Mac HD capture card alternative

  • Thread starter Enzo_Guy
  • 3 comments
  • 1,397 views
377
Enzo_Guy
GTP EnzoGuy
NOTE: I haven't personally tried this quite yet with a PS3 so it's only theoretical, but the technology involved worked in an identical fashion before.

I want my GT5 replays on my Mac. Having a Macbook I'm used to 99% of the software I use being free for legal download, with the only one I've actually paid for being Microsoft Word. The cheaper capture cards aren't compatible with Macs, so $200 for the unit and then they want to charge me $30 MORE for the Mac software?!:grumpy:

I have several A/V receivers running with kinds of video outputs, I just needed to find a way to run the video as a device signal my Mac. As I was watching TV today I realized a realistic solution was literally staring me dead in the face!
In the days of HDTV infancy people were using Macs to record shows and export them to an external hard drive. HDCP encryption and Tivo/DVR popularity effectively killed the practice. This recording was done via firewire, Macs have had this port for a long time and by law your cable company must provide a firewire output port on your box if you ask for it.
A cable box will convert an analog signal into a digital signal to send to through firewire. Using the old TV recording software, which is still available and free of course, a Mac user can easily record gameplay by simply running through the cable box and firewire port.

Recording in HDMI?
HDCP encryption was designed with the intent of being incompatible with firewire, recording with full digital HDMI/HDCP capabilities can only be done with a Blackmagic Intensity, so that Hauppauge PVR everyone loves is still running the older HD component connections. If your cable box has an HD component input then a firewire out to your Mac makes capturing those GT5 replays possible in HD! There seem to be conflicting reports as to whether the component cables can run full 1080p quality, at worst you've got 1080i resolution (barely noticeable difference).

So there you have it. With the proper connections a cable box is capable of transferring the signal and a Mac can record it!
 
umm..... I have an easycap and easycapviewer and it's got an extremely simple but pretty good interface and the quality is pretty good for SD.
 
umm..... I have an easycap and easycapviewer and it's got an extremely simple but pretty good interface and the quality is pretty good for SD.

Recording in HD is where people start needing the expensive cards. I was trying to find a potentially free alternative that could still get 1080i.
 
+1 on this. If I ever get a PS3, I'd defernatly use this, as I have a similar setup on my TV. Good job!
 
Back