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AliensAreFuzzy

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 30, 2004
1,561
0
Madison, WI
I saw on newer cable boxes that they have firewire. What can you do with this? Can you hook it up and record on your computer through the box? Can you add firewire HDD for extra DVR space?
 

jaykk

macrumors 6502a
Jan 5, 2002
854
5
CA
Yes, you can record shows of cable box

Yes, check out this link on Macosxhints. I tested this with my comcast HDTV cable box, and it works on my powerbook. I ordered Mac Mini just for this purpose, it will sit there and record the shows. Mac Mini will become the perfect DVR. there are some apple scripts floating around the web which uses iCal to schedule recording.
 

OutThere

macrumors 603
Dec 19, 2002
5,730
3
NYC
jaykk said:
Yes, check out this link on Macosxhints. I tested this with my comcast HDTV cable box, and it works on my powerbook. I ordered Mac Mini just for this purpose, it will sit there and record the shows. Mac Mini will become the perfect DVR. there are some apple scripts floating around the web which uses iCal to schedule recording.

You could also use Linux (yea yea flame me - it hurts to see linux on the mini), which has applications built for it that will get schedules off the internet and schedule recordings - but I'm not sure how it works with firewire, as I've only seen it working with PCI capture cards.
 

cr2sh

macrumors 68030
May 28, 2002
2,554
3
downtown
Back in 2002 several cable companies (TW, Comcast, Cox and others) signed the MSO – CE Manufacturer Agreement, part of this involves support for recordable IEEE 1394 connections on HD cable boxes.

I haven't used it but I've been told that if you call your cable company and ask, they have to send you one of these 1394 boxes.

:eek:

Wouldn't it be crazy if Apple pushed out an iLife application that utiilized the 1394 HD interface and a DVI adapter, throwing in itunes and ipod connecting to our stereo through airtunes, connecting our cable tv and high-speed internet via airport... making the mac mini the corner stone of it all.

God, that'd be cool.
 

Mechcozmo

macrumors 603
Jul 17, 2004
5,215
2
cr2sh said:
Wouldn't it be crazy if Apple pushed out an iLife application that utiilized the 1394 HD interface and a DVI adapter, throwing in itunes and ipod connecting to our stereo through airtunes, connecting our cable tv and high-speed

That would be the perfect Mac. Plug it in to not just your scanner and printer but also your cable box. Then your iPod plugs into it. Then play iTunes songs through your speakers and control it via your iPod. Oh, and don't forget the 100 GB 5200 rpm drive to be found in a Mac like that... 'cause thats the biggest and fastest 2.5" there is to go into the Mini.

Apple, you hearing this or do I need to drag my lazy butt to your feedback site? :p
 

macbaseball

macrumors 6502a
Feb 27, 2005
987
0
Northern California
Has anyone done managed to make this work. I've worked on it for about four and a half hours and I'm about to give up. I downloaded three different iRecord, AV/C Browser, and VirtualDVHS. iRecord was the first app I tried and it worked except for the sound didn't work and the top of the picture was messed up, AV/C Browser seems to be the best so far. It seems to record it, but I can't open it with VLC or MPEGStreamClip like every site says. I can't get VirtualDVHS to do anything. Could someone please give me some tips or how they did it.

Note: I have a Motorola cable box, that is grey, with a HD Capable logo in the left corner and Doby Digital Sound in the bottom right corner. My cable provider is Comcast.
 

RAS admin

macrumors regular
Sep 4, 2004
156
0
Berkshires, Mass.
macbaseball said:
Has anyone done managed to make this work. I've worked on it for about four and a half hours and I'm about to give up. I downloaded three different iRecord, AV/C Browser, and VirtualDVHS. iRecord was the first app I tried and it worked except for the sound didn't work and the top of the picture was messed up, AV/C Browser seems to be the best so far. It seems to record it, but I can't open it with VLC or MPEGStreamClip like every site says. I can't get VirtualDVHS to do anything. Could someone please give me some tips or how they did it.

Note: I have a Motorola cable box, that is grey, with a HD Capable logo in the left corner and Doby Digital Sound in the bottom right corner. My cable provider is Comcast.

http://mac_hdtv_timer.home.comcast.net/
 
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