you will need some form of USB capture devoce to get the video into the laptop in the first place. Many people think cos theyre laptop has an SVIDEO port it can capture video but on every laptop Ive seen, its an output ONLY for connecting to a TV or projector etc.
Have a look on www.ebuyer.com as an example and you will find capture cards on their. They vary in price, and its probably fair to say that within reason, you get what you pay for.
Of course, the copying from sky+ to laptop or any other recorder can only be done in real time. A 1hr program will take 1hr to copy, this confuses some people as they think there should be a high speed copy option. Would be a nice addition though
Other than that, all you need is the software and Id still recommend the software in the other thread. I think I paid £35 for TMPGenc and it was the best £35 Ive ever spent. Feel free to ask anything else.
Dont install it til you need it though, so youre not using up your 30 days. Its $68 which is a steal seriously. With quick maths its just under £40 now. Upgrade to newest version is $11 - £6?
Regarding the USB capture devices, I dont know enough about them to recommend any, but you will need to make sure it can record, or at least has a compatible chip that allows free software to use the card to record. Google is your friend for this kind of thing. Haupapauge cards are regarded some of th best though as they have been in the market for a long time, but their softeare leaves a lot to be desired sometimes but free programs can often use the card. You will also need to make sure the laptop has microphone or audio in of some kind. Im sure some cards will have an audio inout on the hardware itself meaning better quality.
Dont install it til you need it though, so youre not using up your 30 days. Its $68 which is a steal seriously. With quick maths its just under £40 now. Upgrade to newest version is $11 - £6?
Regarding the USB capture devices, I dont know enough about them to recommend any, but you will need to make sure it can record, or at least has a compatible chip that allows free software to use the card to record. Google is your friend for this kind of thing. Haupapauge cards are regarded some of th best though as they have been in the market for a long time, but their softeare leaves a lot to be desired sometimes but free programs can often use the card. You will also need to make sure the laptop has microphone or audio in of some kind. Im sure some cards will have an audio inout on the hardware itself meaning better quality.
you are better off buying a DVD recorder to burn from SKY+ to DVD - better quality, more options, less hassle.
USB capture devices are notoriusly tempermental and only the more expensive ones can handle lip syching properly. These prefessional devices essentially have the same software / conversion chips as a DVD recorder anyway so why not go the whole hog.
Absolutely, I agree thats the way I do it, but xstyle asked for my help in another thread I replied to about with someone wanting an overview of how to get recordings onto a PC from a DVD recorder/sky+ combo.
Xstyle seems certain he wants to use the laptop route, but its not for me or anyone really to question this, and Im just giving help in the areas that I can. Everyone has to research their own purchases though and shouldnt rely solely on opinions or comments from anyone. At least, thats the way I do it and I hate to buy something I dont need, and I dont like to see others waste money either.
Id always recommend a fast PC over a laptop due to speed especially the hard drives and the abundance of PCI cards which have faster processors on the card, with some having DVD encoders onboard. But I would always recommend a DVD recorder route over both. Ironically though, I actually want to set up a media centre PC but its mainly to play back mp3s, CDs and video files (movies, TV progs, music videos) already transferred from SKy+ to PC but via DVD recorder.
Im building up a massive library of music videos over the last few months. Basically I record a music channel for 3hrs overnight or when Im at work, and edit out all the crap and the videos I dont want. In one sense it would be easier and faster to do it with a PC recording it, edit out the ads and junk then save, but Im not convinced of the quality gains for the cost of the hardware.
Check compatibility with capture device maker.
Never mind what's on the box, what systems do they use.?
Check returns policy of supplier.!
For what it's worth...
Haven't spoken with Hauppauge for a while now but...
Used a WinTV-go for transfering CCTV (VHS) surveys to CD (avi,mov,wmv)
No sound with these - but absolutely no capture problems at all.
Then a world of hurt about a year ago, with a WinTV-PVR350 (PCI model 993) for which I built a dedicated PC.
SiS648FX-A mobo with a P4-2.8, loads of ram, 256Graphics, etc.
(It was so fast, it's network name was Linford)
The PVR software didn't like it at all - instant freeze ups.
Hauppage = it doesn't like HyperThreading - correct, turned it off.
Hauppage = all our PC's here have Intel845 mobos.!
Installed it in my Dell(Intel845), got dropouts.
So I built another PC, with Intel D865PERL and P4-3.2, you get the drift.
PVR350 works fine now, go figure.!
Records with WinTv2000 software to MPEG2 - edit and burn to DVD with bundled Ulead DVD MovieFactory2.
About 5Gb per hour so watch your HDD size, many defrags etc.
You do get what you pay for...
The £120 PVR350 output is noticeably better than the £40 WinTV-go.
Maybe you should consider one with MPEG2.?
Apart from EPG it's like having Sky+ on your PC.
They can feature NicamTV, FMradio, Pause & Rewind, even a remote.!
I couldn't safely recommend one - and beware if you don't have an Intel based PC.
Linford is over in the corner playing mp3's.
An expensive exercise all round.
Don't be put off - you could just plug in a USB device and be a really happy bunny.
Harass a salesman into giving you a demo or guarantee before you buy. Pretend to be interested in an extended warranty.
Bottom line - I sometimes wish I'd gone down the DVD recorder route, and may yet, I'm using RF feed to PC's (upstairs) so only mono from Sky+ for now.
But I do like a challenge.
Is it not possible to just remove the hard drive & fit on PC and download the sky+ saved movies to hard drive on pc as far as i'm aware they are mpeg2 files are they not?
If only it was that easy! Before I got sky+ and before I had even seen inside a box but knew it was an IDE hard drive, Id dreamed up a way to split the IDE cable so that I could tap onto it, and 'connect' it to my PC with a IDE<>USB adaptor, which would sort of take the drive offline as far as the Sky+ was concerned - even had a spare PSU in mind I was going to use the power the HD so that the sky+ could be switched off oblivious to what was happening
Of course, in reality there is NO way to get the recordings off the hard drive as they are stored in a non-standard format, plus they are still encrypted. The viewing cards decrypt the recordings as you play them back. Sky have spent a lot of money makling sure they thought of everything. Maybe one day they will allow high-speed copying on a box in about 30 years time. Til then, DVD recorders and other PVRs including PCs are the best way to get quality recordings,
Is it not possible to just remove the hard drive & fit on PC and download the sky+ saved movies to hard drive on pc as far as i'm aware they are mpeg2 files are they not?
I'm not sure so your input would be grateful
No you cant do that, and its been asked a few hundred times on these forums!
For starters the Sky+ data is encrypted, and also requires viewing card authentication to play.
Why not just wait guys for the films to be broadcast on broadband and then download? I heard that Sky will be broadcasting trials later this year for those of Sky+ and on top packages to enable them to view films via PC overbroadband. If this is good quality the encription problem may have been sorted?
I use a JVC HDD DVD writer- agree with above- simple to use - trim and edit recordings from s-video port of sky, quickly easily and reliably burn DVD's. tried the PC route- great for enthusiasts and gadget freaks, but if you want the job done- get a DVD recorder. the HDD makes it easier and more flexible
If you are seeking a analogue to digital converor - or capture device as many have called it here, I highly recommend the Canopus ADVC-55. Well worth the money. Hooking up your SKY+ to this through the yellow (or s-video), red and white leads and then connecting this to the laptop via firewire, the PC will treat it as a DV camera and then you use simple software to capture the footage from SKY to PC. You could go for a cheaper TV capture card rather than this device, but you will not guarantee video/audio sync and in my opinion you will not get as good a qualit - but if you want to go this route, the cheapest option is the ATI AIW Cards - however, these are AGP/PCI cards NOT for the laptop!
Then to put this on DVD, use TMPGEnc Xpress 3 to convert the captured .avi into mpeg2 video and mpeg audio so it fits on to a DVD - here you can also cut the footage, e.g. to remove advertises as well as black out the top fuzzy line you get from TV.
Then use TMPGEnc DVD Author to convert it to a playable format and burn it onto DVD-R - at this stage you can add professional menus!
It can be a long winded process where encoding will take up to 5 or 6 hours, but the results are superb. You also have more flexibility that a standalone DVD player.
If you want a quick and easy way of transferring to DVD - a standalone DVD Recorder will always prevail as the encoding is done 'on the fly' via hardware, getting one with a Hard Disk will give you more editing options to cut footage, but nowhere near what you could achieve with the PC method.
Laptop connections in the AV cabinet:
1. WinTV PVR USB 2; connected to Sky+ (copy programmes on DVD)
2. VGA cable; connected to Pioneer plasma's media box (use PC on big screen)
3. USB device for wireless keyboard & mouse (sit on my sofa from afar)
4. USB cradle for Digital Camera
5. A mini-DV Camcorder will also connect to edit & burn tapes onto DVD
Power Sockets in AV Cabinet:
6. Laptop Power lead/cable
7. Digital Camera Power lead/cable
8. Digital Camcorder Power lead/cable
I think it makes sense for me to get a USB hub which will be easier to plug/unplug into the laptop.
Can you see any other things /ideas / possible pitfalls I need to consider??
I also want to use it with my camcorder, and burn and edit the Mini-DV tapes onto DVD
If you have a DV camcorder, it probably works as an Analog to Digital converter.
I copy programmes from Sky+ to my laptop by connecting S-VIDEO from Sky+ into Camcorder, and Camcorder to laptop via firewire, and just capturing via any DV capture software.
If you have a DV camcorder, it probably works as an Analog to Digital converter.
I copy programmes from Sky+ to my laptop by connecting S-VIDEO from Sky+ into Camcorder, and Camcorder to laptop via firewire, and just capturing via any DV capture software.
But is the quality as good as recording from sky+ to a stand alone dvd recorder?
I bought the Belkin USB video capture thing, got this all hooked up to my Samsung only to realise that there was nowhere to plug in the Audio!! Please don't make the same mistake as me - make sure you have a line-in on the laptop, as not all do.
So I had to go and get a USB sound card - frankly now the whole thing is a complete pain, and I wish I'd just bought a DVD recorder!
i wish i had read this before ,
i have been videoing the programme then playing it back on slo mo frame advance and taking pictures of each frame with a disposable camera . Then i send them off to trueprint and then scan each one into my pc . I would advise against anyone following this route as i have just finished die hard 1 ( 3more to go ) it has taken me 6 years and cost £16,000. oh yeah and no sound ..... damn !!!
But if anyone else wants to try it i could let you have the negatives will be a bit cheaper ....
Comments
you will need some form of USB capture devoce to get the video into the laptop in the first place. Many people think cos theyre laptop has an SVIDEO port it can capture video but on every laptop Ive seen, its an output ONLY for connecting to a TV or projector etc.
Have a look on www.ebuyer.com as an example and you will find capture cards on their. They vary in price, and its probably fair to say that within reason, you get what you pay for.
Of course, the copying from sky+ to laptop or any other recorder can only be done in real time. A 1hr program will take 1hr to copy, this confuses some people as they think there should be a high speed copy option. Would be a nice addition though
Other than that, all you need is the software and Id still recommend the software in the other thread. I think I paid £35 for TMPGenc and it was the best £35 Ive ever spent. Feel free to ask anything else.
http://www.cdr-zone.com/software/video_encoding/tmpgenc.html
So u need this and the USB capture device?
Someone else suggested the
Hauppage WIN TV USB2
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/110014/art/hauppauge/wintv-usb2-589-usb-2-0-tv.html
http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda.html
Dont install it til you need it though, so youre not using up your 30 days. Its $68 which is a steal seriously. With quick maths its just under £40 now. Upgrade to newest version is $11 - £6?
Regarding the USB capture devices, I dont know enough about them to recommend any, but you will need to make sure it can record, or at least has a compatible chip that allows free software to use the card to record. Google is your friend for this kind of thing. Haupapauge cards are regarded some of th best though as they have been in the market for a long time, but their softeare leaves a lot to be desired sometimes but free programs can often use the card. You will also need to make sure the laptop has microphone or audio in of some kind. Im sure some cards will have an audio inout on the hardware itself meaning better quality.
you are better off buying a DVD recorder to burn from SKY+ to DVD - better quality, more options, less hassle.
USB capture devices are notoriusly tempermental and only the more expensive ones can handle lip syching properly. These prefessional devices essentially have the same software / conversion chips as a DVD recorder anyway so why not go the whole hog.
Xstyle seems certain he wants to use the laptop route, but its not for me or anyone really to question this, and Im just giving help in the areas that I can. Everyone has to research their own purchases though and shouldnt rely solely on opinions or comments from anyone. At least, thats the way I do it and I hate to buy something I dont need, and I dont like to see others waste money either.
Id always recommend a fast PC over a laptop due to speed especially the hard drives and the abundance of PCI cards which have faster processors on the card, with some having DVD encoders onboard. But I would always recommend a DVD recorder route over both. Ironically though, I actually want to set up a media centre PC but its mainly to play back mp3s, CDs and video files (movies, TV progs, music videos) already transferred from SKy+ to PC but via DVD recorder.
Im building up a massive library of music videos over the last few months. Basically I record a music channel for 3hrs overnight or when Im at work, and edit out all the crap and the videos I dont want. In one sense it would be easier and faster to do it with a PC recording it, edit out the ads and junk then save, but Im not convinced of the quality gains for the cost of the hardware.
D
Never mind what's on the box, what systems do they use.?
Check returns policy of supplier.!
For what it's worth...
Haven't spoken with Hauppauge for a while now but...
Used a WinTV-go for transfering CCTV (VHS) surveys to CD (avi,mov,wmv)
No sound with these - but absolutely no capture problems at all.
Then a world of hurt about a year ago, with a WinTV-PVR350 (PCI model 993) for which I built a dedicated PC.
SiS648FX-A mobo with a P4-2.8, loads of ram, 256Graphics, etc.
(It was so fast, it's network name was Linford)
The PVR software didn't like it at all - instant freeze ups.
Hauppage = it doesn't like HyperThreading - correct, turned it off.
Hauppage = all our PC's here have Intel845 mobos.!
Installed it in my Dell(Intel845), got dropouts.
So I built another PC, with Intel D865PERL and P4-3.2, you get the drift.
PVR350 works fine now, go figure.!
Records with WinTv2000 software to MPEG2 - edit and burn to DVD with bundled Ulead DVD MovieFactory2.
About 5Gb per hour so watch your HDD size, many defrags etc.
You do get what you pay for...
The £120 PVR350 output is noticeably better than the £40 WinTV-go.
Maybe you should consider one with MPEG2.?
Apart from EPG it's like having Sky+ on your PC.
They can feature NicamTV, FMradio, Pause & Rewind, even a remote.!
I couldn't safely recommend one - and beware if you don't have an Intel based PC.
Linford is over in the corner playing mp3's.
An expensive exercise all round.
Don't be put off - you could just plug in a USB device and be a really happy bunny.
Harass a salesman into giving you a demo or guarantee before you buy. Pretend to be interested in an extended warranty.
Bottom line - I sometimes wish I'd gone down the DVD recorder route, and may yet, I'm using RF feed to PC's (upstairs) so only mono from Sky+ for now.
But I do like a challenge.
Alan Mc.
no picture/voice lag and great picture quality.
It came with sonic myDVD which works fine for what I need
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvrusb2.html
cost me £130 when i bought it but it captures direct to any format mpeg2 etc now i use my lite-on lvw 5006 for short stuff
I'm not sure so your input would be grateful
Of course, in reality there is NO way to get the recordings off the hard drive as they are stored in a non-standard format, plus they are still encrypted. The viewing cards decrypt the recordings as you play them back. Sky have spent a lot of money makling sure they thought of everything. Maybe one day they will allow high-speed copying on a box in about 30 years time. Til then, DVD recorders and other PVRs including PCs are the best way to get quality recordings,
D
No you cant do that, and its been asked a few hundred times on these forums!
For starters the Sky+ data is encrypted, and also requires viewing card authentication to play.
Does anyone else know about this?
If you are seeking a analogue to digital converor - or capture device as many have called it here, I highly recommend the Canopus ADVC-55. Well worth the money. Hooking up your SKY+ to this through the yellow (or s-video), red and white leads and then connecting this to the laptop via firewire, the PC will treat it as a DV camera and then you use simple software to capture the footage from SKY to PC. You could go for a cheaper TV capture card rather than this device, but you will not guarantee video/audio sync and in my opinion you will not get as good a qualit - but if you want to go this route, the cheapest option is the ATI AIW Cards - however, these are AGP/PCI cards NOT for the laptop!
Then to put this on DVD, use TMPGEnc Xpress 3 to convert the captured .avi into mpeg2 video and mpeg audio so it fits on to a DVD - here you can also cut the footage, e.g. to remove advertises as well as black out the top fuzzy line you get from TV.
Then use TMPGEnc DVD Author to convert it to a playable format and burn it onto DVD-R - at this stage you can add professional menus!
It can be a long winded process where encoding will take up to 5 or 6 hours, but the results are superb. You also have more flexibility that a standalone DVD player.
If you want a quick and easy way of transferring to DVD - a standalone DVD Recorder will always prevail as the encoding is done 'on the fly' via hardware, getting one with a Hard Disk will give you more editing options to cut footage, but nowhere near what you could achieve with the PC method.
Hope this helps!
TheGame7
http://www.smartdv.co.uk/product.php/74/0/ - The analogue to digital convertor
http://www.scenalyzer.com/main.html - nice program for "capturing" from SKY+ to PC via the ADVC-55
http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/te3xp.html - TMPGEnc 3 Xpress
http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda.html TMPGEnc DVD Author
And of course your PC must be equipped with a DVD writer!
I was thinking of getting the
Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB 2
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=52165
£80 from eBuyer
Laptop will be this:
https://secure.sell247.com/svcdigital/product_detail.asp?id=15963507
I also want to use it with my camcorder, and burn and edit the Mini-DV tapes onto DVD
Laptop connections in the AV cabinet:
1. WinTV PVR USB 2; connected to Sky+ (copy programmes on DVD)
2. VGA cable; connected to Pioneer plasma's media box (use PC on big screen)
3. USB device for wireless keyboard & mouse (sit on my sofa from afar)
4. USB cradle for Digital Camera
5. A mini-DV Camcorder will also connect to edit & burn tapes onto DVD
Power Sockets in AV Cabinet:
6. Laptop Power lead/cable
7. Digital Camera Power lead/cable
8. Digital Camcorder Power lead/cable
I think it makes sense for me to get a USB hub which will be easier to plug/unplug into the laptop.
Can you see any other things /ideas / possible pitfalls I need to consider??
(See this link here for how my AV set-up will be)
If you have a DV camcorder, it probably works as an Analog to Digital converter.
I copy programmes from Sky+ to my laptop by connecting S-VIDEO from Sky+ into Camcorder, and Camcorder to laptop via firewire, and just capturing via any DV capture software.
But is the quality as good as recording from sky+ to a stand alone dvd recorder?
I bought the Belkin USB video capture thing, got this all hooked up to my Samsung only to realise that there was nowhere to plug in the Audio!! Please don't make the same mistake as me - make sure you have a line-in on the laptop, as not all do.
So I had to go and get a USB sound card - frankly now the whole thing is a complete pain, and I wish I'd just bought a DVD recorder!
Neil
i have been videoing the programme then playing it back on slo mo frame advance and taking pictures of each frame with a disposable camera . Then i send them off to trueprint and then scan each one into my pc . I would advise against anyone following this route as i have just finished die hard 1 ( 3more to go ) it has taken me 6 years and cost £16,000. oh yeah and no sound ..... damn !!!
But if anyone else wants to try it i could let you have the negatives will be a bit cheaper ....
Will try the Camcorder method... as I have a Sony TRV17 Mini-DV camcorder
http://www.dvspot.com/reviews/sony/trv17-review/index.shtml