Looking for 'hackable' DVR

[bifferos]

Hello,

I am looking for a DVR which can be used to digitise VHS cassettes and also for general use recording (analogue) output from my Sky box. I say 'hackable' because I would like to be able to get into the system so I can transfer recorded files onto a Linux server and use them with XBMC. I don't mind if the 'hacking' is technical, so long as it's possible, and I want to be sure that when I order the unit there will be some exploit that allows me to get the files into some format I can use from a PC. If the unit had an ethernet interface that would be a plus.

I would like good video quality, not so bothered about file size on the disk.

Can anyone advise me?

many thanks,
biff.

 

[HB13DISH]

Considering the low quality of VCR compared to DVD, I am not sure if I would personally bother to convert VHS cassettes to any other format, but you probably have your reasons.
When you say Digitize, which STANDARD formats are you after?
With a good DVR (I use Pioneer), you can convert a VHS cassette directly to a DVD using the A/V SCART or RCA cable (Composite video) and then take the DVD, insert it in your PC DVD Drive, use Nero Application to extract, edit and save the VODs to other formats like *.mpg
With a Dreambox (Linux receiver with Ethernet interface), you can then upload the files to the internal HDD and probably use it as a linux server.
Many members use a Dreambox to open Sky channels and record directly to it's internal HDD, with the possibility to extract the *.ts files to a PC. So perhaps you can use this method also instead of using a Sky Box.

 

[bifferos]

Considering the low quality of VCR compared to DVD, I am not sure if I would personally bother to convert VHS cassettes to any other format, but you probably have your reasons.

Unfortunately, these are films no longer available (on DVD or VHS), and also analogue home recordings before I got a camcorder with firewire, otherwise I'd do this on the PC.

When you say Digitize, which STANDARD formats are you after?

Yeah.. I deliberately left that out :-). So long as I can play back on a PC (now) I believe I am probably OK for the future, what with virtual machines and so on. MPEG2, DivX, xvid, SWF or whatever would be fine. I'd like to avoid archiving in MJPEG, because that probably would take a huge amount of space though.

Or did you mean tv standards? I only need PAL input.

With a good DVR (I use Pioneer), you can convert a VHS cassette directly to a DVD using the A/V SCART or RCA cable (Composite video) and then take the DVD, insert it in your PC DVD Drive, use Nero Application to extract, edit and save the VODs to other formats like *.mpg

Right. I've also done this a few times, but the quality of my DVD recorder is not up to much, also it's a pain having to mess about with DVD-R, and then maybe needing to re-do recordings if you happen to stumble on poor media (I know I'm a cheapskate and order only cheap DVDs so it's probably my fault).

With a Dreambox (Linux receiver with Ethernet interface), you can then upload the files to the internal HDD and probably use it as a linux server.
Many members use a Dreambox to open Sky channels and record directly to it's internal HDD, with the possibility to extract the *.ts files to a PC. So perhaps you can use this method also instead of using a Sky Box.

The Dreambox 600 PVR looks nice, but would that give me all the channels a Sky box has? (Assuming I don't have a decoding card).

thanks,
biff.

 

[compufunk]

............
The Dreambox 600 PVR looks nice, but would that give me all the channels a Sky box has? (Assuming I don't have a decoding card).

No, at least not on its own, You either need a valid card or access to a card sharing ring.

You mentioned recording from a sly box in your 1st post, If its just FTA programing you are interested in (No card) , then the DM-600 can do that.

 

[bifferos]

No, at least not on its own, You either need a valid card or access to a card sharing ring.

You mentioned recording from a sly box in your 1st post, If its just FTA programing you are interested in (No card) , then the DM-600 can do that.

I have a Sky digibox, which I believe gives me a few more channels than a simple FTA setup. I bought it off a friend for a fiver, then paid about a tenner for the dish. This has been working nicely and has all the channels I need, but I'd now like to get a setup which can record more than a video tape's worth of programs, so I think I need to find something with analogue video in. Surely there must exist something to do this?