Need a HD tuner/capture device. Which one to buy? (1 Viewer)

[gtfreymann]

We are upgrading our Satellite dishes from SD to HD. I am currently using a couple PVR-150's with SVideo input and RCA left/right audio in from our current dishes.

On Thursday we are getting Shaw Direct HD dishes and I want to be able to capture the video output in HD. I'm assuming the dishes have HDMI out so I would like a HD capture card device (internal or external) with HDMI in.

Do they exist? and which would you recommend?

 

[DJBlu]

Are you wishing to record the Video to a Hard Disk? If so I believe Shaw HD uses HDCP which stops you recording content.

 

[gtfreymann]

Yes... we want to distribute LiveTV to at least 4 clients throughout the house and record shows, etc.

 

[gtfreymann]

I wonder if using the component output would work? See http://www.shawdirect.ca/english/customercare/techcentral/troubleshooting.asp?page=video&sub=5

 

[gtfreymann]

I'm thinking a couple of these cards would handle the job? Hauppauge Colossus Video Recorder PCIe

 

[DJBlu]

I'm thinking a couple of these cards would handle the job? Hauppauge Colossus Video Recorder PCIe

"With the Colossus HDMI input port, you can record HD video at up to 1080i from any un-encrypted HDMI source!"

HDCP is encryption.

Looking around the internet and others have said that they can't record from the hdmi output of the Shaw HD receiver however you can record using the Composite out and the SPDIF as this is un-encrypted.

 

[gtfreymann]

Yes, this is a bit of an eye opener. The receivers included in the package have HDMI output and Composite output only. The DSR605HD receivers at least $100 more each but they have all the output connections one would need. I will call tomorrow and request we get a set of the DSR605HD receivers so I have component out. That's going to increase our initial fees with Shaw, and then I still have to buy two Colossus cards. This is getting expensive :-(

 

[gtfreymann]

The cost of upgrading to the better Shaw receivers and buying two new capture cards was way too much money to sink into this. We opted to order one extra HD receiver costing $99 + Taxes and using an old SD Shaw receiver we had on the shelf that has SVideo out to connect to MePo. So we'll just use a receiver at our 3 main viewing stations and switch over to MePo for our other media or to watch some recorded shows.

$99 + Tax is a lot cheaper that $500-$600