Recording HD programs

[NurseDave]

Just getting into the HD stuff, I've been without a VCR for a looooong time. Now it looks likes if you want to keep HD programs even with a DVR, you better have another way of doing it because of their size. I'm just wondering if a DVD recorder or DVHS is something you just send a component signal to and it's as simple as that or is it trickier to record a high quality picture?

[Mark Lamutt]

Unfortunately, thanks to Hollywood moguls being very afraid you might steal something of theirs by recording, there's no easy way to record HD onto a tape medium. There was one JVC recorder released several years ago called a WVHS machine that allowed you to record HD via component video, but it was really expensive, and tapes were about $25 apiece. There are expensive ($1k +)modifications you can have done to your Dish or Directv HD receiver that will allow you to record HD to a DVHS deck via firewire. Don't do it to a leased receiver, though, as the process is destructive.

Or, you can record OTA HD with HD capture cards with your computer, and then downrez the images to fit onto burned DVDs. Or, DL DVDs are getting cheaper, so you can fit about an hour of recorded OTA HD onto one DL DVD.

Those are about your only archival options.

[NurseDave]

Well bummer. So the only option to keep DH programming to watch in a month is to take up all sorts of space on your DVR huh?

[Mark Lamutt]

That's pretty much it, yes.

[dvwannab]

Don't do it to a leased receiver, though, as the process is destructive.


Hmmmm........I am a bit lost here, What do you mean when you say the process of modifying a leased receiver is destructive? Wouldnt te only problem be that you may have to pay for the receiver when you returned it? And the price would be market value at the time of return? Thanks.

[Mark Lamutt]

I mean to add the firewire port to the receiver, holes have to be physically cut into the case, and components have to be physically soldered the the board. That's destructive. Yes, you would be charged the price of a new receiver of the same type or kind when you returned it.