can I record from HD channels to my computer?

chrislobina1972 · 13-10-2008, 20:32

Hello,

I HOPE YOU CAN HELP!

I'm very new to all this, but a little technical minded.

I would like to record HD terestial channels(BBC1,ITV and C4) to my computer (I have a macbook) this is so i can grab high quality stills images from TV programs for research purposes. I have not yet purchased any other hardware. I have had a look on a few forums and have gathered (i think!) the cheapest way is to record via freesat with a HD PVR rather than SKY+ or Telewest then download recorded data to my mac, once on my computer I'm hoping I could decode the data into separate frames or grab stills frames from the footage? not too sure if any of this is actually possible. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks, Chris.

ShadowTD · 17-10-2008, 10:34

Easiest way to do it with a Macbook is with a USB DVB-S receiver and the superb EyeTV software. I think the Terratec Synergy S (about Â£85) or the EyeTV 310 will do the job.

**Chris** · 17-10-2008, 10:54

You're a little stuck if you want to grab BBC, ITV and C4 in HD. ITV-HD is only available via Freesat as a red-button service. It's not on Sky. And 4HD is not on Freesat, it's only on Sky.

ITV-HD is set up in this way to prevent it being available to any receiver that isn't Freesat approved (i.e. so Sky can't have it). The signal isn't encrypted as such (because Freesat is supposed to be free, without encryption or conditional access cards required) but delivering it as part of Freesat's interactive service effectively prevents it from being received by any standard free-to-air satellite receiver, or a Sky receiver.

The eye-tv solution ShadowTD mentioned will not work with Sky - its CAM slot is not compatible with Sky subscriber cards (because they use a non-standard system), and it won't work with ITV-HD because it can't receive Freesat's interactive components.

If you want to receive all the PSB channels in HD, then you will need a Freesat-HD box (for BBC-HD and ITV-HD), a Sky-HD box (for BBC-HD and 4HD).

You then need some means of recording your programmes ... and there I bow out of the discussion, as I haven't a clue about that side of things. It must be possible because HD recordings of UK TV shows turn up all the time on the various useful-but-legally-dubious download services all over the internet.

... Basically, the eye-tv will work if you only want BBC-HD (although it is inevitable that at some point in the future, ITV and C4 will also put their HD channels on a free-to-air footing). The simplest, and cheapest, solution would be for you to acquire HD content via the internet and take screen caps while playing it on your Mac through the VNC Player (downloadable from here).

RealDiamond · 19-10-2008, 17:06

Its Firewire only on laptops, USB has problems with the speed needed, Untill USB 3 that is as the laptop is sharing the USB bus speed for built in devices . ( bad Apple )
<<<<<EyeTV 3 is quite good you should be over the minimum specs needed for HD but EyeTV under estimate how heavy their program is, Eye TV has a snap shot feature built in so no other program will be needed. you can snap shot live of the Timeslip mode .

**Kymmy** · 19-10-2008, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

ITV-HD is set up in this way to prevent it being available to any receiver that isn't Freesat approved (i.e. so Sky can't have it). The signal isn't encrypted as such (because Freesat is supposed to be free, without encryption or conditional access cards required) but delivering it as part of Freesat's interactive service effectively prevents it from being received by any standard free-to-air satellite receiver, or a Sky receiver.

Surely the interative (RED) button still ends up pointing towards a dedicated channel which is not though on the EPG hene you can;t tune directly to it. If so then any HD sat reciever capable of a manual tune (PID, FREQ..etc) should be able to find it...

**Chris** · 19-10-2008, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Surely the interative (RED) button still ends up pointing towards a dedicated channel which is not though on the EPG hene you can;t tune directly to it. If so then any HD sat reciever capable of a manual tune (PID, FREQ..etc) should be able to find it...

ITV-HD is broadcast as an H.222 data stream. This means any STB that is designed to auto-scan and tune cannot receive ITV-HD, because such boxes do not scan for channels that have been flagged in this way.

If you have a box capable of fully manual tuning, and the necessary information to find ITV-HD, then my understanding is you would be able to set it up. I think the point is, the number of people with the kit and the inclination to do this is vanishingly small. This effectively makes ITV-HD a Freesat 'exclusive'.

Freesat is competing in the free-to-air satellite space with FSFS, whose customers are highly unlikely to even be aware of their STB's manual tuning capabilities. I've read some speculation that Sky engineers could enable ITV-HD on Sky STBs by hitting the digiboxes with a software patch, but it's more trouble than it's worth for them to do this - mainly because ITV would end up with an EPG slot on Sky without paying for it, and that would set a difficult precedent for Sky in future negotiations with channels seeking carriage on their service.

ShadowTD · 20-10-2008, 09:14

EyeTV with either device described will get BBC HD and ITV HD (go to http://www.avforums.com/forums/frees...eyetv-mac.html to get ITV HD working).

C4HD is trickier. The 310 with a Sky card in a dragon CAM might allow you to get this, but I don't want to comment further as A) I'm not sure it'll actually work and B) I don't want to upset the mods.

**Chris** · 20-10-2008, 09:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

EyeTV with either device described will get BBC HD and ITV HD (go to http://www.avforums.com/forums/frees...eyetv-mac.html to get ITV HD working).

C4HD is trickier. The 310 with a Sky card in a dragon CAM might allow you to get this, but I don't want to comment further as A) I'm not sure it'll actually work and B) I don't want to upset the mods.

So long as the Sky card is a legitimate one, I'm not sure there's anything illegal in making it work in a non-Sky CAM is there? Or is there something buried in their T&Cs that frowns on it?

Channel 4 is a public service broadcaster, so your Sky subscription doesn't help pay for their channels.