HDTV capture to PC

[Severian]

Here's my situation: I get Adelphia Digital Cable via a set top box (STB). I'd like to be able to record HDTV broadcasts to my PC. I have a second STB I could put in the cellar, near my cable splitter, and theoretically output the signal from the STB into some sort of capture card for the PC. I'm only interested in capturing HDTV streams, not analog TV.

My question is, is this possible, and what kind of TV/Capture card do you guys recommend for this situation?

I would probably edit the captured file to remove commercials, etc, and possibly compress for archive, if that makes any difference. I'm interested in the highest possible quality video and audio capture.

thanks

 

[MrPickins]

IIRC, video capture cards capable of digital HD input are priced well above what the average consumer would be willing to pay. I'm sure this is due in part to pressure from the MPAA much in the same way they are pushing for HDMI encryption.

A different option that may or may not work for you is a HDTV tuner card for your pc that is capable of a QAM input. Most cable companies use QAM (a type of modulation) for their digital streams, and these type of cards can have the cable plugged directly into them.

The problem is that these cards can only read unencrypted streams, which usually include only the local channels, and possibly any other hd channels that come standard with the digital package (although some companies encrypt all channels). The hi-def HBO, ESPN, etc that cost an additional charge are usually encrypted, and even if you are a subscriber, will be unavailable to the card. If you do plan to go this route, contact your cable co. and ask if they use QAM, and if so, which channels are unencrypted.

As for cards, I went with the DVICO FusionHdtv5. I can't comment on how it does with QAM, other than that it is supposed to support it, but the over the air reception is outstanding.

 

[GimpyFuzznut]

See my problem is my set-top box doesn't have a secondary coaxial/cable output. So my cable goes into the box but I only have component, HDMI/DVI, composite, or S-video output from it. So these capture cards are useless to me unless my cable company does not encrypt the signals which is doubtful. Is there anyway to decrypt QAM signals with software? Not asking for directions - just wondering if it is possible because I'm guessing it is illegal.

I don't have many HDTV channels but my TV is digital so I would like to be able to get a card to capture this stuff and put together a nice HTPC. But this is frustrating because even if I get another set-top box, it might not have a coaxial cable output to put into the card after it the set-top box does the decrypting. And wouldn't the set-top box have to be tuned to the channel that I want to record? So technically, I can't watch TV and record something else at the same time.

 

[Severian]

yep, I'm in the same boat. My Adelphia STB has composite out, and a connector that looks like D-sub. No secondary coaxial out, or even HDMI/DVI.

I wonder how the Hi-Res HDTV rips I see online are captured? These are all 960 x 544, which isn't full HDTV 1080 res, but certainly higher res than 720 x 480 NTSC DVD. They also have the untouched Dolby 5.1 AC3 sound.

There's got to be a way to do it, I just don't know what it is yet.

 

[MrPickins]

The card I was suggesting isn't just a capture card, it also has an actual hdtv tuner built into it. You dont need to plug it into your set top box, just get a cable splitter, and run one to the pc, and one to the STB. The card itself does the function of the set top box. This allows you to watch (or record) two different shows at the same, one on set top box, the other on the PC.

I don't recieve hdtv from my satellite company (I'm cheap ), so for my HTPC, I have a small indoor antenna hooked up so I can receive (as well as time-shift/record) local channels in HD. It works very well, and best of all, the servce is broadcast free over the airwaves.

You really should try to find out if the cable is unencrypted, though. Not all companies pass the local streams thorugh unencrypted, but many do.

 

[SynthDude2001]

If the STB has an unprotected Firewire output, you can often transfer the shows to your PC directly that way. As has been mentioned above, you're out of luck as far as getting premium channels with a PC tuner since they're encrypted 99% of the time (once in a while people get lucky though - but only the HD locals are supposed to be unencrypted).

 

[GimpyFuzznut]

I had read something about using the Firewire port to capture shows but it seems incredibly complicated and I couldn't follow after the first paragraph. And isn't the firewire usually disabled?

As for the card being a tuner card and not a capture card - it isn't going to be much use if you can't actually pickup any channels if they are all encrypted. I'm pretty sure my cable company encrypts pretty much all the channels I get except maybe the most basic basic channels that you get free on analog. So it isn't going to be much use getting it if I can't pick up anything. I pretty much have to use a set-top box.

And I'm also curious as to how the 5.1 sound is usually captured. Will the DVico capture something in 5.1 if it is broadcasted in that?

As for HDTV rips you see on the net - I've seen movies captures in 1080 res. Don't know how it was done.

 

[SLCentral]

FireWire FTW. It's pretty easy to do once you get it set up. Just set aside a few hours.

FireWire is mandated to be activated on all boxes. If it isn't call your cable company.

 

[thatbox]

Those HD programs/movies are typically captured via firewire - it's not as complicated as you may think, and many companies will switch your box out for a firewire-enabled replacement if you ask them, or so I've heard.

Your alternative is (and I'm being pretty sarcastic here - there's not much alternative): http://blackmagic-design.com/products/multibridge/

 

[Severian]

thanks guys for some great info....I'm going to look into the FireWire connection, although I didn't see one on my STB...

 

[GimpyFuzznut]

Anyone got any links to good info on Firewire capture?

I'm also assuming you can't really get typical tuner functionality like setting record times, timeshifting etc or can you? Setting up a IR blaster with the box and recording via firewire would be really nice and save a lot of trouble. No need for a capture card either?

 

[Severian]

finally got my STB with active Firewire ports, I must be the first person in the state to ask for one; I literally had to print out the pages from the FCC web page that proved all cable companies have been required since April 1, 2004, to provide active firewire ports on the STB at consumer request.

This process only seems to work in XP MCE, so I'll be playing around with that.

Gimpy, I have found quite a few helpful forums on this topic, google is your friend here.