Mac Pro HDTV streaming

[bld44]

Hopefully someone here can help me out. I'm streaming HDTV from my cable box into my Mac Pro with a firewire cord. However, I'm getting choppy playback on all of my HD channels.

I'm only using about 15% CPU and have plenty of ram, so I'm not sure what the problem is. My machine is a Mac Pro Quad 2.66 with 6GB of ram and the ATI Radeon X1900XT card. Using VLC (through AVCBrowser). Box is a scientific atlanta explorer 3250HD. Two 23" ACDs.

I'd appreciate any help. Is there a setting or something I can change in VLC or system preferences to fix this? I know someone here has to have a cable box plugged into their Mac Pro via firewire.

screenshot

 

[jjahshik32]

Whoa i didnt know you could connect hddvr into the mac pro! I have a scientific atlanta 8300HDC but I just connect it to my hdtv...

 

[ElBerserko]

Are you able to record the HD Channels using AVCVideoCap and then play them back in VLC? Recording doesn't require much horsepower at all so if it doesn't work it may narrow down the problem. Also look at what it says under EMI when using AVCVideoCap, 'copy freely' is what you want to see, but judging by your screenshot the channel you are recording is probably not encrypted.

 

[bld44]

Whoa i didnt know you could connect hddvr into the mac pro! I have a scientific atlanta 8300HDC but I just connect it to my hdtv...

As long as you have a firewire port on that box, you should be able to connect it. Just be warned, you will only be able to get the unencrypted channels to play on your Mac. Time Warner here in Austin has almost every channel encrypted (even the basic channels) except for a handful like Fox HD, NBC HD, CBS HD, HGTV HD, HGTV HD (these were the only HD channels I could get, no ABC HD either, no espn, no hbo, etc). There were a few other SD channels I could get, but no more than a few dozen. It differs a bit from provider to provider, but most channels are encrypted these days.

Are you able to record the HD Channels using AVCVideoCap and then play them back in VLC? Recording doesn't require much horsepower at all so if it doesn't work it may narrow down the problem. Also look at what it says under EMI when using AVCVideoCap, 'copy freely' is what you want to see, but judging by your screenshot the channel you are recording is probably not encrypted.

Haven't tried recording yet, but I will do so later. The channel I was watching (CBS HD) was not encrypted, but the pixelation would only come through at times and then play fine at others. However, by times I mean every few seconds, so it almost drove me batty watching it (sound was cutting out too during it). I'll report back on recording.

 

[simplyearl]

Have any luck? On the few "Copy Freely" HD channels I'm constantly experiencing the same "pixelation," although mine seems to be slightly more extreme.

I see it whether I'm using AVCBrowser or using AVCVideoCap.