[ale] hard drive recorder and hdmi or component

[Michael H. Warfield]

On Sun, 2014-11-09 at 13:31 -0800, Alex Carver wrote:
> On 2014-11-09 12:39, Narahari 'n' Savitha wrote:
> > Friends:
> > 
> > Need your input on the following scenario.
> > 
> > I need to be able to a Hard Drive (preferably a USB flash drive) from a set
> > top box.
> > 
> > If it can accept HDMI input it is great.  If not, at least component video
> > input is needed so I can connect my set top box.
> > 
> > Where can I purchase a Hard Drive recorder without a PC coming into the
> > middle ?
> > What is it called (technical term) ?
> > 

> You can't get HDMI recorders that will work with the copy protection
> enabled on STBs or other similar content devices (except for cameras).
> Your only option is to find a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) that accepts
> composite or S-Video (I haven't seen any that accept RGB component video).

> Here's an example of an HDMI recorder that's meant for a camera:
> http://www.atomos.com/ninja/

> Copy protection on your STB will likely not allow it to record anything.

Actually, that's not totally true and for my uses very rarely true.
Depending on your requirements and uses, I have found that very little
coming from the STB's are copy protected.

I have Uverse STBs and they all allow digital recording from HDMI and
component video when the data is not protected.  If it's protected, then
you have to have the appropriate HDMI device (like a TV and not another
recorder) for HDMI and, if you're using component video, the component
video is reduced to a lower resolution (what they call the "analog
hole").  I'm currently using an Hauppauge HD PVR2 adapter to record
1080p component video off my STB, so THAT can be done (but that's to a
PC).  I have checked the videos and the resulting files are true 1080p
60fps (meaning I barely have the horse power to play them back).

The only exceptions I've noted on AT&T are some of the high end premium
channels (few of which we have) and the PPV access.  Those do seem to be
locked down so you can't record HDMI and component is down-res (to
720p...  I think).

Now that's WITH a PC.  I don't know of any standaone boxes which support
this but, in theory, any component video record should work just fine.
HDMI is another story.  I agree that HDMI is highly unlikely to be
available on a stand alone device and record protected feeds.

I haven't tried any of the HDMI PC interfaces yet.  There was a good one
(the Black Magic devices) that had Linux support if you bought their PCI
express board but they didn't have drivers for their USB device because
Linux lacked USB3 bulk transfer (irrc) support in the kernel drivers,
but that was years ago.  That may have changed.

This one claims full 1080p HDMI record and plug and play support in
Linux...

http://www.ems-imaging.com/index.php/usb-3-0-video-capture/vc100dusb-hdmi-capture-dongle-usb3

But, again, that's with a PC and, I know, the OP said without a PC.
Quite frankly, I've had enough with black boxes and I see no real
advantage there.

I do also strongly suspect you will not find a "without a PC" device
that will do this as this would mean the vendor has to do all that work
and open themselves up to all the legal liability there-in.

Just the interfaces alone ARE NOT CHEAP.

Regards,
Mike
-- 
Michael H. Warfield (AI4NB) | (770) 978-7061 |  mhw at WittsEnd.com
   /\/\|=mhw=|\/\/          | (678) 463-0932 |  http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/
   NIC whois: MHW9          | An optimist believes we live in the best of all
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