Newbie Question: Possible Copy Protection Workaround?

Swimman6 · 08-06-2009, 03:41 PM

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself and ask a question or two. I've been lurking around for a couple of months now and I appreciate all of the knowledge here.

My family have owned Series1, 2, and 3 Tivos since 2000. I can't live without it and I have a TivoHD for myself now that I'm out on my own. I live in central FL which gets Brighthouse and their stupid copy protection on all non-broadcast channels. I just built a PC and I want to be able to get my video files to it. All of the good stuff is copy protected, so TTG is out. It looks like I'll have to use "Save to VCR" or simultaneous component out cables to get my files over to my large PC hard drive/ DVD burner. Do you have any suggestions for a capturing device? I think I might have to use s-video, because I can't find any PC cards that accept component video. Here's what I would like to happen:

HDMI from TivoHD to Receiver/HDTV
Component out to PC (S-video if I can't find a component card)
When I go to watch a recorded program on my Tivo, Hit record on my PC. I'll fast forward through commercials with the remote.
I'll have a quality copy of my program to burn to DVD at the end of the season or keep on my hard drive.

Is this feasible? What hardware (tuner/capture card) and software would be my best option? Thanks for your help.

One other question: I supposedly live in an area affected by SDV, but I've had my TivoHD here for a year and haven't really noticed a lack of channels, but I might have missed it. Cable guy is coming tomorrow to put in the stupid codes for the cable card (I moved in with a different roommate=different account) so I'm going to try to get the tuning adapter from them.

Thanks again,
Swimman6

Swimman6 · 08-10-2009, 08:54 AM

So does anyone think this is a plausible workaround?

The cable guy is coming today for the 3rd time to try to activate my CableCard. Spent 4 hours troubleshooting it yesterday but no luck.

orangeboy · 08-10-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimman6

One other question: I supposedly live in an area affected by SDV, but I've had my TivoHD here for a year and haven't really noticed a lack of channels, but I might have missed it.

Welcome Swimman6 -
I can't help with the "Save to VCR" scenario (although it sounds plausible to my ear), but with SDV, try tuning History International or Chiller. Those were a couple I had issue with before I got my TA. I can't easily test these channels for SDV for sure anymore. I set up my older S2 (+cable box) as a "third" SD tuner, and specify only HD channels on my S3. It would be nice for BHN to specify which channels are SDV, so those of us that do have an TA could more easily determine if an issue is with SDV, or just simply a channel outage. FWIW, I've had very little trouble with CableCARDs or the TA after installation. I think 1 power-cycle of my TA has ever been performed.

dlfl · 08-10-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangeboy

..........It would be nice for BHN to specify which channels are SDV, so those of us that do have an TA could more easily determine if an issue is with SDV..........

Of course you can disconnect your TA USB cable and see which channels remain after you rescan (the non-SDV ones of course).

However there is a less drastic method. See this post. What isn't in that post is the sure fire way to tell which of the two channels shown in the TA diagnostics corresponds to which of the two channels that are tuned. You do this by the tuning frequency which you can get from the DVR Diagnostics screen. It's listed in MHz in one place and KHz in the other (just a matter of three zeros).

Images&Words · 08-18-2009, 08:41 AM

As far as I know there is code built in protected video that is supposed not to allow this video leaving DVR. This code is recognized by any recording device like capture card and you get "copy protected" message. However there is so-called "video stabilizers" that able to remove that code (search the forum).

slowbiscuit · 08-18-2009, 11:24 AM

OP, there is a component capture device for PCs, the Hauppauge HD-PVR. This would be a clunky way to capture from the Tivo, but you don't have many choices if the channels are CP'd. Can't use firewire and can't transfer to a PC with TTG.

Swimman6 · 08-18-2009, 01:15 PM

Thanks for the help. It took Brighthouse 4 trips to finally get me up and running. The Multi-stream card was defective so I now have two single stream cards (and thus double the cost to me).
That Hauppauge card is pretty pricey and makes TiVo essentially worthless. I guess I'll stick to standard def.
I really, really hate copy protection.
Thanks for the help

Images&Words · 09-26-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimman6

Thanks for the help. It took Brighthouse 4 trips to finally get me up and running. The Multi-stream card was defective so I now have two single stream cards (and thus double the cost to me).
That Hauppauge card is pretty pricey and makes TiVo essentially worthless. I guess I'll stick to standard def.
I really, really hate copy protection.
Thanks for the help

LOL, It's realy realy easy to remove...

dlfl · 09-26-2009, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Images&Words

LOL, It's realy realy easy to remove...

Has someone invented a new method? Last time I looked it required replacing a PROM chip, removing the TiVo HDD and connecting to a PC, and doing some Linux hacking on the TiVo software. (Not what I or most forum readers would call really, really easy!)

drcos · 09-26-2009, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Images&Words

so-called "video stabilizers" that able to remove that code (search the forum).

These things only worked with the original MacroVision which put in a line or two of video (off the screen) that continually varied up and down from full brightness to off. This would throw off the AGC control in a VCR and cause the picture to vary between bright and dark.

Now, there is analog (CGMS-A) and digital copy protection coming out of every cable box, which is read by (most) DVD recorders and such (capture cards) which will prevent copying.

jebbbz · 09-27-2009, 05:25 PM

I have used S-Video output (Save to VCR) from a TiVo HD into an ATi Theater Pro NTSC TV tuner card with no problems with copy-protected shows here in Phoenix using Cox Cable. The Hauppauge HD-PVR would work somewhat similarly with component output from a TiVo HD and would give far superior results although less reliably. S-Video output from a TiVo would give you fair to good DVD quality while the HD-PVR can capture HD shows in virtually indistinguishable copies but in MP4 rather than Mpeg2 so playback may demand some power in your computer.

S-Video capture, however, is quite mature technology and thus quite reliable. The HD-PVR is much newer and people report varying degrees of difficulty getting the hardware and software to work reliably. Some have constant problems (e.g., early hardware had lots of problems with overheating) while others have gone for months with no problems at all.

I don't know if Cox doesn't bother with analog copy protection or whether the TiVo ignores it but I have had no problems with Save to VCR to make a copy of a copy-protected digital cable program.

ZeoTiVo · 09-28-2009, 09:32 AM

umm - get a Netflix account and just get the ready made DVDs of the shows when they come out. What you do with the DVDs after Netflix sends it is on your conscience.
Still getting the DVDs sounds a lot easier but then I do not archive stuff to rewatch it anyhow.

aaronwt · 09-28-2009, 10:09 AM

Yes it seems like it would be a pain to transfer items to a PC in real time. Occasionally might be OK but I couldn't imagine doing it on a regular basis.

lew · 09-28-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drcos

These things only worked with the original MacroVision which put in a line or two of video (off the screen) that continually varied up and down from full brightness to off. This would throw off the AGC control in a VCR and cause the picture to vary between bright and dark.

Now, there is analog (CGMS-A) and digital copy protection coming out of every cable box, which is read by (most) DVD recorders and such (capture cards) which will prevent copying.

A couple of companies sold the next generation of "filters". They filtered out the CCI bit. At least one unit actually changed the setting. I don't know if they work or even if they're still on the market.