Hello every, i currently have an 8core Mac pro and i really want to get hauppauge HD PVR so that i can record my xbox 360. The only problem thus far is that my Tv is in a completl differnt room then my Mac. I know that the regular PVR software wont work on mac and that i will have to buy EyeTV 3 software. That is all ok. The only thing now is that i somehow have to run a usb cable all the way from my TV room to the room where my Mac is. THis is abou 50feet or so. At that distance will i experience some major problems. Also can anyone recomend something i can buy to extend the lenth of a usb cable to something long like 50 feet. Thanks
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HD PVR question (annoying situation)
- Thread starter Aussie SN1P3R
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I've been there
The quality will be the same if it were 5 feet away and lag wouldn't be an issue because you are only recording gameplay. I bought my HD PVR a few months ago and I love it! Check out one of the videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqJwyQL3ivc
The quality will be the same if it were 5 feet away and lag wouldn't be an issue because you are only recording gameplay. I bought my HD PVR a few months ago and I love it! Check out one of the videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqJwyQL3ivc
I don't know. According to wikipedia, the standard USB 2.0 cable length is 5 metres, which is a little over fifteen feet, I would think. You would probably have to set up a string of cables and repeaters/USB hubs... I don't know about the PVR, but I would go with the max cable length+USB Hub setup just because the distance is slightly worrying.
Hate to advertise a different solution from what the OP wants, but have you considered the Blackmagic Intensity and running two HDMI cables (to your Mac and back to the television)? Conversely, instead of using HDMI cables and repeaters, get an HDMI extender that uses CAT6 cable. Your distance worries are long gone, unless you want to pipe in your neighbor's xBox (max length is 50 metres). Of course, your T.V. has to have HDMI... And since its a 360, game footage from HDMI should not have an HDCP handicap (unless you are playing HDCP material).
Anyways, that leaves another question. What format are you capturing from?
EDIT; Wait - are you saying you already have the PVR and want it to work? In that case, I just had a moment of brilliance about USB extension using ethernet cables, and found this. Same thing as described above, gets you USB on a long length. Also might want to check out this as well
Hate to advertise a different solution from what the OP wants, but have you considered the Blackmagic Intensity and running two HDMI cables (to your Mac and back to the television)? Conversely, instead of using HDMI cables and repeaters, get an HDMI extender that uses CAT6 cable. Your distance worries are long gone, unless you want to pipe in your neighbor's xBox (max length is 50 metres). Of course, your T.V. has to have HDMI... And since its a 360, game footage from HDMI should not have an HDCP handicap (unless you are playing HDCP material).
Anyways, that leaves another question. What format are you capturing from?
EDIT; Wait - are you saying you already have the PVR and want it to work? In that case, I just had a moment of brilliance about USB extension using ethernet cables, and found this. Same thing as described above, gets you USB on a long length. Also might want to check out this as well
Hey. Well, I'm a reader here at MR, so I don't post much -but since this is a field that I do have knowledge in, I'll give you some of my advice/experiences.
First of, you'll need to understand that the HD PVR isn't the best recording device out there that is in that $175 - $300 price range. Some of the advantages of the device are that it is an external box, it's cheap, and it will run efficiently on a decent computer. However, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Though its bearable, a high percentage of units "go blank" for about a second and a half whenever something bright flashes on screen. Secondly, each and every clip is recorded in the .M2TS format, which will need conversion, since most software doesn't support the format yet. Finally, though you'll have true HD quality, it isn't quite as "crisp" as you'd like it to be -unless you do a little bit of editing.
Here's are an example of mine:
Subkultured M1 | Trailer [HD]
Since the time I mashed-up that quick little video, I've altered my capturing techniques and the conversion process, so the quality ended up being slightly better. I also used color correction in that video.
What I would do is look at the Blackmagic Intensity Pro, if you haven't looked at it already. I'm pretty sure I've actually seen the device in the Apple Store. It's an affordable solution to HD Capturing at a relatively cheap price -in fact, its price went down to $199 on some websites. It's an internal card -the only things you'll need to support it is a high-end computer and a massive amount of storage, preferably in a RAID array of some sort (according to some people I know who have it). And since you have an 8-Core MP, I'm pretty sure you're set. The BMIPro records in full 1080p HD at high bitrates, and it has a considerably faster transfer rate than the HD PVR. You can even record using the HDMI Output from the Xbox 360.
Not exactly positive that this is captured with a BMIPro or not, but I'm pretty sure I've read it was at some point:
LBYL 2 | Halo 3
Eh, that wasn't really the best example either. You'd have to do a bit of searching and find yourself a download link to a quality sample. I'm pretty sure there is a lot of them on H3F (Halo3Forum.com).
So what it all boils down to is whether you'll take advantage of the power your Mac Pro can offer, or if you'll settle for easy-to-setup, external capturing. Either choice will deliver nice HD quality, but both have their pros and cons. However, with your setup, I'd say many of the cons from the BMI Card don't really apply.
As for your problem in the distance between the Xbox 360 and the Mac Pro, I can't really offer any suggestions other than bringing them closer. It'll always work out the easiest having your computer and your Xbox 360 next to each other. It's just not plausible to be in another room while recording your footage. You'll be running from room to room starting/stopping the capture, especially since letting the card record for too long with take up MASSIVE amounts of disk space. And when your converting that MASSIVE clip to cut out the clip you want to keep, it will take hours. Just for that one clip. It's a lot easier than to just record in short segment, so you won't have to convert anything until your ready to edit a project. This all doesn't apply to Halo 3 footage, of course, since you'll be using theater to capture that -unless you'll be capturing live gameplay.
EDIT: Sorry, I stupidly didn't read the post above me. Well, Dr. Pants basically gave you much better solutions than I did
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