# Sticky  The Official AVS HDTV Recording Synopsis!



## Ken H

The Basics

HDTV can be recorded in these ways:


· HDTV DVR from Cable, DBS, DTV Over-The-Air

· DTV Tuner PC / Mac Cards, and USB DTV Tuners

· Blu-ray burner

· Component video & optical audio to PC

· HD Camcorder

· Firewire Source to PC, Mac

· Firewire Source to D-VHS

· Set-Top-Box USB Source to PC


....from these potential sources:

· Digital Television (DTV) Over-The-Air

· Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)

· Digital Cable

· IPTV

· Fiber

· C/Ku Band Satellite

· Live to video


HDTV DVR

See the many unit specific topics in this forum for details.

Cable:

· Cisco (Scientific Atlanta)

· Motorola

· Pace

· Panasonic

· Samsung

· Etc.

· TiVo HD $299 plus subscription fee, available for retail purchase. (CableCARD)

· TiVo HD XL $599 plus subscription fee, available for retail purchase. (CableCARD)

· Moxi HD DVR $799, available for retail purchase. (CableCARD)


Discontinued

· Sony DHG-HDD 250 or 500, available for retail purchase. (CableCARD)

DBS:

· Dish Network (& DTV) HD DVR MPEG4 compatible

ViP 612

ViP 622

ViP 722

ViP 211 (w/ addition of hard drive)


· DirecTV HD (& DTV w/ addition of AM-21) DVR MPEG4 compatible

HR21

HR22

HR23

DTV Over-The-Air:

· Dish DTVPal DVR TR-50 $299

· TiVo HD $299 plus subscription fee

· TiVo HD XL $599 plus subscription fee


Discontinued:

· Sony DHG-HDD 250 or 500

· LG LST-3410A

· Zenith HDR230


DTV Tuner PC / Mac Cards, and USB DTV Tuners

Capable of DTV reception and Clear QAM Cable, recording and playback. For in depth discussion of this aspect of HDTV recording, please see the AVS HTPC Forum. For digital tier and premium cable, CableCARD PC's are available.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=26 


Blu-ray Burner

With a Blu-ray burner installed in your PC, you can make BD disks from a variety of sources, including your HD camcorder. For in depth discussion of this aspect of HDTV recording, please see the AVS HTPC & Blu-Ray Forum for details.


HDTV Camcorder

For in depth discussion of this aspect of HDTV recording, please see the AVS Camcorder Forum.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=161 


Component video & optical audio to PC

Hauppauge's HD PVR will record High-Definition for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i. HD-PVR records HD component video and DD optical audio. The recording format is AVCHD, which can be used to burn Blu-ray disks.
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html 


Firewire Source to Microsoft PC

For in depth discussion of this aspect of HDTV recording, please see DVHSTool and other topics in the HDTV Recorders Forum.

PC recording of HDTV is made possible by Microsoft Windows XP & Vista native support for IEEE1394. The PC can be used as both a storage/ retrieval device and a playback device. The PC's peripherals (hard drive, DVD drive) are used to store the HDTV signal that comes from compatible sources. Used as a retrieval device the stored HDTV signal is played back through the IEEE1394 to a display device or other storage / communication device. Used as a playback device, various hardware and software HDTV signal decoders can be used to present HDTV video and audio for viewing.


To use the IEEE1394 interface in WinXP, specific support of the particular model of unit with the IEEE1394 port is required. That is, the presence of a IEEE1394 port doesn't imply compatibility with Windows XP. Various drivers and applications software are required and available to use the JVC and Mitsubishi DVHS decks with Windows XP. For example, even though one "OTA only" model of the Samsung HDTV has IEEE1394, it cannot be used with Windows XP since there are no mating drivers. The 169time equipped DTC100 can be used with Windows XP.


Firewire Source to Apple Mac

A FireWire equipped Apple Mac running Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard can function as an emulated DVHS deck for both recording and playback of OTA HD broadcasts. To accomplish this you will need the demo application VirtualDVHS2 which is included with Apple's Firewire SDK 20. VirtualDVHS2 should work with a variety of devices including most Mitsubishi HDTV's, the Samsung SIR-T165 STB, Mitsubishi HD-2000U and JVC DVHS decks. The FireWire equipped devices control all recording and timer functionality and the Mac simply acts as a DVHS deck. The improved GUI of VirtualDVHS2 simulates the front panel of a DVHS deck including record and playback buttons and a counter. Please note that the VirtualDVHS2 demo is really a refinement of a proof of concept rather than a supported Apple application although some forum members have had good results. Source code is also available so some enterprising developer may be able to wrap a polished GUI around this and ship a commercial product.


An AVS member has developed software, iRecord , using Apple's latest AVCVideoServices framework to record 5C copy-freely content from Motorola and S-A STBs equipped with FireWire. The software allows for timed-recordings and tuning channels.


The FireWire SDK 20 which includes VirtualDVHS2, source code, and other programs such as AVCVideoCap and DVHSCap can be freely downloaded from Apple developer site at the URL below. Be sure to read the readme included with VirtualDVHS2 for configuration info.

FireWire SDK 20 


My sincere thanks to AVS members rcliff and jsb_hburg for providing this information.


Firewire sources for HDTV Recording

· Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, Pace - Digital Cable STB's (Cable)

· 169time (DTV & DBS)

After market modification for adding Firewire HD output to specific STB’s.
http://www.169time.com/ 

Discontinued

· Mitsubishi HD6000 (DTV & Cable)

· MIT MDR-200 (DTV)

· Specific Mitsubishi integrated HDTV’s (DTV)

· Mitsubishi HDTV's w/Promise Module (DTV)

· Specific Hitachi integrated HDTV’s (DTV)

· Samsung SIR-T165 (DTV)

· Key Digital KD-FIRE1080P HD Hanna $2999 (DTV)
http://www.keydigital.com/lprodi.asp?Ic=KDFIRE1080P 

· Pioneer Plasma HDTV w/ Media Receiver CableCARD (DTV & Cable)

· Various Firewire equipped HDTV's (DTV)

· Panasonic TU-DST50 & TU-DST51 (DTV)

· Sony DHG-M55CV (Cablevision only)

· Mitsubishi HD5000 (DTV)

· LG LST3410a (DTV)

NOTE: Not all Firewire equipped HDTV's can output HDTV via Firewire. See the manufacturers specifications for details.

Discontinued 8VSB HD Source:

· Dish 5000 w/HD Modulator


Firewire Source to D-VHS

Digital VHS is capable of recording and playing back the full 19+ Mbps data stream of ATSC HDTV broadcasts, including Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. There are different varieties of D-VHS decks, but all are essentially ‘bit buckets’, capable of recording HDTV and playing it back identically to the original broadcast. Typically, an outboard source provided the HDTV signal via Firewire to the D-VHS deck, with only one D-VHS unit having a built-in DTV tuner. This approach also allows for HDTV copies using Firewire recording from D-VHS to D-VHS, D-Theater (prerecorded movies) excepted.

Discontinued:

· Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U $749 ($549)

· Mitsubishi HS-HD1100U $549 ($395)

· JVC HM-DH40000 $999 ($537, D-Theater, component video)

· Marantz MV 8300 $1599 ($999, D-Theater, component video)

· JVC SR-VD400US (Pro D-Theater)

· JVC SR-VDA300US (Pro D-Theater Master Deck)

· JVC HM-DH5U $799 (HDMI, D-Theater)

· JVC HM-DT100U $1499 (HDMI, DTV (ATSC) tuner, D-Theater)

· Marantz MV8300 $1099 (Same as JVC HM-DH40000)

· Panasonic PV-HD1000

· JVC HM-DH30000


Set-Top-Box USB Source to PC

· Nextcom R5000-HD

After market modification for adding USB HD output to specific HD STB’s.
http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/home.htm


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## qz3fwd

What about Slingbox's, HDHomeRun network tuners, adding a software section, Hagauppe HD-PVR, and marking discontinued/obsolete hardware?


Speaking of obsolete formats-I just bought a NIB JVC 40K D-VHS deck off Ebay.


Software section should reference minimally-CapDVHS, VRD, H2M, M2R, TSR Pro, TSPE, 1394 Drivers.

Let me think of how to present the info.

A guide to extraction (1394 & TivoDesktop) would be helpfull for newcomers.

Blu-ray recording off the EU/JAP decks would be intresting if anyone has these boxes, though not avaliable in the USA yet (to my knowledge).


Persnally I'm cappping off 1394 & HDHR QAM&ATSC as I type this-6 HD channels.


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## Kei Clark

Ken, can you add the TViX M6620N ($299) to the list of OTA Recorders?


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## qz3fwd

I picked up a Zenith HDR-230 off ebay for $20+$16 shipping, which was supposedly non-functioning with no video output. Powers up fine, displays fine through "VGA" connector @ 1080i, clock set, and playback of the previous owners recordings is fine, as is editing.


Now-just gotta check reception after connecting it to an antenna. Hopefully the tuner is fine. Then check component connectors for functionality. Last step is 400GB HDD upgrade, then I'm giving it to my brother and his family as they have no DVR's, are OTA only, and he wont pay a monthly guide subscription fee like Tivo would require.....


So far the best $20 I've spent in a long time!


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## pinky58

Whats the easiest way to record shows from a TWC Samsung STB to my PC? Dont wanna pay for their dvr service....


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## Kei Clark




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *pinky58* /forum/post/21435679
> 
> 
> Whats the easiest way to record shows from a TWC Samsung STB to my PC? Dont wanna pay for their dvr service....



Try the HDHomerun Prime in the HTPC section.


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## pmd1117

Thanks for this useful article but still to technical for me


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## pmd1117

I have a Sony VRDMC3 DVDDirect DVD recorder which I used to tape live shows or shows from my DVR. Problem is I switched to Tivo distributed video system so now I can't use it at all. Is it possible to use it to tape shows I've recorded on my Tivo, perhaps I shouldn't plug into tv but when I plug into tivo nothing comes up on screen?


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## pmd1117

My other option I guess is to get content off Tivo with Kmttg but that seems complex to figure out and I'll need someone to teach me, any suggestions?


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## esdwa

Interesting but old thread. Anyone still rockin' any standalone HDTV recorder out there? 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk


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## Bill-99

esdwa said:


> Interesting but old thread. Anyone still rockin' any standalone HDTV recorder out there?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk


I routinely record over-the-air content on a home theater pc using JRiver software. It's great! It won't handle ATSC 3.0 when it gets a foothold though (fingers crossed) it seems like there will be solutions there as well. Eventually.


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## esdwa

I for that matter re-discovered long tabled d-vhs deck which is very convenient in recording ota broadcasts but also with proper modulator capable to archive any other content... which makes twice the fun when holding good old vhs cassette capable of storing as much as dual layer bluray disk.

Free from computer... at last!

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk


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## millerwill

Can anyone tell the the model # for the latest Direct TV HD R?


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