How-To: MacOS X Firewire HDTV recording - Page 12

I updated the MacTimeShifter application for the Moto 6200 and here are links to some screenshots.

http://mac_hdtv_timer.home.comcast.net/MTS1.pdf

http://mac_hdtv_timer.home.comcast.net/MTS2.pdf

http://mac_hdtv_timer.home.comcast.n...meShifterX.zip
The preset channels work in Comcast areas with a similar channel lineup

Have to click on Enable Tune to Channels, once only during session, to tune a channel from the dropdown menu. Still need to use scripts as before for iCal integration. This is a very simple interface. Okay, simplistic.

If anyone has the same channel lineup, please let me know how channel tuning works for you.?

One thing that comes to mind, though the display may sleep, don't let the computer go to sleep. This impacts iCal's ability to launch file alarms.

You Don't - I'm mean, It Is! Hehe I just tested! I forgot to turn off energy saver and I didn't get the beginning of the hockey game so I did this experiment instead. Try it yourself. I kicked off a recording session in VirtualDVHS then navigated to the folder that contains my .m2t files and double clicked the file that was just created 30 seconds ago. I watched 5 minutes of hockey streaming to that file and displayed through VLC all the while my TV was displaying the same thing - 30 seconds further into the game! That's timeshifting baby

My closest example is recording a movie because my wife had to run an errand. She returned about a half-hour into the movie. While recording, I networked the same file to the PC with the MyHD card. I have done closer, but the playback sometimes ends because the sectors being written and read got too close.

Yes, it failed to play.

The error I get from VirtualDVHS is...

MPEG2Transmitter Error: Invalid TS Packet Header!

Maybe I should have Doc1394 take a look at this stream.

-Pie

I played some files from a channel that glitches thru my MIT MDR-200 which VirtualDVHS reported these errors as overrun errors. These files were recorded on the slower internal drive. An analysis of the file reported a lot of continuity errors. This had nothing to do with CP.

This error means that the 188-byte ts packet it just read out of the file didn't start with a 0x47 byte-value, which all MPEG2-ts packets must do. Somehow the .m2t file is corrupted, or at least, it has some corrupted packets.

Cliff,

The files were captured from Cinemax which has been exhibiting glitching on my cable system.

No visible glitches during playback while recording. As mentioned previously I've got a G5 Dual 2GHz/1GB DDR SDRAM under the hood to handle the CPU cycles. Does a fine job


Pie - I just read this post from the Doc' over on the Copy Protection thread. Looks like I'm not alone with 5C on my premium channels...

[EDIT]
Over on the SA3250 thread Diana from TW posted the MOU requirements for copy protection and it states that Premium and Expanded Basic channels are supposed to be set to Copy Once.

Sounds like maybe I need to reopen the discussion with Comcast...

First of all, This is an amazing thread. I have been considering an HTPC for awhile but have been a Mac convert since OSX (BSD Unix).

I'm going to upgrade my Moto 5100 to 6100 so I can get the Firewire port to the Mac and use all of the great scripts in this thread.

My problem is going to be playback since my plasma has no firewire. What are my options for getting content from Mac to TV? I don't believe the VLC is an option b/c my G4 867 cannot handle playback. I saw one post on the Roku.

Concurrently I'm planning on upgrading my DVD player w/ a DVI connection. The new Momitsu V880N player supports 100Base T Ethernet so I'm thinking I should be able to have the V880N connect to my Mac and stream(?) the VOB?

Keep up the good work guys. This is promising for all of us who have seen the Apple light.

My current understanding is that if your cable provider opt's to begin using the copy control settings as mine has, even Copy Once will encrypt the data, blocking Mac's (and PC's) from recording. I'm not sure how your DVHS players will fit into this equation though.

I'm not too bad off though. Here's what I can currently record -

All Digital Non-Premium Channels including:
ESPNHD
INHD
INHD2
StarzHD (Shhhh )
NBCHD
ABCHD
PBSHD

Not bad, but I'm not sure I'm gonna drop the $149 for the VGA to Component adapter. I may just save my money and wait for the HD DVR's that are on the horizon.

There is no requirement that premium and expanded basic have 5C descriptors set to copy once. That is, however, the most restrictive level of copy protection allowed for this level of programming under the FCC rules. If the programmers wanted the descriptor to be copy freely then that can be their prerogative as well. OTA must be no restrictive than copy freely. PPV can be copy never.

I wouldn't quite dismiss your chances of using VLC. Make certain you are using at least version 7.1. On a G4 Mac running at 450 MHz I can almost play a 1280 x 720 stream (ie 720p). It drops frames but it clearly close to sufficient. This has not been the case with earlier versions of VLC.

On the other hand I have heard good reports about using Roku. I guess you still use VLC but set the advanced output options in the open dialog to stream using http and MPEG TS for encapsulation. If the $300 is not a problem or you don't want your Mac particularly close to your screen, then the Roku option looks quite attractive.

Let's just hope that behind the scenes Steve and the boys at Apple are working on something great. Something that will be so cool that we'll be able watch what we want, when we want. In SD or HD. Sort of an iPod for the TV - connected to an iTunes type Movie store. I have high hopes. If they're not already working on it, it's too late IMHO. I hope they are

My interpretation of what Steve said was that people don't want to watch TV on their computer. I agree with you that a Mac or a PC should not be the DVR, but I do not believe that Apple is sitting on their tails with regard to the pending VOD boom. It will drastically change the way we all spend our entertainment time - as well as totally shake the advertising world as they scramble to figure out how to reach their target demographic when everyone can skip past commercials with their DVR's. Companies like Seachange and Concurrent are pushing Ad Insertion as a method for cable provided VOD, but I wonder how that will shake out.

As far as an iPod-like device for the TV - it could be a revolutionary DVR. Apple never does anything that isn't cool do they? I'm just hoping they surprise us

Hello,

For stuff that is still copy freely, here is the Xcode project to make tweaks for your local channel lineup. Hopefully, there will be a 5C compliant FireWire card. I do not like tape!

Also, I hope someone else is preparing better interface. I consider this an interim solution. See this page for info on how to tweak the channels for your area.

Just wanted to confirm with y'all that after discovering the 1394 Information Menu on my SA3250HD I found the following information regarding copy protection:

As suspected all channels are "free" except for HBO, Cinemax and Showtime which are "once" in fields EMI and CCI. Lucky me - Starz is still "free" They've got some decent flicks! I guess I better archive while I have the chance eh?

Question: Now that I can record movies on Starz I may opt to buy that VGA to Component adapter. How do I get sound to my TV though?

Not for PC's and Mac's. Anything but "free" means it's encrypted and the device on the other end needs to have the key. Case closed for me.

It depends on your sound card. You should have an output that would ordinarily go to desktop speakers. Get a Y cable for regular analog audio using that output. I recall that SPDIF doesn't work with vlc 0.7.1a on a G5.

Get your hacker buddies on it, because TWC has turned on Copy Once for every channel (except broadcast). This has ended my Mac HD recording days! *sniff*

PM me when they have it, and I'll throw in a 6 pack!!

-Pie

PS. A 12 Pack!!!

PPS OMG Star Trek V is an emberassingly bad movie!!!

Well, comparing DTCP to CSS is like comparing a Porche to a Yugo. I'm not going to go so far as saying that it's "unbreakable," (nothing is) but it's WAY more sophisticated than CSS.

Also, the "key" that is being referred to is a digital certificate, including a public/private keypair. These certificates can be revoked. So if it's discovered that someone's device was compromised (or is being used for illegal purposes), its certificate could be revoked. CSS had no practical mechanism for dealing with compromised keys.