Which dvd recorder best records dvr from direct tv onto DVD without commercials? - Page 2

Is all basic cable programming HDCP copy protected out of the HDMI output of a cable company STB? I record concerts from PBS quite often.

In the future I’m actually thinking of getting a Hauppauge Colossus instead of the Hauppauge 1212 because of the Colossus’s HDMI input. I know there isn’t much quality difference between HD analog component or HD digital HDMI but there may be a little difference with the Hauppauge and every little bit of quality improvement counts.

Super Eye, don't know if this info is any help to you, but here in NYC using Time Warner Cable I have not yet experienced any recording restrictions using the decoder box outputs. Since getting my first JVC, Pioneer and Toshiba DVD/HDD recorders in 2005, and later a Magnavox 2160 and 513, I've never experienced a recording lockout via analog line connections.

About a year ago, jjeff and tomwill told us of an excellent sale on Amazon ($29.95) for the ubiquitous cheap generic Chinese HDMI>S-Video converter box, which now normally sells for about $41 from various suppliers. I have occasionally used this box to get an anamorphic widescreen signal from my decoder box HDMI into my Pioneer recorders. The recording quality is variable, depending on the source channel and decoder box settings, but using this HDMI connection I still have not been prevented from recording anything including premium on-demand channels.

Possibly this is a combination of local TWC policy and the properties of the HDMI>S-Video decoder box. A direct full-digital decoder box HDMI output to Hauppauge HDMI input may well react differently and trigger the lockouts on some or all programming (depending on the flag settings used by your local cable/sat provider). In USA, I was under the (possibly mistaken) assumption that cable-carried OTA stations were not "allowed" to be record restricted, meaning you probably could record PBS via HDMI<>HDMI. But I could be wrong, and Canada may not have the same policy.

My guess is our HDMI to composite box is basically a filter(it will allow one to record a commercial DVD, even encrypted one) so I don't think it's a good way to judge if a HDMI source is encrypted. The only way to know for sure is to get something like the Hauppauge and try recording(or know someone who is doing it). What I don't believe we know is if the Hong Kong HDMI recorder(mentioned in other threads) is ignoring HDCP or not, the only US user were aware of has recorded from a cable box but I don't think we know if it's CP'd or not.

I would say that nearly all players with HDMI outputs have some sort of a scaler chip for upconversion of 480 source to 720 or 1080. But for most low-end consumer level players, that chip and the resulting upconversion is not very good and would be better accomplished by the better quality scaler in the display. Also many people use video processors -- either in an advanced AVR or a DVDO. In all these cases you would want the original 480 SD signal to be transmitted to the external processors via HDMI. This is often called "native transport".

I do not know that answer first hand. I don't have cable and I don't have a need to record from HDMI inputs. People I have communicated with on the topic have indicated their STB's were all using HDCP on the HDMI outputs. HDCP is a hardware encryption function but is triggered by the source. For example, the PS3 does not HDCP encrypt HDMI output of game play, but does HDCP encrypt any BluRay output.
As long as you have a dedicated media-PC for it, I think the Colossus is the better hardware choice than the 1212. It has both component as well as HDMI inputs so you have the best of both worlds available.

That information has been revealed -- it is as locked down as you would expect for a native US device -- most surprising for a chinese box not meant for US import.

I had read the format of the Mini was only playable on the Mini but what I still don't know for sure(unless you do) is if the Mini allows recording of HDCP programs. For strictly a timeshifting device it wouldn't matter if it's files were encrypted, you would just play them on the Mini and then delete.

He initially indicated he had a PS3 hooked up to it and I requested he try to record a BluRay playing in the PS3. That would show whether or not it ignores HHDCP. I wish he would do it.

I did a little searching in the AVS HDTV Recorders forum. Seems what Kelson states is mostly true – HDCP is fairly prevalent on the HDMI output of most cable and sat STBs. Although the odd poster sometimes gets basic channels passing out of their HDMI output of the cable/sat box into the HDMI input of the Hauppauge Colossus. Most of the posters are predicting that if you still get any HDCP unprotected signals out of the cable/sat HDMI – soon you won’t…






I think the answer is that the Mini will not record from an STB HDMI output if the signal is HDCP protected. I base my conclusion on the below quote already posted by someone..

It would be so definitive if poster esdwa would just stick a commercial BluRay in his PS3 and see if the mini would record it or not.

Interesting info CitiBear. Do you know if NYC Time Warner Cable sends macrovision over analog outputs for VOD programming? Below is what I know and what I don’t know regarding my situation.

About 12 years ago I got my first digital STB, a Motorola DCT2000 with composite and S-Video outputs. Until last year (when I got my HD PVR Motorola DCX3400-M ) I’ve been recording either out of my recorder's analog tuner or out of the DCT2000 to SVHS and later DVDr . Now-a-days my recordings are from either basic or tiered packages but in the past I did have a premium movie channel package that included HBO and of course I archived a few concerts from there. I have never encountered any analog macrovision problems and I know the DCT2000 can have macrovision activated. Now since January 2012 I’ve been recording out of my HD PVR but only from the analog outputs and still no macrovision troubles.

My cable co SHAW does send out analog macrovision (and possibly CGMS-A and CGMS-D as well) but according to Shaw they apply the analog macro-vision signal only to VOD content.
See this 2004 article:
Shaw Communications Activates Macrovision's VOD Content Protection

Like you I’m macro-free with recording non VOD content out the analog output but what I need to know is if Shaw’s basic cable channels like PBS are using HDCP over HDMI and if I can record HD out of my Motorola DCX3400-M PVR into a unit like the Hauppauge Colossus via HDMI I/O.

I guess I won’t know for sure unless I try it.

Since first signing up for TWC around 1992, I have never seen Macrovision protection applied using any of the analog taps on Pioneer, Scientific Atlanta, or Samsung decoder boxes. No MV on the the broadcast, basic, standard, premium, premium VOD, or "free" VOD. No CGMS-A, either, which is kind of surprising. None of my VCRs or DVD/HDD recorders has ever been blocked from recording anything, even when using the decoder HDMI to feed an HDMI>S-Video adapter. The only signal I have not tried recently is extra-charge, optional VOD offerings like current movies, concerts or sports events.