Looking for good platform to use to record digital video from composite and future HD sources
November 1, 2010 2:59 PM

Anyone know of a good platform to use to record digital video from composite and future HD sources? Looking for something that isn't trying to be an open source TiVo.

We need something to replace our old VHS tape system and our broken Toshiba DVR. Both suck horribly. With the Toshiba DVR we have to write a DVD and then rip the DVD on our computer to save the video onto our file server. VHS tape is worse where we have to capture the tape. Also, if our VCR takes a noes dive where do we buy another one these days?

We take video for testing that we do in our facility. We have BNC cables that carry composite video signals from the test cells to a control console where we monitor and record the video.

We purchased a 4-channel DVR that ended up being for surveillance and recorded everything in a big loop. It was difficult to take video off the unit as the software was very poor. We want something accessible over the network (like a Windows file share) where we can drag and drop our videos into a folder onto our computer or onto our file server.

Other things I've looked at (MythTV and Boxee Box) seem oriented towards recording television with the focus being on channel guides. Can these work with our requirements or will we be fighting through features that we don't need or use?

One of the guys here also mentioned the need to crop video, but I personally feel like that is something to do on the computer side of things....

Where is the VCR of today? Please help with some solutions. If you are part of a video solutions consulting firm, please post and also contact me with a PM. Thanks!
posted by nickerbocker to Technology (2 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
Well but you don't need a VCR, you just want something that has a, what, coax input? S-video? Something like a Hauppage PVR-150 or other video capture card will work just fine in a regular computer. Just add a capture utility like WinDV and you're fine. If you want to use a Mac, I'm sure come of the PCI cards out there have Mac drivers, or you can get a firewire/usb external capture box like a Pinnacle or EchoFX to plug your device(s) into.

This all does the same thing as the Tivo-ish solutions you've been finding, it's just that you seem to want simpler software than what they have. Simple and basic transport (record/play/stop/etc.) functions can be had by using simple software, you don't need all the scheduling and whatever (unless you do, just differently).
posted by rhizome at 5:55 PM on November 1, 2010


Also, what and how are your BNCs carrying the video? RGB? 3-way? 5-way? You might need a separate box or converter, depending.
posted by rhizome at 5:59 PM on November 1, 2010


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