How to record HD programs

[landru22]

We are thinking of buying a 50" Plasma TV but the only thing holding us back is that we watch most of our programs timeshifted. Right now we record all of our shows with GBPVR and watch them on the weekend skipping commercials with comskip. We would like to be able to do the same thing with HD but I'm having difficulty finding any hardware that will record in HD.

Does anyone know of a PCI Card that will record HD signals and then play them back? Ideally, the signal would come from a Directv HD box to the PC. I don't know very much about HD, can anyone help?

[sub]

Unfortunately there is only limited options for this in the US. You can use one of the many 'Over The Air' ATSC digital cards for receiving your local digital channels via antenna, or you can use an HDHomeRun or OnAir GT device for recording unencrypted digital cable. There are no solutions for recording encrypted digital cable, or highdef signals from a set top box (like your DirecTV HD box).

[-Oz-]

i was reading somewhere that some set top boxes have a firewire plug that can go into the pc and transfer digital that way. I can't remember who had it though.

[zed]

Your best bet is probably to get the HD DVR from DirectTV. You can record HD OTA with an HD capture card and play them back in HD (assuming you have the computer power to do it) but I doubt you'll be able to do it from DirectTV. Some people have had success doing it with Dish TV but it sounds like a pretty fiddly process.

I recently faced the same dilemma and ended up just getting the cable co's DVR. I still use GB-PVR a lot, tho, since the majority of the channels are not HD yet.

[sub]

i was reading somewhere that some set top boxes have a firewire plug that can go into the pc and transfer digital that way. I can't remember who had it though.

Even that method doesnt get you the encrypted premium channels though. You end up getting a similar set to what the HDHomeRun would give you.

[landru22]

Thanks for the replies. We decided to go the HD DVR from Directv route. I had heard they were hard to come by and that there was a long waiting list to get one from Directv. We were lucky enough to get our hands on one at our local Best Buy store.