Video Capture help!!

[pcproff]

OK guys.. Is there a way I can pull video from my Xbox 360 that is connected to my HDTV via component cable to my Powerbook? As you guys know the Powerbook has s-video and DVI but my tv does not DVI. Do I need software and if so which one? Any ideas?

 

[mkrishnan]

Maybe I'm saying something obvious, but I don't think any modern powerbook has video in. The S-Vid and DVI are outputs. You can buy something like an EyeTV to capture video... but I don't think there is a software-only solution.

 

[pcproff]

Ok so eye tv will pull video coming from a television set as well as a computer? Thanks for your help..

 

[mkrishnan]

Actually that's the primary thing it's meant to record. I feel I'm not being clear.

Okay, so you have:

- Powerbook
- HDTV
- XBox, connected to the HDTV by component out.

This is what you want:

- To make a digital video recording file (movie) of your XBox on your Mac.

This is what you need:

- A device that can get a video signal into the Mac.
- I'm not 100% familiar with the XBox, but if the XBox can broadcast on multiple outputs at the same time, then you can use one output on the XBox for the TV and another for the Mac. If not, then you must get a splitter or "Y" shaped adaptor to let one signal such as the component signal go to two places.

You never connect the Mac to the TV. You connect the Mac to the XBox.

For instance, you might get this EyeTV and then plug it into the SVideo port of your XBox. And then it would make movie files of the output. This is assuming the XBox can drive two signals at the same time (need an XBox expert for that). Although, alternatively, if you wanted to do so, you could play your XBox on your Mac screen with this device and record it off of there too.

Does that make sense? The other part that I feel I haven't clearly communicated is that this will be expensive -- the hardware you need is going to cost you as much as your XBox did. Although from your setup it sounds like you can afford it.

One other off-the-wall solution would be to buy a DVR. Then you can use it to record your XBox plus get all the other happy benefits of DVR owning, and also transfer the files off the DVR to the Mac using your local network. I could do that with my ReplayTV, if I had an XBox.

 

[pcproff]

Wow what a reply thanks! The DVR will be a better alternative I think. I need to record some of my games that are being played on the xbox and then be able to edit them so they will have to .avi, .mov. hopefully the file format the DRV produces is one of these formats. Is a DVR the likes of TIVO? Or are they seperate devices?? Thanks again. Oh by the way my xbox has component outputs and that is all it has. Would I be able to plug this into the DVR then from the DVR into the HDTV? Does the DVR have multiple inputs and outputs? Just wondering?

 

[mkrishnan]

Yes, exactly, TiVo is an example of a DVR. Most of them have multiple inputs, but you want might as well get one that supports hi-def (if that's available at a reasonable price), and of course you also need to make sure you can get it off there and onto a computer somehow. Not exactly sure how to proceed on that front.

What I have is a ReplayTV, which is a TiVo competitor -- it has multiple composite ins, coaxial, and S-Vid ins, but only *outputs* component. And I think it's strictly SD. But I'm sure there're are HD-ready options. The ReplayTV allows for movie files to be downloaded onto the computer using an open source package called DVArchive. I think TiVo has such a feature out of the box as well....

 

[pcproff]

Well I hope to find one with a HDMI output for my tv. But, I wonder if this will let me capture what my 360 is producing.... Well with this device at least I can capture my tv show LOST when it comes back out. I see your a photographer, as so am I. Have you ever heard of http://www.tipsfromthetopfloor.com great forum in there for us photographers.. Check it out! Also, would you recommend a Tivo type service which I believe you have to pay a fee or just the stanard DVR that comes with the cables service??