# Outputting and recording video from TV to laptop



## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

I wasn't exactly sure what category this belonged in, home theatre, gadgets, multimedia, etc. 

But, I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 HDC, with a hard drive. I usually fill it up pretty fast, and need more space. So, I want to see if there's a way to transfer programs things I've recorded to my computer, who's hard drive has lot's more space and I also have a 2TB external hard drive. 

I'm not sure there's a way to transfer as you do with downloading a video file like an AVI from the internet to your computer. Right now there is one way I have to transfer to things from the DVR to my computer, very indirect. It involves playing the program, letting it run it's full length while recording it onto my DVD recorder which is also connected my tv. Then, once I've burned it onto the DVD, make an ISO of it on my computer.

I suspect I'll have to do the same thing if I want to transfer programs from my DVR to my computer. My DVR does have two firewire ports and a S-video out port. But, my laptop does not have an S-video in port, though it does have a firewire port.

Would it be possible to get something that converts one of my USB ports (either on my computer or my USB hub) to a S-video in port. For example, my computer doesn't has only one audio in port for my headset with microphone, but I have a USB headset with a mic that works just fine.


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## NSnub (May 25, 2011)

You can get a video card that has such inputs or an external device which is probably more expensive. 

I'm not too familiar with getting content from DVRs though but a way to cut the DVD recorder approach is through the capture card as that can record whatever you see on the TV which essentially is just like the DVD recorder approach except that you're just doing one workload rather than recording + converting. There's probably a way to extract the data from the DVR to the PC however, like I said before I'm unfamiliar with that...


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