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Gear / Technical Help => Photo / Video Recording => Topic started by: leib on December 12, 2011, 11:53:49 PM

Title: transferring files from DVR
Post by: leib on December 12, 2011, 11:53:49 PM

Hi, i hope someone can help me.
I have some recordings on my DVR (verizon) that I want to capture.
anyone do this before, if i can't transfer it directly I guess I could record onto my panny TM-700
suggestions?
TIA

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: sabre on December 13, 2011, 09:08:54 PM

What model is your DVR?

Some DVRs have the capability to transfer recordings via USB. Even if your model does not support this feature directly, it may be possible to remove the hard drive from your DVR and install it into a PC and extract the files that way. Hopefully the files aren't encrypted. Are your recordings HD?

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: runonce on December 14, 2011, 07:52:32 AM

I pulled a 500GB SATA drive from a DishTV DVR...no luck getting it recognized on the computer...so, not sure it will be that easy.

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: leib on December 14, 2011, 10:33:00 AM

Thanks, when I get home I'll check he model

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: keytohwy on December 15, 2011, 02:05:47 PM

Also, what OS are you transferring to?

I've got a TiVo (I know you do not) an transferring is trivial.  Also, some DVRs have firewire, also giving easy access, with the right software.

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: russjcan2 on December 19, 2011, 11:41:37 AM

your cable dvr will be encrypted and also won't work unless it can communicate with the cable company.

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: Chrisedge on December 19, 2011, 01:24:31 PM

You usually use Firewire to transfer from Cable Boxes, uncompressed to a Computer. There is an good thread on AVForum on how to do it with Macs/PC's...

Title: Re: transferring files from DVR
Post by: rigpimp on February 14, 2012, 01:00:10 PM

If it is one of the older Scientific-Atlanta boxes you may be in luck but I do not have experience. 

If it is the newer Motorola DCT3416 it has a live firewire port in the back.  You can find a set of Windows drivers online and use CapDVHS to capture the .ts file in real time, both SD and HD as the .ts is just a container.  I used to split open the .ts file with HDTV2MPEG and then edit out commercials and render it to DVD using VideoReDo.

The biggest problem today is the broadcast flag.  Most programs are encrypted now without a workaround and that is when I stopped messing around with it.

Get your stb model number and search for it in the AVS forums. 

Also check here: http://home.comcast.net/~exdeus/stbfirewire/

Good luck!