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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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#4,752 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kobe4rings /forum/post/14738984


Most Probably the video stream is encrypted. I get the same thing when I cap encrypted QAM channels.

That's my guess. VideoReDo couldn't do anything with it, as I guessed. Is it possible the Comcast would've changed something in the way they broadcast (like I said, I'd been able to dump just about any recording prior to getting the replacement DVR), or does Comcast even control that (i.e., is it the originator of the source, and Comcast just passes it on as-is)?


Guess I'm SOL; still curious, though.
 
#4,753 ·
Question on playback.


If I have a couple TB of recordings, is there a program which will allow playback of these over firewire using the TV's transport controls?


I have a Tvix and usually use this for playback, but I'm just getting into the firewire areana and have capping/extraction working, but wondered about the playback side.

(I know of FireBus, but dont want to try is as the last time it screwed up my old laptop and never worked)
 
#4,756 ·
Encryption and 5c protection are different. Any wording that might require locals to be copy-freely is ambiguous at best. A number of providers are currently flagging to allow unrestricted copying only on 5c-compliant devices while blocking copies to non-compliant devices such as PCs.
 
#4,757 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coyoteaz /forum/post/14759826


Encryption and 5c protection are different.

Well, that's not exactly true. 5C DTCP uses encryption to enforce the copy protection, which specifies copy freely, copy once, no more copies, or copy never.

Quote:
Originally Posted by coyoteaz /forum/post/14759826


Any wording that might require locals to be copy-freely is ambiguous at best. A number of providers are currently flagging to allow unrestricted copying only on 5c-compliant devices while blocking copies to non-compliant devices such as PCs.

That's true --- 5C DTCP can use an authentication mode that requires a 5C DTCP-compliant device for the handshake even if encryption isn't used, but when encryption is used it is 5C DTCP that does it.
 
#4,758 ·
Thanks for the clarification, ExDeus. I was oversimplifying things to refer to "encryption" as the encryption used to keep clear QAM tuners from accessing the stream (e.g. PowerKey or DCII), not the encryption used to prevent non-DTCP compliant devices from accessing a stream. While the current FCC rules are normally interpreted as requiring the limited basic tier (or at the very least, local broadcast channels) to be in the clear for QAM tuners, that interpretation does not extend to Firewire transfers to non-DTCP compliant devices such as a PC or Mac.
 
#4,759 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coyoteaz /forum/post/14783064


Thanks for the clarification, ExDeus. I was oversimplifying things to refer to "encryption" as the encryption used to keep clear QAM tuners from accessing the stream (e.g. PowerKey or DCII), not the encryption used to prevent non-DTCP compliant devices from accessing a stream.

We're in agreement, then. It is the case that the cable system shouldn't encrypt local channels, including HD channels, so they are available via clear-QAM, but those channels can still have 5C DTCP authentication required on a box's Firewire output to prevent non-compliant devices from copying them from the box. It seems many SA boxes always use 5C DTCP authentication, if not encryption, and Motorola boxes can use the good ol' Broadcast Flag to enable 5C DTCP authentication or encryption.
 
#4,760 ·
I know there have been a lot of people asking about 64 bit versions of the drivers for Vista x64, but I was curious as to what the issue preventing it was. I had read some earlier posts, and thought that I read that driver signing was an issue; having said that, without a lot of difficulty, one can bypass those checks (EasyBCD has an option to easily override it, or a couple of easy commands to the bootloader application BCDEDIT as well), so it's not really that much of a hurdle if that were the case. If it were something more complicated, like having to reprogram the driver, or some other conflict, my bad, but I figured I'd throw it out there. I am dualbooting Vista 32 and 64 (64 much more stable on my PC, and will see all of my 4 GB RAM, so it's my main OS), but if at all possible, I'd like to eliminate having to reload OSes whenever I want to capture. Thanks again, ExDeus (and Tim Moore too) for getting us a great driver so we can get our recordings without a lot of fuss.
 
#4,761 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by CanuckGod /forum/post/14836749


I know there have been a lot of people asking about 64 bit versions of the drivers for Vista x64, but I was curious as to what the issue preventing it was.

It isn't simply driver signing. The Panasonic driver in the driver package doesn't work under 64-bit.


I've done some work trying to get the Microsoft drivers to replace the Panasonic drivers, which would then work under any OS, but I keep hitting snags.


No ETD on 64-bit drivers.
 
#4,764 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by superdud1400 /forum/post/14895549


Scientific Atlanta 8240HDC has some problems with this

Yeah. I've already run into this myself. If your are in a TW area running Mystro/Navigator, your only options are an SA4250 (HD non-dvr set-top) or an SA8300HD (HD dvr set-top). The HDC essentially has the firewire functionality disabled.
 
#4,768 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ExDeus /forum/post/14872756


It isn't simply driver signing. The Panasonic driver in the driver package doesn't work under 64-bit.


I've done some work trying to get the Microsoft drivers to replace the Panasonic drivers, which would then work under any OS, but I keep hitting snags.


No ETD on 64-bit drivers.

My apologies, couldn't recall what you had said then. In any event, we're all greatly appreciative to you (and to Tim) for your work on the Motorola STB drivers, keep up the great work!
 
#4,769 ·
Im trying to use CapDVHS with XP SP2 and a motorola 6412III. When I install everything, the program does recognize the motorola however when I go to record, I get error 800705AA. So I found a firewire patch KB885222 and installed it as directed. After that, then CapDVHS will no longer even connect to my device. If I do a system restore and uninstall the patch, CapDVHS sees the motorola again but of course will not record. Any thoughts?

Thank you very much in advance.
 
#4,770 ·
Ever since Comcast did a firmware update a month & half ago I can no longer capture firewire from programs recorded on the DVR (Motorola DCT-3412). I can record live programs just fine, but if I try to record DVR programs, the picture on the TV freezes, and the files record with no sound (video but no audio).


I read a possible work-around that involves unplugging the firewire cable, but that didn't work (and in fact caused a windows blue-screen once..)


Is there any fix for this or are we SOL?
 
#4,772 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by georgia /forum/post/14970392


really the only way to get video "off" of the Motorola DVR??? Through Firewire for chrissakes?

You can check ExDeus' signature for updated .inf and instructions, but the web site you quoted seemed fine... Unfortunately, not everything is plug and play, and this thread wouldn't be 160 pages long if it was...
 
#4,773 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by walk /forum/post/14961751


Ever since Comcast did a firmware update a month & half ago I can no longer capture firewire from programs recorded on the DVR (Motorola DCT-3412). I can record live programs just fine, but if I try to record DVR programs, the picture on the TV freezes, and the files record with no sound (video but no audio).


I read a possible work-around that involves unplugging the firewire cable, but that didn't work (and in fact caused a windows blue-screen once..)


Is there any fix for this or are we SOL?

This is my problem exactly. I just tried hooking up my box to my PC recently and noticed this behavior. All is well on live TV, but recorded shows don't send the audio stream over firewire. Can this be fixed by "unmuting" the box? Or is it more fundamental? Please help, I have a recording of my daughter who was on TV and would really like to put it onto a DVD. Thanks!
 
#4,774 ·
If you are getting a video file, it should have sound in it. It is very unlikely that the cable box would demux the audio and video before it was sent to the computer. Take a look at the file with TSreader if you can and see if there is audio in the file. Other things to try play back with a different program and see if the sound shows up or run the file through mpeg2repair and see if that helps.

John
 
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