So I recently got a capture card...

[terrorist96]

And I'm still trying to set it up and stuff. I was wondering if you guys had any advice or tips.

[NumyMufn]

I wish I could. I tried going that route and all I got was massive amounts of static I can't say that I've tried everything just yet but I haven't been successful. 

[terrorist96]

What do you use?

[NumyMufn]

I use a dvd recorder, backed up with a second dvd recorder w/rewritable discs on the second run (first run on Sundays), backed up by an old VCR - it works but makes the transfer/encoding/uploading a pain in the backside. I always have to realign the audio, plus unless I make a specific effort to record at the highest quality (one hour per disc) it's not going to look as good as mongo's stuff. I can't really justify the cost of even the one disc per night let alone four to maintain the archive. I wanted the capture card to simplify things, and it'd be one more backup at high quality just in case. I even wondered if I'd just start a collection of hard drives 

[terrorist96]

Maybe you got static cuz your signal from your cable provider is scrambled and you need a box. I don't know. My capture card says it doesn't work with satellite, if that's what you have.

[mongo]

What capture card did you get? What are you using? Maybe I can help. I haven't done complex setups per se, since my capture card is one of those AIO solutions that requires little to no setup and uses propietary software, but I've read a little about other cards.

[terrorist96]

It's a Pinnacle PCTV HD PCI and it comes with a Pinnacle TVCenter Pro. I also downloaded GB-PVR just in case. My OS is Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit. It's an internal capture card, obviously haha. What's the best way to record TV with it? I don't wanna have to bring my VCR with me to college haha. Will it record TV automatically at a given set time? Even if my computer is off? Thanks mongo.

If things work out with it and stuff, I might even be able to help you guys out with the bumps possibly. Iono.

[mongo]

Well, the easiest way to record TV (IMO) is just using the TVCenter program and record at the highest quality MPEG2 setting, although editing in MPEG2 is a little imprecise. Utilizing another format like Raw DV makes it easier to edit but takes up a lot more space, so it ultimately depends on disk space. I recommend the bundled program because it usually has a Timer function which you can use to record (which I use all the time :p), contrary to other software that doesn't (doesn't mean there ain't more out there, just talking about the quickest setup). The computer has to be on, however for recording with the PC off you'd need an external DVR and utilize the capture card to transfer video from it. Again, for the simpler setup, I just leave the PC on. Depending on your setup, you'll have to leave the set-top box on too. If you connect it directly to the capture card you'll have less channels but you can turn the box off, otherwise if you want the box to mirror onto the PC you'll need to leave it on (and not press anything during the recording since the info boxes and stuff would appear). By the way, even with the timer function I do recommend supervising every once in a while, just in case the program doesn't screw up or something (which happens a bit, you'll see  ). I hope that helps, any more questions let me know and I'll try to help out!

[NumyMufn]

Which is why I have so many backups going  my favorite was the night the Clone Wars kicked off the recorder because it sensed the broadcast was encrypted  wth? okay, I don't want your stupid program, but what about the next two and a half hours I had scheduled to record? It doesn't come back on the VHS came in handy that night.


I don't have any set top boxes. I hate them 

[terrorist96]

What's the "bundled program"? I have a FiOS box at home, but since I'll be going to college in a few days, there's no boxes. It's just straight coaxial cable in the wall connected directly to my capture card. Though I might be using a splitter, cuz one of my roommates is bringin' a TV. Since right now at home I have the box (I need it cuz FiOS pretty much requires it, unlike when we had Cox), I gotta leave it on all the time on CN cuz the VCR records from the box. It goes wall--->box--->VCR--->TV.

[mongo]

Bundled program is whatever recording solution your card provides, in this case it should be TVCenter. Connecting, in your case, should be cable -> splitter -> your roommate's TV and your PC. There might be a few channels you won't be able to cap, mostly anything past 100, but everything else should work just fine. You'll have to leave the PC on, but you'll be able to say, tape something and watch something else on the TV.

[terrorist96]

Yeah, I think CN is channel 90, if they have Cox in my dorm. It used to be like that when I had it as well. I could set my VCR to record channel 90 and I could just go on whatever channel I want and not have to worry about keeping it on CN and not changing anything. Set top boxes are a waste.. :\ Only 3 more days till I move in.

[mongo]

Awesome, then it should all work perfectly. I recommend as soon as you get it up and running, get used to the software, set the recording format like we spoke and find out if there's a timing function and how it works. Everything should be pretty much "set timer go" after that. We'll get into encoding (compressing for smaller file size when archiving) if you want, after the recording part's all set.

[terrorist96]

I'm in college right now and I got it up and running.

[crab]

Make sure you have a big hard drive   Recording a raw stream can eat up your disk space FAST unless you have one of the nice cards that does hardware compression as it comes in.  Good luck man.. if you get comfortable with the setup and produce quality results, you might be a candidate for helping out the team here :p