HDTV capture options?

[fbures]

I am just wondering what are the available options if I wanted to capture HDTV signal from a Cable box.
I suppose I would need an HDTV capture card capable of processing HDMI or Component video signals.
Are there such capture cards available on the market? Namely cards with Component video inputs?

Any pointers will be appreciated.

Cheers
Frank

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by fbures

I am just wondering what are the available options if I wanted to capture HDTV signal from a Cable box.
I suppose I would need an HDTV capture card capable of processing HDMI or Component video signals.
Are there such capture cards available on the market? Namely cards with Component video inputs?

Any pointers will be appreciated.

Cheers
Frank

No solution exists currently for capturing HD in analog format from cable or DBS for that matter. There is some work going on with a Fujitsu Semi chipset that can record native HD from component to H.264 in realtime, but noone has integrated it into a encoder board as of yet (it's designed to support wireless extension of HD programming)...

The only way to capture digital cable HD today is at the highest quality, using unencypted HD via QAM tuner, HD programming the cable company lets you record via firewire, all digital programming using the R5000-HD (in motorola markets), or a very neutered capability in Vista using cablecard. That's pretty much it.

Thanks,
mike

[jmiddleton]

There is no technical reason why a component video capture card couldn't be built but the MPAA will certainly make life miserable for anyone who tries to bring one to market and legal costs will quickly overtake any profit potential the product might have. The industry wants us to use cablecards so they maintain control of the content. I doubt that will work any better than other copy protection schemes tried in the past but hope springs eternal.

[unimatrixzer0]

How would you go about setting up firewire recording?

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by unimatrixzer0

How would you go about setting up firewire recording?

Check out this thread, http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...light=firewire .

Its a biggie, so check out the shortcuts to posts 351, 355, and 835 in the first post.

[unimatrixzer0]

Originally Posted by ke6guj

Check out this thread, http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...light=firewire .

Its a biggie, so check out the shortcuts to posts 351, 355, and 835 in the first post.

Thanks, but is that the most up to date information? I was looking at that earlier but noticed the last time it had been updated was in 2005.

[ke6guj]

I followed the steps in #831 last year without any issues. I don't think anything has changed.

[vonman]

Anybody seen this thing? Is this supported by Sage ?
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

So as I am understanding it there arent any other HDMI PC Capture Input cards out there?

Rich

[jmiddleton]

A card like that will not have an HDCP license so you will only be able to capture unencrypted content (i.e. from a HD video camera). Most commercial HD content is encrypted to deter piracy and the content protection is designed to ensure that digital content is protected at every step of the playback sequence. It is possible to rip HD movies using stolen encryption keys - but that's a short term solution because keys can be revoked. It is also technically possible to exploit the so called "analog hole" by capturing component video. It is unlikely that a component capture card could make it to market without legal challenges and manufactures motivated by profit are unlikely to try.

The technology developed for HD capture on personal computers, at least in the USA, is cablecard. Cablecard certification is expensive ($100K), which seems likely to freeze out small clone shops and hobbiests - you'll probable have to purchase from a large OEM like Dell or HP to get a media center PC with cablecard.

[ke6guj]

Yup, not gonna be able to capture copy protected content.

The HDMI standard sometimes includes copy protection encryption, such as commonly found on DVD players and some brands of set top boxes. When connected to these copy protected sources, the HDMI specification defines that Intensity cards cannot capture. Always confirm copyright ownership before capture or distribution of content. Intensity media file formats are fully compatible with DeckLink and Multibridge capture cards. Compatible with Microsoft Windows™ and Apple Intel based Mac Pro systems. Apple Power PC systems are not yet supported