ReplayTV ripp to PC VIA Ethernet -Unbelievable high quality-

[808state]

ReplayTV ripp to PC VIA Ethernet -Unbelievable high quality-

Just put the final nail in the coffin for capturing analog video on the PC with crappy TV cards and One-For-All solutions. Purchased a ReplayTV Sonic Blue RTV 5040 @ Best Buy for $200 (open box) and must say "I will never try capping again with a PC card" in my opinion this method is a complete waist of time...after personally owning as many as 5 capture cards (Including a very expensive Pinnacle DV500+) and a ASUS 8200 Deluxe I can truthfully say they are junk compared to the ReplayTV.

Replay TV has a broardband ethernet connection that allows you to connect to your router(hub) and download programming, pictures and updates. Most importantly you can use the ethernet to transfer files bit for bit from the hard drive on the replaytv to your PC or MAC. DVArchive http://dvarchive.sourceforge.net/ is the tool of choice for transferring raw mpegs to your PC, the tool can also stream mpegs from the Replaytv to your PC, or stream mpegs from your PC to the Replaytv. You can upload files to your ReplayTv from your PC and of course transfer files from the ReplayTV to your PC via ethernet.

There are also other little cool utilities that are available for the ReplayTV such as a remote control for the unit on your PC...meaning you can have complete control of the ReplayTV unit from the PC virtual remote.

I have encoded a small clip from DSS and the ReplayTV that turned out amazing, I will post some shots soon!

Goodbye to sync issues and low quality caps!

[808state]

upped a few screen shots here http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=146189

Used Photoshop to convert .bmp screen shots into *medium quality* jpg

[neo_sapien]

Yeah, but don't you have to pay a $250 one-time activation fee or a $9.95 monthly activation fee just to use the darn thing? That brings the price up to $450 for something that'll serve as your new PVR card.

[808state]

Yep there sure is a monthly or one time fee...as I understand it though there may be a way around this.

I coughed up nearly $600 for a Pinnacle DV500+ that had no where near the quality that ReplayTv has...thank god for E-Bay!

What did you think of the screen shots I posted?

[dar1us]

The quality seems a little blurly. I havn't read into the product, it seems like simple Analogue>Digital conversion of video. How is it sourced (not electronic sourcing), Composite, S-Video or through tuner (digital/analogue - like DirecTIVO).

Shame not many of us are yank. We can fiddle out TIVO devices and give them ethernet acces to the computer, though it isn't really worth it. Someone really has to smash up a Sky DigiBox because there is no way of saving digital streams through SKY digital in the UK. VideoGuard cams are not avalible. I cry.

-dar1us

[808state]

The images come from a documentary on HBO that used many different camera's of all different sources. this is why I upped so many different scenes to get a good variety of different sources. I don't think the pictures are blurry granted they are softer than retail DVD but the snaps are leaps and bounds better than anything I have used for a PC capture card.

The cap was done with a DirectTV Small digital Dish as the source VIA S-Video into the ReplayTv

[dar1us]

S-Video, that will be good enough, dish size wont make any difference, as long as picture never breaks up.

SKY didn't think to commision digiboxes that had S-Video outs, I really want to get my hands on the MORE recent, SKY+ - been out for about 2 years now, it records digital streams, so therefore is perfect quality, only limited by full PAL res of 768x576 (if you are lucky). But noone has hacked it yet

-dar1us

[cjv]

Those are some nice caps, although IMO they are a bit blurry.

Capture cards can produce excellent results, check out the screenshots posted by obiwan71 in this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=261437#post261437)...I was amazed when I first saw them.

cjv

[John2002]

Thanks 808state. I've always suspected that a Replay was better. God, your image samples have great color and depth. I can imagine they'd look great on a TV, especially the first generation files played back on the Replay. I've had a Matrox G400 TV and now an ATI AIW 7500 and I've never been really happy with the quality of the captured broadcast video. Now if someone would release a TV card that could capture at 960x720 or 1280x960 well I don't know. I'd still resize to 640x480 but there's the potential for better quality if you start with a larger original resolution. Now that disks are so big what the hey.

[808state]

John2002

I was beginning to think some people here needed to get some eye glasses. I think the screen shots truly represent the quality that can be achieved with the ReplayTV and the fact that the snaps have been compressed with .jpg at *medium* quality and they still show a professional broadcast quality should say something.

I also think the color representation is rite on and the "depth of field" is also very impressive.

The screen shots cjv posted to me are not all that impressive.

The most important feature to the ReplayTV that I think is being over looked is I get peeeeeeeeerfect sync. The near broadcast quality comes a bonus.

[Jeff D]

One thing to note on the replay mpeg streams... they peak at about 15mb/sec, 5mb over the dvd max. So.... there could be problems with going to dvd.
Some apps don't care, some do.
Some dvd players dont' care, others do.

[vguyspg]

Originally posted by 808state
Yep there sure is a monthly or one time fee...as I understand it though there may be a way around this.

I coughed up nearly $600 for a Pinnacle DV500+ that had no where near the quality that ReplayTv has...thank god for E-Bay!

What did you think of the screen shots I posted?

i got the system too and the quality is perfect, super easy and faster than any other much expensive way....
I'm still looking for a way to go around the monthly fee...paying $10 is not really wise but paying life time fee for a opened, hacked system is fooler...hehehe :D
Any info would help alot