HDTV capture card

[MatteH]

Looks promising : http://www.blackmagic-design.com/pro...ity/techspecs/

Won't ATI/nVidia start incorporating this into their cards?

[NicolasB]

The HDMI standard can include copy protected encryption, such as DVD players. The Intensity card therefore will NOT capture from copy protected HDMI sources.

That limits its usefulness considerably, unless you can combine it with a "naughty box" that has unencrypted HDMI output, and I'm not sure if any of them do.

[dan1979]

I can't see anyone making a box that takes the HDMI, removes the HDCP then outputs HDMI again would be a bit pointless.

That card looks pretty pointless, would have been better with VGA or component input.

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by dan1979

I can't see anyone making a box that takes the HDMI, removes the HDCP then outputs HDMI again would be a bit pointless.

That card looks pretty pointless, would have been better with VGA or component input.

I believe that card was specifically created to connect hi-def camcorders directly to a PC for capture, recording and processing. This avoids the lossy recording compression in the camcorder itself, and provides much better picture quality. I'm afraid I can't see anyone producing an HDCP compatible HDMI PC capture card, as that would defeat the point of copy controls, and would get kicked off the market as soon as it arrived. Better to pin your hopes on getting HD SDI mods to HD video sources.

Nick

[Stephen Neal]

Originally Posted by welwynnick

I believe that card was specifically created to connect hi-def camcorders directly to a PC for capture, recording and processing. This avoids the lossy recording compression in the camcorder itself, and provides much better picture quality. I'm afraid I can't see anyone producing an HDCP compatible HDMI PC capture card, as that would defeat the point of copy controls, and would get kicked off the market as soon as it arrived. Better to pin your hopes on getting HD SDI mods to HD video sources.

Nick

Yes - it has an application for those wanting to capture HD video from the newer models of domestic HDV camcorders that have live HDMI outputs. By taking the HDMI output live, you avoid the HDV MPEG2 encoding (which is pretty lossy) and can capture uncompressed and recompress at higher quality if you want to.

[MarkSS]

You can get HDCP strippers already, their official purpose being to allow you to connect devices to older non-HDCP displays.

With that problem sorted you'll just have the issue of how to store the 600gb/hr of uncompressed video that the card will generate.

[Stephen Neal]

Originally Posted by MarkSS

You can get HDCP strippers already, their official purpose being to allow you to connect devices to older non-HDCP displays.

With that problem sorted you'll just have the issue of how to store the 600gb/hr of uncompressed video that the card will generate.

Yes - be much easier if you could record the 8-20Mbs MPEG4 H264 data stream directly, rather than the de-compressed baseband version.

This is possible with the BBC HD Trial as it is FTA - and I believe that it is now possible for Sky HD in the same way as it is possible for Sky - though this is NOT an approved system (though it still requires a subscription and isn't a way of avoiding payment)

Interestingly, Sky's sister broadcast platform in the US - DirecTV - is likely to be introducing a Media Center solution - I believe they are waiting for the increased security of Windows Vista. Whether this will be so locked down as to be no different to a Sky + who knows. It WOULD be good if it allowed recordings to be burned to HD-DVD or BluRay (with copy restriction enforced) - but I doubt it will...

Interestingly, in the US, where Firewire HD MPEG2 outputs and HD capture cards for OTA MPEG2 HD are in widespread use - people are now burning HD MPEG2 material to DVD+/-R media, but in HD-DVD format (as HD-DVD supports HD material on existing red-laser DVD media), for replay on HD-DVD players.

[MarkSS]

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

This is possible with the BBC HD Trial as it is FTA - and I believe that it is now possible for Sky HD in the same way as it is possible for Sky - though this is NOT an approved system (though it still requires a subscription and isn't a way of avoiding payment)

I've been enjoying BBCHD on the HTPC since the world cup, initially via the trial DVB-T broadcast from Crystal Palace and now DVB-S. Televised football is an entirely different experiance in HD, marvelous!

You're correct that SkyHD appears to be possible now, although nobody is exactly sure who changed what for it to work as the CAM software didn't specifically mention a change that would enable it. I'm no waiting for my favourite PVR software to support DVB-S2 and h.264 before I shell out for a subscription and then I still need to convince myself that its worth handing Sky £600/yr for!

[NicolasB]

Originally Posted by MarkSS

You can get HDCP strippers already, their official purpose being to allow you to connect devices to older non-HDCP displays.

With that problem sorted you'll just have the issue of how to store the 600gb/hr of uncompressed video that the card will generate.

Ah, but what if you don't want to store it? What would be cool is if there were a way of using a PC to do deinterlacing and scaling on an external 1080i signal (such as one coming from a Sky HD box): capture, process, output, with no storage in between. There's currently no way to do this, because there's no way to get a hi-def signal into the PC.

[Stephen Neal]

Originally Posted by MarkSS

I've been enjoying BBCHD on the HTPC since the world cup, initially via the trial DVB-T broadcast from Crystal Palace and now DVB-S. Televised football is an entirely different experiance in HD, marvelous!

You're correct that SkyHD appears to be possible now, although nobody is exactly sure who changed what for it to work as the CAM software didn't specifically mention a change that would enable it. I'm no waiting for my favourite PVR software to support DVB-S2 and h.264 before I shell out for a subscription and then I still need to convince myself that its worth handing Sky £600/yr for!

Presumably you have to buy a Sky+ HD box as well (for the card marriage and for Sky to believe you are an HD subscriber)

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by NicolasB

Ah, but what if you don't want to store it? What would be cool is if there were a way of using a PC to do deinterlacing and scaling on an external 1080i signal (such as one coming from a Sky HD box): capture, process, output, with no storage in between. There's currently no way to do this, because there's no way to get a hi-def signal into the PC.

Very good point, and one that I've been wrestling with for months.

I think there are two possiblities:

1. Use an HDMI stripper from somewhere (?) and feed the Black magic HDMI capture card.

2. Get your source HD SDI modified and use an HD SDI capture card.

Only for the ambitious, brave and those with deep pockets, for now.

Nick

[MarkSS]

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

Presumably you have to buy a Sky+ HD box as well (for the card marriage and for Sky to believe you are an HD subscriber)

Considering trying it without the box soon. Will say I've bought an HD box 2nd hand and give them the serial from an old SD box thats been out of use for several years. If it doesn't work, claim the HD box must be faulty and cancel for the time being.

Drawback is that you have to keep the old box around to put the card in every 4-6 weeks to receive key updates. At the moment none of the CAMs support updates and as yet I've not found a softcam that works reliably.