Mike P: Can I make a DVD of a recording from my DVR? If yes, how?

Question

Mike P: Can I make a DVD of a recording from my DVR? If yes, how?

Answer 1

There two two ways to make DVDs.  

1) Use a DVD recorder.  Press play on your DVR and your DVD record will record the signal onto your DVD record and presto, a DVD.

2) Use a PC to burn.  DVRs from cable and satellite companies have secure encryption on their digital boxes.  You can't copy the files onto your PC.  You need to transfer the signal (similar to option 1) onto your PC.  Connect your DVR to your PC via a video/audio connection.  From there, you can copy the video file onto a DVD.

Answer 2

Yes, there are a couple of ways to do it.

If you DVR has an active USB port or can be networked, you might be able to copy onto your network.

There are also many hacks out there, like for the Direct Tivo units, to make them network able.

If you can't network your DVR, then you need to capture the stream from you DVR to comptuer.

In order to do that you need to have 1 of the following:

A video capture card inside your PC, either a combo video card that also does capture like the All-In Wonder cards, or a dedicated separate video capture card

OR

An external (USB/FireWire) video capture device like a Dazzle that will plug into your comptuer externally and let you plug any video input into it.

Both have the RCA/S-Video inputs you need to feed VHS, DVD, Cable, or any other video feed into your PC.

After you capture to your PC you can do watch it, burn DVD's or format for iPods, PSP, or just save the video.