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How to record via IEEE 1394 (Firewire) to Windows XP

3M views 6K replies 1K participants last post by  m. zillch 
#1 ·
First let me thank Timecop for discovering this process. He started a
thread a long time ago that became just too long and confusing so hopefully this will help.


This method should work for most 1394/Firewire enabled tuners. It has been tested on the Mitsubishi Integrated TV's, SA3250HD, Motorola 620X (with firmware 7.10 or higher), and the Samsung T165. *Please list your tests and I will update* This method will not allow you to capture 5C encrypted content, *see below for details* This method captures the original Transport stream sent by your provider, so if it is sent with DD 5.1 then you will capture DD5.1. This method only works with Digital channels, analogue cable channels will not work.


This method does not allow you to transfer shows already recorded on your HD DVR
only live TV.


You will need some drivers. Follow the link and Download firestb.msi.

If the link is bad, PM me and I'll fix it.

First device drivers. There are more MCE specific items included in the package, if you are using using XP then you only need the driver. You may also want to play with the channel changing software, which works on both XP and MCE. There is now a beta Vista Driver as well.
http://home.comcast.net/~timmmoore/w...0Firewire.html


For drivers only, there is a driver package that is continually updated to support new STBs, and there are some differences in how the drivers are loaded. If you have issues install the firestb drivers, it can be used with firestb instead of the drivers included with its installer.
http://home.comcast.net/~exdeus/stbfirewire/


There are a few pieces of software that I know of that can capture using these drivers, Capdvhs, DCTrecord and MCE using the included software.
http://www.yamabe.org/soft/CapDVHS0306e.zip
http://home.comcast.net/~brzez2/dctrecord.html


Now that you have everything you need.

Install firestb.msi, if you are using MCE, install the components you want. If you are running XP then at the very least install the "Firewire Drivers" component, you won't be able to double click on it, you will have to use a different command to skip the MCE required screen. Now you can just choose the driver.

Code:
Code:
MSIEXEC /i firestb.msi IDENT=0
Click continue anyway a the signed driver screen.


Plug in the 1394 cable.

Found new hardware wizard will come up.


Keep hitting cancel until you see "Tuner AV/C Device" or "Tuner AV/C Panel" as the hardware that was found. Install both like any other device.

Then Choose Install the software automatically (Recommended).

Click Next

Keep clicking Next.

Then click Finished.


Click cancel on any other devices that are automatically detected.

I would go back into Device manager and disable the other devices so windows doesn't keep looking for drivers on reboot.


Now open CAPDVHS and a device should be listed under capture device.


Under settings I have the following boxes checked.

Convert 188 bytes

Check PTS

Delete to SyncByte


I use .ts for all my file extensions and I left the file name format to the default.


Select the "Data Info." tab and hit the "Rec" Button.

You should see the info populated.

Hit stop and check your file.
Elecard works well for playback or Sasem OnAir Editor or VLC

or http://theatertek.com/

To play with zoomplayer check this thread.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=395039


**Now you change the channel via 1394 and use with MCE see the readme for complete directions.
http://www.thegreenbutton.com/commun...ssageID=104152

**Attention this is a recording thread. For playback issues please check out the home theater PC forum . **
For conversion help check out this guide.
http://replayguide.sourceforge.net/dct6412/index.html

The files captured from this process are the same as from most HD PC recording techniques and playback issues are the same. Please don't post in here asking how to get smooth playback. There are plenty of discussions in the correct area on that topic. Also please don't ask how to convert to DVD, or any other conversion question. There are plenty of thread dedicated to that topic also. This thread is already too long to read, and I appreciate everyone helping out by staying on topic.


**Added 5/26/04 **

To watch live HD without capturing first.

Open VLC v7.2 *might work with other versions.

Choose "File" > "Open Capture Device"


To the right of "Video device name" click "Refresh List" Then choose "Panasonic MPEG2TS Tape Sub" from the drop down.

Click "OK"


Just a word of advice if I hit "Configure" or "Advanced Options" It blue screens my computer.

This seems to be much more resource intensive than watching a captured file. My AMD 2600 works at ~83% if I don't resize or any other effect. Any effect drives it to 100%.


You can also setup a shortcut to run VLC with the parms for picking up the stream automatically.


Target:


"C:\\Program Files\\VideoLAN\\VLC\\vlc.exe" "dshow:// :dshow-vdev="Panasonic MPEG2TS Tape Subunit Device" :dshow-adev="" :dshow-size="" :no-dshow-config "


Start In:


"C:\\Program Files\\VideoLAN\\VLC"

*Thanks to E Jackson*


Troubleshooting


If you can't load the driver, go over the directions again and again, make sure you don't miss any steps. It does require you to force XP to accept the drivers.


If the driver is loaded but the files are 0bytes after recording. Then you may have the driver loaded improperly or your cable company may have copy protection(5C) enabled. Try a different channel or search the original thread for someone who lives near you to see if they are having the same problem. You may also be able to reboot the Tuner. It is impossible to record content marked copy once, because it is protected from multiple copies. Typically if your provider is encrypting, than the only channels you would be able to record are the channels that are also available over the air.


**Added 2/6/06**

Changed drivers to the above. Added channel chaning support.


**Added 3/18/05**

If you have XP SP2 and you can't get it to work see this post.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...13#post5315313


**Added 2/22/05**

If you have a Motorola 620x Check this post to see if that channel is 5C protected. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...86#post3855086


If you have a SA DVR with Passport
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...80#post4617480


If you have a SA DVR with SARA
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...67#post4613067


You may also have the wrong firmware version for the Motorola 620x, to check this.

To check firmware on Moto 6200:

Menu- Setup- Cable Box- See Configuration- one of the entries on that page is Firmware. * Thanks drbenson*


If you are using a Motorola 620X with an older firmware you may need to replace your Meitape.inf from the zip file with this one. Try the original one first.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~balaz...es/Meitape.inf


**Updated link to firestb.zip** 7/12/07


This is V.04 of this document please post corrections and suggestions.
 
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#2 ·
One point I thought should be transferred from the other thread is that if you're trying this with a Motorola 6200, you need to wait until your local Comcast updates firmware to 7.10. I'm still at 7.07, and have zero luck, no matter how religiously I follow the instructions.
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by drbenson
One point I thought should be transferred from the other thread is that if you're trying this with a Motorola 6200, you need to wait until your local Comcast updates firmware to 7.10. I'm still at 7.07, and have zero luck, no matter how religiously I follow the instructions.

Good point!

I don't have this box so I will need help.

I have added a note concerning the firmware. I will also add the method to determine the frimware if you post it.
 
#8 ·
I have a Mits TV with firewire out connected to a Shuttle XPC. I've installed the drivers and CapDHVS on the Shuttle. I can get everything to work until I have to reboot the Shuttle at whch point the driver tells me the TV is no longer connected. Unplugging and plugging the firewire cable doesn't do anything. The only way I can get the Shuttle to recognize the TV is to uninstall the drivers and start all over again. Anyone have any ideas why the driver won't find the TV after the reboot?
 
#11 ·
I have a Moto 620X and when plugged in only two devices are detected and neither of them is the "Tuner AV/C Device". Most of the other posts I h ave read about getting this to work say there should be three different devices detected; so possibly the third one that I am not getting is the Tuner. Anyone else having/had the same problem? Any suggestions appreciated. One other note: I have been trying to get this to work for the last month or so - before we knew that the Moto's would not work with the 7.07 firmware(recently got the 7.10 update) - so I may have messed up something a while ago and that is why I'm not getting the proper devices detected now. So, is there some procedure to completely reset these devices for re-detection? Thanks again - Scott
 
#12 ·
SSSikora


You may be right, the detected device in my instructions are based on my experiences with the SA3250HD, if you can find the name of the device that shows up when you plug in the 620x I will add that.
 
#13 ·
Mine is not actually working, and I was thinking that maybe the reason for that is that I'm not detecing any type of tuner. When I go to the recording program I have two devices listed in the dropdown box at the top but both of them give the same error when I try and record - I'm at work right now so I don't know the exact message, but it's something about not being able to to connect to a samplegrabber.
 
#14 ·
Is the modified Meitape.inf still necessary with 7.10?

When the 620x with 7.10 is plugged into the pc what is the device detected as?

If is detected as 61883 is it possible to get it working, or does this only get detected on boxes with the older firmware.


I have a sa3250 so I need some help from the 620x guys to make this work for everyone.


Thanks
 
#15 ·
This worked like a charm!! Thanks bdraw!!!



When I first plugged it in, I got a 'Unknown Device' so I canceled that.Then the 'AV/C Tuner Device' which I forced installation of the Panasonic DVHS AV/C Device. Then a 'AV/C Panel Device' which I canceled. Went to device manager and disabled the 2 other devices.


Fired up CapDVHS, test recorded PBS HD for 2 minutes, played the clip through VLC. Perfect recording, no skipped frames, or sound drops.


Here are my machine specs if anybody is wondering...

Intel P4-3.45GHz HT @920

2x512MB Kingston HyperX DDR500 @460

MSI 865PE Neo2 FISR

ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB

SB Audigy 2 output thru S/PDIF

Linksys WMP54G Wireless PCI

Hauppauge Win-TV PCI

Adaptec 29160N U160 SCSI Adapter

Seagate Cheetah 10K U160 9GB (Boot/Programs)

2x200GB Western Digital 8MB SE (Storage)

Samsung 16X DVD-ROM

Pioneer 106A DVD-RW

Enermax 450W PSU


Motorola 620X fw7.10
 
#16 ·
I just had the cable company (Charter in Worcester MA) swap my 3100HD for a 3250HD. I don't see a firewire connector on it at all. I downloaded the 3250HD manual from the Scientific Atlanta website and it doesn't show one either. Are there two models of the 3250HD? Thanks.


Kerry
 
#18 ·
Feeling good tonight. Got it working with my Comcast Moto 6200. Set the "188 bytes .ts extension" setting in CapDVHS to .ts, and my HiPix played the recorded file first time out. Picture is great, but I'm getting audio glitches- clicks a couple of times, the sound level goes down, then gradually comes back up. Anyone have experience with stomping this bug?
 
#19 ·
thankyou for making this so easy!


coupla points that might make it a little cleaner for the next guy with a 6200. I didn't get the option to uncheck "Show compatable hardware" unless I cancelled all 3 of the found new hardware prompts. Then go to device manager and update the drivers for the tuner and now follow your instructions.


Then, the "Have Disk" part was a little sticky as I did what I thought I was supposed to do instead of exactly what you wrote I should do.


Now if you mess it up and need to start over - and SSSikora, this might work for you, chances are you'll have an AV/C device installed, but if you look at the driver details its using the windows driver file avc.sys. I had to remove that file from system32/drivers in order to wipe the slate clean.


But in the end it all worked out and how sweet it is!


thanks again,

jb
 
#20 ·
I can only capture and play back streams from the analog channels using this process. I can capture streams form the HD and SD digital channels, but they don't show any information in CapDVHS and I can't play them back.


I only have 3 HiDef channels right now. INHD INHD2 and ESPNHD. Is there some encryption problem that needs to be worked around???
 
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