Help request to transfer recordings from PVR to PC

[AlexQC]

So I own a Samsung GX-VD940CJ personal video recorder (PVR) that came with my cable subscription (Videotron in Quebec if you want to know) and I have some recordings on it that I would like to transfer to PC. The PVR is 4K but I don't have any 4K shows on it. Now I have an HTPC (Windows 11, 9th gen Intel with a Geforce 1060) just next to it. How would I transfer the shows that I recorded to PC? What hardware/sofware would you recommend (I would like 4K capabilities to be future proof). Thanks for the help!

[Needfuldoer]

Usually, cable company DVRs don't let you just copy files around specifically to avoid handing every subscriber an easy way to pirate content. TiVo used to let you back in the early 2000s, but I think those tools have been discontinued too.

 

I don't know of any faster-than-real-time ways to do what you're looking for.

[AlexQC]

Yeah I was expecting that. I don't mind capturing in real time. I prefer quality over time (for capture). What hardware/sofware would I need? And how would I do it (it has been like 20 years since I captured something on a PC lol).

[AlexQC]

No one can help?

[Donut417]

On 7/19/2022 at 11:08 PM, AlexQC said:

No one can help?

The general  consensus when it comes to recordings on anything deal with cable or satellite TV is that those are encrypted and generally not transferable. The box looks like it has component connections and thus you might be able to record thru that, because HDMI has HDCP protection. HDCP was developed specifically to stop you from doing what you're wanting to do. Im not really sure what type of hardware or software you would need. Id assume some kind of capture device that works thru USB. That all being said, who knows if the Component or composite ports even work. I recall on older Comcast boxes that if you didnt pay for HD for example, the HDMI port was actually disabled. 

 

 

[AlexQC]

So I got an Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card and tried to capture from my PVR (Samsung GX-VD940CJ) directly via HDMI. I was pretty sure it would not work but to my great surprise it did! Now I often get "black screens" when I try to capture with the Elgato video capture software. I read that this is probably an HDCP issue. Whats weird is that for the same content sometimes I can capture, sometimes I get a black screen. If I plug my TV to the "Out" of the Elgato I see a static HDCP error displayed (instead of a black screen) during capture.

 

Now I'm in the process to strip the HDCP signal with a HDMI splitter. I got one so far but I could not get the audio to work (contacted support). I will update this thread with my findings...

[Spotty]

Discussions on removing the copy protection on those recordings/streams would fall under piracy, and is prohibited under the forum rules.

 

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