I have seen similar questions from 2003 that weren't answered but am hoping that new users might have the info. I can capture video through my video card but it takes 2 hours for a 2 hour program. Is there some way to copy right off the hard drive - I'm assuming it's stored in some MPEG format. Any ideas?
It depends on the PVR. Just because a PVR captures to an MPEG compliant stream doesn't mean that it uses a standard file format or even a standard file system. Basically there are 2 issues. The first is getting the files to your PC and the second is ripping those files to a standard MPEG file format. Tivo, for example, runs on linux so the file system is standard, but it uses it's own format to store the streams. Depending on the exact model you can transfer to a PC using a network card (don't remember if you have to load a modified OS) and use a piece of software called TyTool to extract the streams to a standard file. For Dish Network PVR receivers, on the other hand, you need to physically connect the hard drive to your PC and use a different tool to extract the streams. A lot of it depends on whether the manufacturer cares whether you get to the files. If they want to stop you they'll use a proprietary OS/filetype and not release the specs publicly so you have to hope that somebody who knows what they're doing has had the time, patience, and sometimes luck to reverse engineer it. And of course the more popular the particular unit is the more likely it is that there's tools/instructions around.
Thanks for the reply. I have a Bell Expressvu 5100 receiver - the only external port (which is listed "for future use" in the manual) is about the size of a serial port - I'm not sure if it is even connected on the inside.
Yeah, it seems to me that it's about the same as the Dish PVR 510. You might want to check out a Yahoo Group called Dishrip that's dedicated to ripping from Dish PVRs. Their tools might do what you need.
Just to throw in my 2ยข, Expressvu uses Dish Network's equipment. Mechanically they are identical. Oh, and just to note, if this thread seems to disapear, look for it in the "PVR Devices" Forum. One of the mods will likely move it for us, as it probably should have been there anyways.
So I wasn't imagining things. Ken0042, Do you know which Dish PVR it's equivalent to? I was thinking it's the same as the 510, in which case the Yahoo Group I mentioned does cover it.
