Is there an audio PVR for PC?

December 1, 2006 6:05 AM

What would be a good software audio PVR to record an internet stream or line-in on a PC?

I'm looking for a combo of Audio Hijack and Radio Shark to record audio broadcasts at specific times of the day.

posted by phirleh to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Audio Hijack Pro has timed recordings for Mac PCs.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:48 AM on December 1, 2006

You can Use ReplayRadio with its scheduler ($$) to catch an internet radio stream. If you have a TV tuner card, VirtualVCR (freeware) with a timer works well. I have a $20. TV tuner card in my computer with satellite TV connected to it. VIRtual VCR captures the TV broadcast into an .AVI file which can used various ways. One is to record several hours of XM radio stream from the satellite then use just the audio to make nice mp3s.

It all takes a lot of tweaking to get it to work but once set up works really well.
posted by jorlando at 7:59 AM on December 1, 2006

I don't understand what you mean about a combo of audio hijack and radio shark. Do you mean you already have a radio shark? That seems unlikely since the software Griffin provides comes with scheduling options (though it's too retarded to recognize the DST switch and screws up my scheduled every 6 months).

If you really want to record radio you're going to either need a device that tunes in the radio or the station has to have a stream. I like my Radio Shark - I've owned internal cards in the past and this is much more pleasant, as lame-o as the software is.

For stream recording I've used StreamRipper and while it's not pretty and glossy it works fine. The FAQ links to a how-to on scheduling using nothing more than the stock Windows XP scheduler stuff.
posted by phearlez at 8:18 AM on December 1, 2006

Total Recorder can do this.
posted by kc0dxh at 8:25 AM on December 1, 2006

Phearlez
I want to record Sirius at home to play on my ipod during my commute, I have a choice of Starmate going as a line in or the online stream. My understanding was that Audio Hijack records whats going through your soundcard whereas Radio Shark is like a Tivo for radio. I don't have either right now. But thanks for your suggestions I'll check them out.
posted by phirleh at 8:30 AM on December 1, 2006

Radio Shark is a USB device that is just a terrestrial radio. If you want to record Morning Junkie GirlTalkFest on 99.9 in the AM then that's what you want. You clearly need something that will either record from the line in or record from that stream.

StreamRipper opens a web connection using a public and open protocol and records that stuff; that's not what you need.

You can use Total Recorder or the free (but notably more ghetto) alternative, SoundCapture. Those applications work by simply recording what your computer is pushing out of the sound card. That might be a stream, a CD playing back, system noises when you click the wrong thing, you beat-boxing into a microphone into the back of your computer - whatever.

The upside of them is they'll record ANYTHING. The downside is they record EVERYTHING, including any other goofy noises your computer might make along the way (say, your mail client shrieking YOU'VE GOT MAIL). Also, they don't tune those inputs - you have to fire up that Sirius stream and pick the channel, all they do is record what's going on.

A quick google of 'record sirius stream' turns up a few links, including this one which looks promising: http://all-streaming-media.com/streaming-media-faq/faq-record-Sirius-Radio-Online.htm this seems to be some app which is an amalgam of the two behaviors. However it ain't free.
posted by phearlez at 11:58 AM on December 1, 2006