ntl digital tv

can anyone advise me if it is possible to record tv programmes direct to pc via my cable set top box. Any assistance greatly appreciated.

 

Yes it is possible and rather easy. Simply purchase either a typical composite video capture card or a real time MPEG2 encoder (product referred to as a "PVR" mostly ) for your PC.

The video capture board should come with software to capture and convert to a viewable format (MPEG2/WMV9/DIVX etc).

From there simply get a Scart (both the Pace and Samsung ntl STB's have an "out/VCR" Scart socket) to S-VIDEO or Composite Video cable (don't forget audio as well).

If your an experienced computer user and running Linux rather than Windows XP things get much better and much more flexible although much more manual.

 

many thanks for quick reply - i thought it was going to a lot more difficult - i can now rest easy for the moment
cheers

 

If is possible anyone can explain me what is the communication part of the set up in onNet onmail ondigital boxes Email through TV set

 

hi, how about simply using s-video for grabbing the mpeg and recording the audio by optical or coax? Is it possible to record your file like this? the audio will probably be encoded in dolby digital or dts (ac3)... does any one know if there's a pvr that can read+encode video and digital audio?

the thing is that i'm about to buy a set top box for dvb-c but our cable company has some kinda monopoly: it's that box or nothing. So they heavily protected their device. U can record on hdd with this thing + timeshifting but there's no way u can make backups of your files :-s

any info would be appreciated...

 

Telewest and ntl don't have a monopoly, rather their broadcast networks utilise DVB-C and any DVB-C STB or PC adapter will understand their transport streams.

The problem is that ntl and Telewest utilise NAGRA conditional access i.e. channel encrytion. So if you are going to buy a device that isn't suppiled by those companies then it better support NAGRA or all you will be able to get is free to air channels, in other words nothing you don't have already.

I must say that the chance of finding any device which is even mildly useful is very slim and to be honest you are putting at risk the supply of services from ntl as their terms and conditions are very clear about plugging in equipment not supplied by them. It is also worth noting that their networks cost many billions of dollars and contain incredibly sensitive transmission equipment which does not react kindly to devices not designed to appropriate dvb-c and davic/docsis standards.

My thoughts are to hang on for IPTV over DSL, hopefully services for this will launch nationwide in teh UK early next year. This will give you lots to play with and allow you to snoop the network and TV transmission as much as you like without risking damaging someones private cable network.

 

hi, i'm not a user of ntl and it isn't available in my country... We only have one operator and they are using a scrambled signal too. But i heard that a video corrector can remove the macrovision-protection after you've recorded a video on the harddisk of the device... I know it's illegal but what to do if your operator lets you record video but doesn't give you the ability to backup your files...

 

I'm sorry, I am confused. Macrovision is totally unrelated to conditional access/encryption used by cable or satellite TV companies.

Macrovision is a copy protection mechanisim using technology built into VCR's etc. Any PC ripping or recording software worth it's salt will simply bypass Marcovision and record to your HDD ignoring the copy protection triggers broadcast by your TV company.

 

sorry for my weird previous message. My idea was to get a settop box with built-in hdd. After recording it on hdd I'd descramble the file using a pvr on my pc. Not really great for the quality but until now it's the only way to backup these files as the settop box is 100% copy protected (scrambled recordings + ethernet-connection is protected so file sharing is not possible).
The only question is how i'd record the 5.1-sound. I'd say capturing the video-file by s-video and the audio by s/pdif but I'm not shure if that's gonna work...
The macrovision-problem is when i'd try to record the video on my pc as the digital tv-stream contains macrovision-protection. Not shure if that will work either

 

Is there n e was u can record off of an NTL set top box with a tv card and keep the signal digital. I have tried using scart - s-video, composite and using the rf but i its all analogue, and the quality is pretty crap.

 

This guy is talking rubbish. First of all hooking up devices not made to by ntl to an OUTPUT is perfectly legit and ntl do not make any such devices! Secondly if you use a scart block to S video then the video signal will come out black and white.

 

hi, i had problems too before using such a scart block so i connected it using a standard video cinch. btw scart, s-video, cinch... it's all analog...
If you wanna have it digital, your tuner needs a digital connector out such as dvi or hdmi + you need some equipment on your computer to connect a dvi- or hdmi-in + software to read the signal.
btw if your tuner doesn't have digital video out (which is very likely) there's no way to record things digital.

 

The connections the card has is ant. in which supports the free to air digital channels and analogue cable, also composite and s-video in (but has no outputs) as it is only a DVB-T card.
I think i need a DVB-C card for what I want to do but I cant find any HD-Ready ones. Alterntively I could just get a DVD Recorder.

Cheers for the reply!

 

Can anybody recommend any good HD-Ready DVB-C cards?
Also any that support ac3 capture for dolby digital (though thats not very important).

Cheers.

 

does the MyHD MDP-130 pci card support digital cable or is it only analogue. All the places i look say that u can tune in un-encrypted cable channels but it doesnt specify whether it is digital or analogue. Also, can these cards be used with NTL cable in the uk?

 

hi, all the data you need is written on this page:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/Support/cn_myhd_1.asp

works with vga + Component Y-Pb-Pr so no dvi- or hdmi-quality + you should also check which kinda interface your cabletuner has. Also depends on how high the quality must be for you. Audio can be analog or digital, whatever you want.

greetz,

jr.

 

I dont really understand that. LOL. Is Y-Pb-Pr connection to analogue HD sources? I just wanted 2 know if I could use that to tune in PAL Digital Cable, and have it HD ready for when HD NTL Cable is released (next year hopefully!). But I cant find that in the information.
It doesnt have 2 be a MyHD card. Just an HD Ready Digital Cable Tuner that is compatible with UK digital cable signals. Also with ac3 dolby 5.1 support (not too important though)

Cheers!

 

hi, have you read chapter 1 of that page? It says "over the air" + "Since Cable and Satellite services do not use 8VSB modulation, their signals require dedicated tuners, and once decoded, cannot be routed to the input of the HDTV PC cards".

Sorry dude, apperently my prob with my local cableprovider isn't a local prob but a global prob...

Over the air ain't a prob but cableproviders lock themself off in order to protect copywrights and stuff prob...

 

Oh well. Cheers n e way. Is this impossible 2 do then or is this the wrong type of card? I have a DVB-T card (HD Ready) and that only receives the free-to-air digital channels, and the only other connections it has is composite and s-video which I can connect to my NTL set-top box but they convert the signal to analogue so I dont get digital quality.
I noticed that the MyHD Cards are called HDTV Tuner Cards not Cable Cards. I have been looking for HD Ready DVB-C cards but I cant seem 2 find n e. Are these things that u have a good knowlege of? because these are new 2 me. If u could recommend any that would be great.

Cheers.
Martin.

 

hi, i'm not shure about this but i don't think that they exist... As far as i know hdtv-channel over cable are subscribtion-channels so cablecompanies are protecting these channels for any potentional copying/recording.
At my local cablecompany i can get a settopbox with an internal hdd-recorder but there's no way to backup or to export the data on that drive :-(