Is there a simple way to copy programs from DVR to USB ?

Koufax

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My home system is Comcast Xfinity using a Comcast-branded DVR with a label on the front that say XG1-A. I'm interested in being able to record a program, copy it onto a USB stick and watch it on a TV that would go in a garage that is not wired for cable. It is too far away from our router (probably 120 feet) to plan on connecting it to our wireless network.

Is this feasible? Practical? Easy? Am I missing an obvious but better alternative?

All advice welcome.
 

SumnerH

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My home system is Comcast Xfinity using a Comcast-branded DVR with a label on the front that say XG1-A. I'm interested in being able to record a program, copy it onto a USB stick and watch it on a TV that would go in a garage that is not wired for cable. It is too far away from our router (probably 120 feet) to plan on connecting it to our wireless network.

Is this feasible? Practical? Easy?
No.

Comcast doesn't let you copy the files off their DVRs, and many of them are encrypted so you couldn't play them even if you somehow got them off.

Your best option is to play them back and use some sort of video capture to record them in a free format. There'll be some loss of quality from the reencoding process, and it's kind of a PITA and needs the right hardware.

Note many other DVRs that aren't owned by the content providers do allow this, easily (another reason to insist on open standards and interoperability whenever you can).
 

Koufax

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So would it be possible if I were to buy another DVR? Would Tivo let me do this?
 

Buster Olney the Lonely

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I use the Hauppage HD PVR capture. And it is a pain in the ass and time consuming because you are essentially recording the program as you play it back off the dvr.

EDIT: I would recommend it with one caveat. At the time I bought it a couple of years ago, there was no better product on the market. Not sure if it's still the case.
 

Koufax

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I'm not so concerned about premium. It's mostly to be able to record and play back sports that are carried on NESN or, less frequently, ESPN or the networks.

Looking at the TIVO website I don't see any mention of such functionality. Perhaps they simply don't promote it. But if you can simply stick a USB stick into it and tell it to copy a recorded game onto the stick, that's a big step forward. Which of their devices (if any) permit this?
 

tonyandpals

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I'm not so concerned about premium. It's mostly to be able to record and play back sports that are carried on NESN or, less frequently, ESPN or the networks.

Looking at the TIVO website I don't see any mention of such functionality. Perhaps they simply don't promote it. But if you can simply stick a USB stick into it and tell it to copy a recorded game onto the stick, that's a big step forward. Which of their devices (if any) permit this?
Search for TiVo desktop. That's the program that lets you see the TiVos on your network on move files to your local machine. You can then use a host of programs to convert them to the file type you need
 

Koufax

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This product has been discontinued. :(
 

BillWarDamnEagleJay

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I bought this about 3 years ago.
Hauppauge

As was mentioned by Buster, you have to play off of the DVR in order to make a computer readable file (mp4 for me). I get around copy restriction issues by having the DVR output an analog signal (YPbPr). Works o.k. for rewatching on computer, can't speak re watching on a TV.