How to record from Comcast DVR to Macbook?

The ElGato EyeTV Hybrid will work as long as comcast is not putting copy protection on the signal. Even then, channels like HBO may not work.

I got the EyeTV to record from a VHS VCR. It works fine, and the high def video tuner is a nice plus. You just need a $35 rabbit ears antenna to use the tuner. But you can connect it to a VCR or a DVR without hooking up an antenna if you want.

You might be able to find a reconditioned EyeTV at macsales.com. Be sure to get the latest release of the EyeTV software. It has an iTunes like interface with coverflow, and can easily send shows to iTunes or convert for iMovie.

Some people swear by the Digital Analog Converters (DAC) from Canopus and others. I have no personal experience with them myself.

you are entering into a very difficult field. need large amount of patience and hard drive space.
I'll give you a small start:
ADC member for free and download the firewire SDK kit. Take from it only ACVideoCap. Install that to your Mac. Take one good firewire cable and: power off Mac. Power off DVR. Connect firewire to Mac then DVR. Power on DVR first. Power up Mac. You should make the direction a religion or you'll get into firewire troubles. You can use ASP to observe the DVR is recognized. If you launch ACVideoCap then it should show your device. When you do the save (I go to desktop only) keep the title short and simple no space or any other type. You can change title later. Don't ask me why just believe it.
Can't do live transfer to Mac(I have not found a way yet). Record the movie to DVR. Once there ACVideoCap takes over to your Mac. Now you'll have an .m2t file. This is where the problems begin. I use MPEGStreamClip to find the PID of the file. Just launch MPEGStreamClip and drag .m2t file into it. It will show you the PID.
Follow this legend I developed:
Video PIDS on .m2t files:

MPEGStreamClip Handbrake VisualHub VLC

1984 PID audio only can do most can do most video usually
2112 PID HD yes but unsupported no no maybe trans
2432 PID audio yes
2496 PID audio no yes
3440 PID audio/video yes

Unfortunately user must have all these programs. These are mostly free. If ACVideoCap says copy freely then you good to go. Avoid channels such as paid, encore etc you're just wasting time.

I have not found a program to encode .m2t which was broadcast in HD other than MPEGStreamClip. Handbrake can do 5.1 AC3 and VisualHub 5.1 only no combo which stinks but you play with what you've got.

Now this may seem like alot of work but if you are organized it really isn't.
Here's what I do:
DVR use menu and schedule the recordings. Always add two minutes, you do that in the menu.
I have a powerbook I don't use often so it becomes highly useful to get the .m2t files. Just turn on TV, set up ACVideoCap, set the time and add two minutes always. Play the movie and turn down the sound to level two, why hear it and not watch it. Once done, hopefully you have a powerful Mac. I use flash drive 8 gig to load 2 to 3 .m2t files from powerbook to Mac Pro. 2 hour movie using Handbrake with 2 pass takes about 1.5 hours give or take. Its quad processor. My powerbook will take 15 hours per movie.
If you use Handbrake on .m2t file then always uncheck the chapter box so remote fast forward works on Apple TV. VisualHib is ok for this so is MPEGStreamClip.
How do they look on Apple TV, great.
Lastly, to play on Apple TV user must use Apple TV preset in encoding software. or ipod for ipod.

Hope this gets you started, it a nice wonderful hobby in the winter. It will definitely keep one busy.

ps HD from 2112 PID on Mac Pro using MPEGStreamClip 2 pass took 15 hours. Man I hope they develop encoding software for that.

I wanted to go the El Gato way but speed wise compared to my Mac Pro. Mine would be faster. It would benefit the powerbook thou but I don't use it to encode. Its busy enough. Also I want encoding software giving maximum resolution for my Apple TV and plasma Panasonic.

Message was edited by: Smokerz

Message was edited by: Smokerz

hey there b4scotty,
i do something similar, but w/out the DVR. i have an older Sony MiniDV cam w/ AV in, connected to my HD cable box from the analog outs(S-video & stereo audio). to the cam i have attached a 12' 4-pin>6-pin Firewire cable w/ the 4-pin into my cam & the 6-pin into my iMac, granted i can only record when i'm home to do this, but w/ iMovie set to DV Widescreen i've gotten some good results (no letterbox in iMovie import), when i play back the DVDs, also from the iMac on my 42" Sony HDTV. i tried this video transfer/import set-up w/ a bud's HD DVR + my MacBook & the cable box output(?) added letterbox bars @ the top & bottom of my image, you may have a different box manufacturer. i think you should be able to use a MiniDV cam or a converter such as the Canopus 110 to convert the analog out from your cable box/DVR to DV.

good luck.

I have a comcast DVR with a firewire connection. I didn't have to go into the length of steps Smokerz shared with you like restarting mac/DVR, etc, etc, etc or had any copy restrictions. I just plugged my macbook pro to the firewire port in the back of DVR, installed the firewire SDK from apple's site and began recording using the AVCVideoCap application.

I'm currently recording the 7 part HBO special "John Adams" that's in High Definition to my mac and then I'm burning the HD data to a DVD. Since the AVCVideoCap app is saving the data as a .m2t file, I'm using VisualHub to convert it into a .iso file so I can then use Toast 8 to burn it to DVD. If you ask me, the final product is pretty good considering what I'm doing.

Below are a couple visuals of what the HD content looks like recorded from my DVR to my mac using firewire and a visual of the final product from the DVD:

HD Still of John Adams I recorded to my Mac from the DVR using firewire:
http://tinyurl.com/2wtckx

DVD Still of John Adams I captured from the DVD I converted the HD content into:
http://tinyurl.com/3dfwt3

The process takes me about about 2+ hours to complete, just because I have to record the show first.
- In this case, the show is about 90 minutes long, so it takes 90 minutes to record.
- It takes about an hour with my macbook pro (2.4GHz) to convert the data to a .iso file
- It takes 15 minutes to burn a DVD. Watch and enjoy!

Evan

Message was edited by: evansls

I do that firewire process so I never have firewire problems on my Macs. Its through experience over the years. I know it works other ways such as you described but I know better than to do other ways over the long haul.

There's a lot of good info about this process in the Mac HTPC forum at avsforum. I'm surprised that evansis has been able to do Firewire transfers from the Comcast DVR of an HBO program. Where I'm at the copy freely channels aren't that numerous.

VLC Media Player will play the .ts captures. I use MPEG Streamclip to open those and choose Convert to MPEG which changes the format without changing the video. From there I can use Toast to create whatever I want.

Meanwhile, ElGato's 2008 models of its Hybrid and 250+ can capture the copy freely channels straight from cable. I have the older models and will be getting a new Hybrid. It's a big time saver not to have to play the recorded video on the DVR to transfer to my Mac when I could just record it to the Mac in the first place.

avs forums is not so informative.

I'm more interested in getting a very good encode and not using VLC.

El Gato and what resolution for Apple Tv. I don't think it acceptable enough. Or I'd own one.

Smokerz, I have great respect for your knowledge and helpfulness. You obviously know a great deal about this and earlier wrote a terrific response to b4scotty's question. But I don't know where you're coming from on your latest post.

There are more than 1,900 posts in the avsforum thread about capturing from a DVR via Firewire. Rather than "not so informative" I'd call that way too much information.

I didn't see that you were asking for any information and I apologize if you thought my reference to VLC was intended to advise you.

I don't understand your last item. What isn't acceptable enough when the newest ElGato Hybrid transfers the actual digital stream to your Mac? It isn't doing any encoding the same as the Firewire link isn't doing any encoding. If one is acceptable the other should be as well. This possibility wasn't available until recently and I haven't tried it as yet because I have the older model which only could capture over-the-air digital streams and not copy freely digital cable. Until I learn more I'm not concluding it isn't acceptable enough. It may be wonderful.

ThomasG, to answer why I am able to capture the HBO content, which is something I should not be able to do since its encrypted, I'm actually recording off the 950 channel and that allows me to copy freely. Simply enter that number and you should have the ability too for those encrypted. If I don't use that channel it then says Copy Once and copy once doesn't allow me to burn it to disc. I forgot to include that in my reply earlier... Oops.

ThomasG,
Thanks for the follow up comments.
I've read all there is on AVSforum. I was particular to spend as much time on the Mac posts rather than the windows. I gleaned nothing from that forum. I got on to that forum because of a lead in from ADC mail list pointer. there are too many posts mentioning how to capture and not enough information about what to do with the file once captured. This is also a major weakness from all the Blogs I've come across. One thread in common from many posters is "just use MPEGStreamClipto play or encode the captured file." Read my post above about what other programs can do. The last remarks were not pointed at your post but in reference to the over abundance of useless information posted elsewhere.

I try to stay away from VLC because it crashes too much, has a poor transcoder and just does not do what I want with a video file. MPEGStreamClip can't do 5.1 channel audio and its encoder speed if using 2x is too slow. It also does not play video/audio on too many of the PIDs. I just use it as a pointer (PID) and an editor if required usually on ts files.

Regarding El Gato, I'll spend more time researching its specification from the 2008 models. I agree about the time saver you mentioned but that's not an issue for me currently. Retired, have lots of time. As far as speed it will not beat my Mac Pro, I get frame rates of 170 fps in turbo and once turbo is completed an average of 75 fps on the second pass.
Its specification for Apple TV:

Apple TV Video:Video: H.264 Main Profile, 5 Mbps max., 800x600 max., 30 fps max. Audio: AAC-LC, stereo, 128 Kbps, 48 kHz. (Note: If the source movie is larger than 800x600 it will be scaled to fit within 800x600 preserving aspect ratio. Resolution is maintained if 800x600 or smaller. Frame rate is maintained when 30 fps and smaller.)

5.1 channel is not there, audio bit rate is not high enough and resolution is not there for Hi-Def captures. Other than that it may be ok but not as a part time device for particular captures.

I do like the time saver feature but I want the audio and video also.