Can you copy items from a HD DVR to a DVD?

Discussion in 'Video problems with Mac' started by steelhd87, Jan 23, 2006.

  1. steelhd87

    steelhd87 Member

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    I have a Time Warner HD DVR. I recorded the AFC Championship with my be-loved Steelers being victorious.

    I would love to get that on disc using my G4 with external firewire Sony dual layer burner. I use Toast Titanium 7. I think it is 7, can't look right now.

    Help?
     
  2. tmydee

    tmydee Member

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    Hi steelhd87,

    Did you ever figure out a way to transfer that HD game to DVD? I wouldn't care if it's on 8 DVDs. You see, I inadvertently zapped this game from my PVR, and it's the only game I'm missing from my planned Steelers Post-Season Replay Marathon Party next weekend where I was going to play each game back-to-back in HD.

    I'm desperate for still finding a way to show that game in HD and would be grateful for any help you or anyone else could give me.

    Thanks,
    Tim
     
  3. steelhd87

    steelhd87 Member

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    tmy,

    No I have not. I also inadvertently erased the Superbowl!!

    I am really pissed. Now I don't have the Indy game or the SB!

    If I figure anything out, I will post it for you. You do the same K?
     
  4. thelox714

    thelox714 Regular member

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  5. siblyn

    siblyn Member

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    Don't know your specific unit - but if you download FirewireSDK from apple developer support, it includes freebies like AVCbrowser, AVCvideocap, virtualDVHS etc. Assuming your DVR unit has a firewire port enabled (my comcast motorola has one), you can hook up your mac by firewire and AVCbrowser now should be able to identify it, and AVCvideocap should be able to record mpeg2 streams when you play back your content on your DVR. Just to rub it again, 1 min of Hi def content will be about 120MB. And for playback on a standard dvd player you would have to edit it, which will be a very processor intensive task as well. My mac mini 1.4ghz records stunning quality hi definition content in real time without dropping a single frame! The best part is you can schedule it work like a PVR, it can change the channel of your cable box at a particular time to record a particular show and stop at a particular time! One CAVEAT to remember is this will only work on unencrypted channels like the broadcast channels - other cable only channels are usually encrypted and you might record something but won't be able to playback - at least not yet!
     
  6. steelhd87

    steelhd87 Member

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    Siblyn,

    Thanx for your reply. I appreciate it. A couple of questions if you don't mind.

    You mentioned using Firewire SDK (just downloaded it). A portion of this software would recognize my DVR through firewire hookup. Then I would playback the material I would want to record with "AVCvideocap." AVCvideocap would record uncoded mpeg2.

    How am I so far?

    Now what I need to retrieve was broadcast on local channels ie ABC/CBS. If for some reason it was coded would a DVD ripper come into play?

    Also, you mentioned the video would first need "edited" before I could burn it on to a DVD.
    What would I need to do this with?
     
  7. siblyn

    siblyn Member

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    Sorry for the big delay. Good if you are able to record mpg2 transport streams. In my experience all the stuff I have tried to record from broadcast channels have been unencrypted and hence playback-able. I would suggest VLC player and MPEGStreamclip for viewing and minor editing - but conversion to DVD *might* require downsampling the bitrate and resolution with a professional DVD authoring application. I haven't tried it - so I am guessing Final Cut Pro and DVDStudio Pro from apple would be able to handle the challenge.
     

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