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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102 to AreSee

Member

to AreSee

Re: Good Luck

I'm glad I still have a VCR.;)
Big Dawg 23
join:2002-03-27
Northfield, MN

Big Dawg 23

Member

They still make VCR's???? Why don't you roll back to Betamax. I have been using a DVR for 5 years and will never go back. With Charter it is like Comcast and you can not record VOD. I am free to record HBO Channels which I do and then delete.

Lagz
Premium Member
join:2000-09-03
The Rock

4 edits

Lagz

Premium Member

said by Big Dawg 23:

They still make VCR's???? Why don't you roll back to Betamax. I have been using a DVR for 5 years and will never go back. With Charter it is like Comcast and you can not record VOD. I am free to record HBO Channels which I do and then delete.
The point he was making was even if DVR's get blocked from recording, then a VCR can still record the show. That recording can be converted just as easy and just as good of quality as a DVR recording. I can just hook up my computer directly to the satellite or cable coax and record it and converted to mpeg1-4 on the fly.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Still don't need a VCR. Buy a $75 Hauppauge WinTV board (or equivalent) and either hook up RF or composite video to your PC. Record the RF/composite directly to MPEG2.

The only issue: Do the VOD/DVR devices employ classic MacroVision copy protection? If so, then you'd need a small "black box" in the middle of the video to trim the MacroVision encoding. I believe they use "off screen" video scan lines to overwhelm the automatic gain governing circuits on recorders. Although your TV's presentation of the signal is unaffected, a recording ends up with wide swings in brightness which makes it too irritating to watch.

AreSee
join:2000-09-20
Atlanta, GA

AreSee

Member

said by rradina:

Still don't need a VCR. Buy a $75 Hauppauge WinTV board (or equivalent) and either hook up RF or composite video to your PC. Record the RF/composite directly to MPEG2.

The only issue: Do the VOD/DVR devices employ classic MacroVision copy protection? If so, then you'd need a small "black box" in the middle of the video to trim the MacroVision encoding. I believe they use "off screen" video scan lines to overwhelm the automatic gain governing circuits on recorders. Although your TV's presentation of the signal is unaffected, a recording ends up with wide swings in brightness which makes it too irritating to watch.
You talking about this? I use this in between my STB and my Hauppauge PVR250 tuner using MCE. It works for the MacroVision, but I think that VOB uses a different mechanism to set copy protection and expiration dates.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

said by AreSee:

You talking about this? I use this in between my STB and my Hauppauge PVR250 tuner using MCE. It works for the MacroVision, but I think that VOB uses a different mechanism to set copy protection and expiration dates.
That looks like it would do the trick! I love the marketing speak; "...stabilizes the video signal ... ensuring optimal video quality for your DVD copies..." Never a mention that it removes encoding designed to protect the video.

I'm surprised the MPAA citing DMCA isn't all over this. I knew you could buy plans and build your own but I didn't know it was legal to sell fully assembled units.

Regarding the VOB, I'm speaking only about RF or composite video. Once it's an analog video signal, I don't think it matters whether it started out VOB, MPEG2, MPEG4 or Windows Media. The only thing possible is to fiddle with the output gain to foil the recording.

aaronfitz
Premium Member
join:2004-03-06
Cedar Rapids, IA

aaronfitz to rradina

Premium Member

to rradina
said by rradina:

I believe they use "off screen" video scan lines to overwhelm the automatic gain governing circuits on recorders. Although your TV's presentation of the signal is unaffected, a recording ends up with wide swings in brightness which makes it too irritating to watch.
Whoa, that's what Macrovision does? I've had a couple DVD players that did this while hooked up through a VCR to a TV that only had a coax input. The guy at Radioshack made up something about reduced power output of the new DVD players. I now hate Macrovision.