[mythtv-users] VCR video to MythTV (USB, 1394 or S-Video capture solutions)

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Wed May 25 15:15:23 UTC 2005


karmabreath-myth at yahoo.com wrote:

> Wouldn't the simple solution be:
> 
> 1) Run the cable/satellite connection into the VCR's TV-INPUT.
> 2) Split the VCR's output: 1 - To TV, 2 - To Mythtv box.
> 
>Then, the input will come from the cable/satellite (if you have analog cable, and you are using the capture card tuner, as long as the VCR is off and passing the signal though. When it is desired to capture the output of a tape, you set the mythbox to manually record channel 3 for
>the duration of the tape.
>
>This works for me, with a cable tv setup and a VCR.
>Hope I've understood the problem/explained this correctly (been a long day).
>  
>
This presents problems when using an external cable/satellite receiver.  
With this setup, if you were to accidentally leave the VCR on, Myth 
would record all the wrong stuff.  Also, to switch inputs, you have to 
manually turn on the VCR (with the VCR's remote, most likely).  And, 
there's the whole problem of what gets output from the VCR being 
dependent on the VCR's TV/VCR setting.  And, finally, not many VCR's 
have S-Video support.

So, to have the easiest to use setup with the least likelihood of 
problems--since satellite is different from VCR--you really should have 
a separate input for each.  I'm using S-Video for my satellite and 
Composite for my VCR.  I defined a channel (999, which I called 
"External") for the VCR, so if I want to "watch" something on the VCR, I 
just go to channel 999.  To record from the VCR, I just start a manual 
recording in Myth, then start the VCR playback (so I can cut the extra 
off later).  As a matter of fact, since I needed an IR blaster to 
control my 2 satellite receivers, I even have my Myth box set up so it 
can control the VCR (i.e. power it on, play, stop, eject, etc.)--just 
like it controls my A/V receiver.  So, I can use one remote to control 
all my A/V equipment.  (I't amazing how liberating it is to take the 
batteries out of four remotes and put them in a box in a closet!)

Mike


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