Recording tv onto computer

[jobsta]

Hi folks,

I hope that you can help me.

By the end of the week I will have a new computer with a tv tuner and dvd writer. This is perfect timing as at the end of the month Foxtel are airing a series that I would like to have on dvd but isn't available commercially yet.

I am fairly inexperianced in all of this and unfortunatly and stand alone dvd recorder isn't an option at the moment. So I was wondering if you could offer some tips on how I capture a program from foxtel, record it on to my hard disc drive, edit the adds out of it and burn it onto dvd.

What do I need to connect the computer to the tv and foxtel, what software do I need to record and edit the programs?

As I said, I'm not very experienced with all of this so basic step by step tips would be great.

Thanks,

Joel

[rosewood]

depending on what connections are one the tuner card, I used s-video. I also use video sender , that way you don't have to worry about a long lead.

With your tuner card you should get some sort of pvr software. You can try nero vision to start off. Unlead DVD movie factory is a program where you can record & authorize & burn to dvd. Nero also does this but it does take a long time to create a dvd disk. Just record in the bitrate that will fit on a dvd so you do not have to re-encode the recording to fit on your dvd disk.The program will often tell you what settings you need. I originally started recording this way & then invested in a standalone recorder as I was sick of the time it took & the length of time it tied up my pc.

However they are improving software & pc are getting faster.

[dvd_beetle]

http://forums.eyo.com.au/showthread.php?t=6231

We don't usually discuss piracy on these forums (u know what I'm talking about some of you). On the other hand for something that isn't available commercially I would personally understand recording/copying/preserving/whatever. However this is something "new" - that is that it hasn't had it's opportunity to be commercially released yet. So I'd wait until it becomes available to buy - or request permission from Foxtel to record it - before taking any illegal action.

Because what you are talking about is actually exactly the kind of piracy studios/publishers are combating right now. They're not so much focusing on people making their own back-ups of stuff they own. Nor is it the "royalty piracy" where you rob a studio of income by buying second hand or renting (though it is something they've targeted before, it's never worked because it isn't illegal). Legally, what you are talking about is exactly the same as hiring the "rental version" of a movie before it is released in the "retail version" and copying it because it "hasn't become available yet".

[dvd_beetle]

I'll give you an example, Blade Runner. The last time the theatrical cut was released commercially was on VHS. It probably won't make a DVD release due to continuing legal issues surrounding it. The Director's Cut is still available in Region 1, but in R4 and R2 it's long OOP. Scott is said to have created a revised SE in 2002, predating the SE of Alien - which was promised to fans, but never released.

So for something like that, you'd be justified (in my opinion) to copy the theatrical version for preservation. You'd also be justified to copy the director's cut, so long as it was done due to you abiding by the artificial region coding disallowing you to purchase or play a DVD from a different region.

[jobsta]

Hi dvd_beetle,

I understand your concern. I personally don't like the current trend of copyright piracy and for that reason I do not download music or movies and always buy an authorised copy if it is available. I feel it is the right thing to do for the artist/writer etc and besides I just like to have a proper cover and the packaging.

However, the particular series that is in question here aired originally from 1993 - 1999, has been shown on the ABC and on Foxtel several times (in fact I have the complete series taped from foxtel on VCR). There are no commercial copies available of this series on VCR or DVD and I can't find any mention of it on lists of upcoming release dates.

My VCR copies are starting to deteriorate mainly because they are played so often so I simply want to ensure that I can continue to enjoy this series in the future. This is purely for my personal enjoyment not for any commercial gain whatsoever. If a time comes when they do release the series commercially I will certainly buy it regardless of whether I have a recorded version on DVD simply because the quality will be better and also as I mentioned I like to have official copies.

I can't understand why is hasn't been released officially as it was a series that won awards at the British equivalent to the Emmy's several times. I can only surmise that it is probably because of legal problems and thus may never be released commercially.

I suppose that I could just try transfer my copies on VCR to DVD and that way I am not making a new copy just backing up something already in my possession. The problem is that I don't know how to do that either.

In any case...I hope that I have explained where I am coming from here and have cleared up any doubts you may have.

All the best,

Joel

[dvd_beetle]

If it's an older series then it's a bit different. I'd still recommend requesting permission to record it. The VCR copy is no more legal - unless you made it with permission. Although the law does not recognize "acceptable use" - acceptable use is recording something to watch later, not recording something to keep. Studies have shown that around 90% of programming recorded off TV is done to watch later, rather than to keep. And though it isn't legal, that doesn't bother copyright owners - because they want their works to be viewed. It's the other 10% they care about - where people record to keep a copy. And it's equally true for home video piracy - they don't care about the illegal back-ups, they care about the copies made to keep (sold or not) without owning the original.

[nsu]

Piracy does not become non-piracy just because one can come up with a lot of self consolatory excuses.

[jobsta]

Everybody better start giving back their dvd recorders then!

[dvd_beetle]

Everybody better start giving back their dvd recorders then!Why? it never happened to the VCR.

[jobsta]

My point being that if we are to record to watch and not to keep and taking into account that most people record with DVD R's that can't be erased we are all keeping what we are recording.

Thus we are all breaking the law.

Thus we should akk rap ourselves over the knuckles and give our DVD recorders back,

[dvd_beetle]

I don't think I explained this properly. Australian law does not formally or legally acknowledge "acceptable use". That means it is against the law to record anything, to keep or not, at any time - excepting if you have a legal reason to record. Legal reasons include educational use - schools and universities, for instance. It also includes written permission - if you've got written permission you can legally record something. If you ever want to back-up something that's copyrighted on VHS to DVD-R that was not released since VHS, you would write to the copyright holder and ask permission to create a back-up and 9 times out of 10 you'll get a letter thanking you for your interest in backing up their work to a more permanent media, and granting you permission to create a single back-up copy.

If you buy an MP3 player, and transfer your favourite songs from your favourite legally owned CD's to it, you are breaking the law. If you decide to create a CD-R with your favourite tracks from your favourite legally-owned CD's on it, you're breaking the law. If you decide to create a 1:1 back-up copy of any CD you own to CD-R you are breaking the law. Same thing with movies. Software is different. With software we have a legal right to create back-ups. Which is why I am so fiercely against software protection that checks for the "original media".

It's not that I can't back them up, I can back them up. However since it is my legal right to do so, software companies should not be allowed to use such methods as "SafeDisc" to try and prevent me from using my legal rights! At least Microsoft understands that, they even give clear instructions on how to update your back-up copy of their software (Ex: Windows XP) to the latest version, so that no updates have to be installed after a fresh installation. In fact, the ACCC said that CD's that have copy-protection should be clearly marked, because even though it isn't legal to back-up music, many consumers will want to for perfectly "reasonable" uses.

[vidtek]

I must agree with Beetle, but the law is a total ass, designed to protect overseas movie houses and their profits. If a law cannot possibly be policed as this patently cannot since the advent of the VCR, it should be repealed, it's that simple. I firmly believe there should never be any law enacted which is impossible to police, as every time someone breaks it, the law and its institutions become disreputable.

Back to the main question as asked, to record from a tuner card installed in the PC, you need to tell us in what format it is
stored (e.g.. mpg .avi).

All pc tuner cards come with their own software, some better than others.
There is also a very good GPL/freeware programme called Dscaler http://deinterlace.sourceforge.net
There is a bewidering array of options with this programme, difficult for a newbie to handle, but the quality of output is superb, better than any commercial software, simply because of these options.

What card do you have? Is it analogue or digital?

Most digital HDTV cards do not record direct to DVD, the exception being the 2.6 release (very buggy) of the Twinhan Vision Plus card. BUT this will only record SD not HDTV direct to the DVD burner. The reason for this is the throughput of data from a PCI card isn't big enough to allow HDTV and the sound channel to be burned directly. Hopefully, when we finally get HDTV cards in the PCI-Express format, this limitation will be overcome.

All will record to DVD from a stored movie file.

DScaler will not handle digital cards incidentally (yet).

If you need any further information on pc tuner cards, send me an email.

Tony Brown. vidtek@bigpond.net.au

[jokiin]

Another limiting factor of being able to archive HD streams to DVD is file size, another reason that SD is perhaps more practical