How to Copy Something From a DVR to a Computer
While the DVR allows you to save television shows, transferring the data to a computer requires use of a Firewire and proper software to allow an interface to occur between the DVR and the computer. Another challenge after the initial transfer will involve decoding the video so you can view it on a typical computer media player. This task takes a little bit of work and knowledge, but the payoff is the ability to archive television on the computer.
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Things You'll Need
- Firewire
- Drivers/interface software
- Capture software
- Video decoding software
Instructions
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Install drivers on the computer. A driver is software that allows a computer to recognize and interpret input from an outside device, in this case a DVR. Some DVRs, such as Motorola DVRs, are available online (see Resources section). A source to find the driver you need is Open Drivers, which provides a database of all open-source DVR drivers (see Resources section). The other solution is to consult the manufacturer of the DVR directly and request drivers.
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Install capture software. This is the software that will actually record the information being streamed by the DVR onto the computer's hard drive. CapDVHS is one freeware that accomplishes this (see Resources section).
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Insert the Firewire cord into the port on the back of the DVR.
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Insert the other end of the Firewire cord into the computer's port.
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Run your capture software. In CapDVHS, ensure that the DVR is selected in the "Capture Device" pull-down menu at the top of the screen.
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Change the "Capture Settings" to "Convert 188 bytes," "Check PTS," "Delete to SyncByte" and "Use .ts for all file extensions," because these will yield the best quality image, according to DVR Playground, a DVR support site.
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Click the "Data Info" tab. This will display a preview screen of what will be captured and have a place to input the amount of time of capture.
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Input the amount of time into the "Live Capture Time" field. This will be the amount of time that the program records once you initialize it.
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Click the "Record" button. The program will copy whatever the DVR is streaming.
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Play the channel that you want to record on the DVR. Or, if you are copying a pre-recorded show, simply click "Play" and the computer will begin capturing the stream. When it is done recording, it will save the captured data to the hard drive, encoding it as a video.TS.
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Tips & Warnings
Following the above steps will give you video TS files, which may not be compatible with many media players. In this case, you will need to use a decoder, such as PVAStrumento, ProjectX or DVD Santa (see Resources section).
Some channels put a special code on their streams to prevent this sort of activity. Although there are ways to get around these codings, doing so is not technically legal.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit TV image by Ilija Mitrevski from Fotolia.com
