[mythtv-users] capturing VCR input

[Jon Reynolds]

Quoting Tony Godshall <togo at of.net>:

> According to jonr,
> > Ricardo Kleemann wrote:
> > >Hi David,
> > >
> > >
> > >>>If I hooked up a VCR to save some tapes to disk (or even burn DVDs),
> how
> > >>>would I control that from mythtv?
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>There isn't an easy one-button way of doing this.  Sometimes it is just
> > >>easier to press play on the VCR and type 'cat /dev/video > video.mpg'.
> > >>What I did once was setup an input source on one of my capture cards
> > >>called vcr and setup a dummy source for it.
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >Is it possible to setup the VCR as a separate input source, and record
> from
> > >there? IOW perform a manual record off mythtv, and simply pressing play
> on
> > >the VCR?
> > >
> > >Ricardo
> > 
> > Ricardo,
> > 
> > Set your VCR up so that you can hit "Play" on the VCR and watch it 
> > through "Live TV" in myth. Then all you have to do is set up a "Manual 
> > Record" and hit "Play" on the VCR. All you really have to know is the 
> > running time of the tape being recorded. I have done this for quite a 
> > few old VHS tapes.
> 
> How do you do that?  I want to do that too!

Ok, take the line carrying your cable/satellite hook-up and do it like so:

Take the line from your provider and connect that to the 'input' of your
cable/satellite box. From the 'output' of your cable/satellite box go to the
input of your vcr. From the 'output' of your vcr connect to the 'input' of your
capture card. Then turn on the vcr change the channel to 3 or 4 on Myth and you
should see your vcr tape playing inside of "Watch LiveTV". Record that. :)
You might need to hit the 'TV/VCR' button on the vcr.

Jon