capture HD from STB

[matrix35]

what options do we have to capture HD video from an STB. if I buy an STB from my cable provider can I capture its component video output? or is that a lost cause?

[ke6guj]

only way to capture HD video from an STB is via Firewire (will record unencrypted non-5C'ed content. May vary from almost nothing, to everything you pay for), or via USB on a R5000-modded STB (pretty much everything you pay for, but $$$).

There is no consumer grade capture cards that can capture HD component inputs. And if it could, it would take around 200gig/hour of storage space.

edit: an alternative would be to get an external QAM tuner such as the HDHomerun. That can record unscrambled cable channels, which may just be your locals, or more if lucky.

[matrix35]

so there isn't any component to firewire (as an example) boards/devices out there that would atleast encode component signals to HDV? instead of having that insane 200Gig/h

[stanger89]

If you really want to do it, you need:
One of these: http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/hd/
Say 4 of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148134
Probably one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816131003

And don't forget the top of the line CPU to recompress it to something reasonable.