Recording to PC from a SA 8300HD via Firewire

I have searched the excellent thread bdraw started for installing Windows Drivers to record on your PC from a cable STB via Firewire for details on connecting up a Scientific Atlanta SA8300HD to your PC via Firewire.

I assure you that I am no newbie to this as the thread was originally written at my request on another site to summarize the 35 pages of postings of trials and errors that were here at the time where people were experimenting how to accomplish this task in an easy step by step method.

Several posts note they are not able to get a SA8300HD to work via the methods listed but other posters state the firewire was not active on the SA8300HD at the time these posts were made (last February).

I switched out one of my Firewire Equiped SA 3250HD as the newer SA8300HD models with active firewire arrived at my MSO. Though they are still clearing out the remaining old discontinued 8300HD models with no IEEE 1394 ports, the new ones clearly have them activated as required by law.

I have confirmed this by looking at the IEEE1394 driver located in the SA 8300HD Diagnostic Screens.

I have also confirmed the output to a DVHS via Firewire.

When I plug in the unit via firewire to a computer with Windows XP, I get the typical unidentified devices x2 and then 2 Tuner AV/C Devices. I can only assume there are 2 because the SA8300HD has 2 tuners in it and it is seeing both of them.

I installed the drivers we have all used for BOTH of the tuners. The Device Manager shows them under Imaging Devices and Windows seems happy with them.



Windows XP Clearly knows this is a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD.



But when you start CapVHS, it's the dreaded Cannot Find Capture Device.



I have fooled around with this for several hours, installing and reinstalling drivers over and over.

I have plugged the SA3250HD back in and I have seen that work. It captures off the same IEEE1394 cable and port - so I know the cable and the Computer side IEEE 1394 is not the issue.

As Windows knows this is a SA8300HD, its clear the connection is there and working - just finding the right device drivers seems to be the issue.

Has anyone had any success installing drivers that allow the SA8300HD to work with a PC in Windows XP?

I hate to go the Firebus route, but will if this is the only way.

If there is a thread about the 8300HD and this poblem, my apology - but as has been noted and documented in the appropriate forum to David, the search feature is missing many keyword posts since the avs forum software ws update 6 months ago. I cannot find a thread where this has been discussed in detail or a workaround has been found.

If one has, please have a moderator merge this post to that thread. I would also suggest they put a link in the 8300HD topics to that thread.

Thanks

Unfortunately there are 8300 threads all over the HDTV Hardware and Recorders threads - so I agree with you - it's hard to figure where to actually put the info without crossposting.

On a Side Note, the SA3250HD does work exactly as its suppose to with the drivers.

One would think the SA8300HD would do the same.

Let me give everyone an update on this after much more experimentation.

One of my setups consists of a Sony KV-34XBR960 with full firewire and cablecard, an SA8300HD and a Mitsubishi 2000 DVHS.

I can see the 8300 and its output via firewire full screen on the Sony - so it is clearly sending an output - live and off the hard drive.

I can record to the DVHS via the SA3250HD. I have checked the Diagnostics page on the 3250HD and it seems the flags are set the same as they are on the SA8300HD.

However, when I try to record to the DVHS from the 8300HD, it goes for 30 seconds and then stops giving me a CP flashing LED (Copy Protection I would assume).

Even on the OTA Channels that are set to "free" for 5c this happens.

Again, all OTA Channels and Premium Encrypted Channels with 5c work recorded from the SA3250, but fail with CP from the SA8300HD.

I have even tried to move a program from the 8300 to the DVHS as it allows you to do from the menu - but of course it fails there as well - and the 8300HD Menu only seems to want you to move the program to a SVHS recorder????? When the specs should allow you to move it off to the DVHS and wipe it from the SA8300 Hard Drive at the same time with a copy never flag on the DVHS copy of that point.

Has anyone gotten the SA8300HD to work with a DVHS recorder yet?

If you want to save a program more than just a typical time shift, this is the only way to do it and it doesn't seem to be working.

Can you list the driver versions you have in your SA8300 Randall? It would be appreciated as a good starting point.



Thanks for the suggestion. It might work for some others, but in my case, the firewire driver isn't the cause of the issue as I can record from a SA3250HD with no problem - while the SA8300 clearly has an issue using the same path.

I did hear back from the people working on the issue here with SA.

It has been elevated at SA again - whether SA is blowing smoke or not, who knows.

SA originally told the cable companies obviously the Mitsubishi DVHS wasn't compliant. I told them to respond that there are really only Mitsubishi and JVC DVHS units and I have both.

If neither work, show us one that does and that their STBs are compliant.

The local people agree with me and are pressing this.

Atleast I recording Scarface right now from the 3250HD.

It's ridiculous you have to have a cable card, a 8300 and a 3250HD just to get everything to work the way you want it to and look the best it can.