record analogue signals. If there is, you could use it to capture the RF output from your DVR (assuming the DVR has one). I would use an ATI or Hauppauge tuner for that. (I also have two ATI and three Hauppauge tuners, each one with both digital and analogue capability, which are no longer being used for the purpose.)

Brian

[Volante]

My DVR takes a co-ax in, records to an external hard drive, and (with the install of a driver) can be mounted to my PC and I can play/copy/manipulate the video file straight off the hard drive.

Course, it's specifically designed for OTA; not sure how it'd handle cable.

[triviawayne]

My DVR is co-ax in.

HDMI , co-ax, or component out.

Component downgrades to SD, but I don't have a way out to record in HD.

mine does not allow for external hard drive.

[boson]

This device won't work if you have a cable box as the box does not output a signal the home run can read.

There are two models of HDHomerun. One is used for OTA and ClearQAM (unencrypted cable signals), the other with a cable card. I have 7 of the former connected, allowing me to record up to 28 shows at one time.

Brian

Brian: do you record off cable in Hamilton? Canada doesn't have the cablecard standard, and I think it is difficult these days to record HD tv off cable here. Isn't almost everything now encrypted?

Thx

[Robert K S]

Component downgrades to SD

And that downgrade happens inside the DVR?

[triviawayne]

Component downgrades to SD

And that downgrade happens inside the DVR?

That is my understanding of it, however I don't have any way of finding out for sure.

I can go from my box to my HDTV with component, but my tv has the ability to receive the signal of the HDCP so it will still be high-def on the display.

I don't have any way to go from my cable box into my computer. On the computer, there is a mini-hdmi port, but that is for output only. My only option is USB.

I'll check the box when I get home to verify my outputs.

[Robert K S]

That is my understanding of it, however I don't have any way of finding out for sure. ... I don't have any way to go from my cable box into my computer.

Clicky

[bpmod]

Component downgrades to SD

And that downgrade happens inside the DVR?

That's also my understanding of it.

I have a media streaming box (MyGica) which is supposed to be able to stream from my MythTV or from the HDHomerun, as well as online stuff like Netflix, Youtube, etc. I haven't yet got it working the way I envisioned, but it outputs HDMI or composite video. I assume it does the downgrading to 480i internally as well.

Brian: do you record off cable in Hamilton?

No. Strictly OTA here. I had subscribed to cable and didn't realize what I was missing until my 30 year old TV went on the fritz and I had to buy a new one. I hooked it up and discovered that my cable company was sending HD unencrypted over the co-ax. I quickly set up a system (slightly pared down from the current one) to record everything, and about 5 months later the cable company changed its policy. They told me that they were switching to digital (of course, everything I had recorded was coming in as digital) and I needed to purchase a box for every device plugged into their system. That box would then convert everything to analogue and output RF channel 3. It was a nightmarish 6 months before I put up an antenna, and I have never looked back.

I also realized upon my switch to OTA that HD over digital cable and HD OTA are not created equal.

Brian

[triviawayne]

That is my understanding of it, however I don't have any way of finding out for sure. ... I don't have any way to go from my cable box into my computer.

Clicky

I was going to bring these up later as this is what I've found. However the copy protection out of the DVR will prevent the use I'm looking for. I understand an HDMI splitter will strip the copyright, so that would have to go in between.

I'm hoping to find something cheaper, but haven't yet. That's just a lot for me to spend to find out my splitter stripping theory doesn't work.

[triviawayne]

I do have component out ability on the DVR.

is there a component to usb cable available? What about software to save to hard drive?

[alietr]

Comcast's X1 service allows you to watch anything on your computer at home. Then all you need is a program to capture the video from that window.

[bpmod]

I do have component out ability on the DVR.

is there a component to usb cable available? What about software to save to hard drive?

I have a composite to USB, but that is SD. I do not know if there is anything similar for component video.

As far as software, there are plenty of options, some free, some inexpensive, and some, well, not so inexpensive. Once you get the hardware figured out, I'll help you with the software.

Brian

[Robert K S]

is there a component to usb cable available?

You need the thing I linked above.

[triviawayne]

I do have component out ability on the DVR.

is there a component to usb cable available? What about software to save to hard drive?

I have a composite to USB, but that is SD. I do not know if there is anything similar for component video.

As far as software, there are plenty of options, some free, some inexpensive, and some, well, not so inexpensive. Once you get the hardware figured out, I'll help you with the software.

Brian

So do you think I'm on the right track with what I've figured out? If you believe I am, I think the software comes with the video capture device. If not, I'll let you know when I bite the bullet and get it.