Getting programs off a Uverse DVR onto a VHS tape, external hdd, or a DVD..

[Elizara]

As you may of noticed I'd hinted, me and my brothers and sister are on Uverse. Thing is I don't have a cable box in my room (cost reasons and I've practically cut the cord b/c I haven't had it in my room in years or didn't watch much due to no headphones. Let's just say my sister doesn't like many cartoons, especially the ones I like to watch, and she lumps anime into the cartoons she hates ><, but that's a long story.)

Thing is..I know there is some exercise programs on the cable that once I get up to 12k steps on the walking program I'm doing to get back in shape that I'd like to use, but Uverse doesn't make it easy to tape. (Stupid things are at 3 in the morning. No thanks!) There IS no timer; but they supply a DVR, which I can't check in my room. So I'd like to find a way to get stuff off the DVR onto either a DVD, one of the external hdds me and 'Neko have bouncing around here, or a VHS tape. (I've been hunting a VCR for some time now b/c you should see our VHS tape collection we inherited from my dad; and some of them are out of print! So VHS tape would work, esp since 'Neko has a working VCR.)

Any ideas, BG guys? I'd prefer not to mod one of the boxes, I don't want to get in trouble with AT&T. ^^ Or break one; they are expensive..

[xopher]

Iirc it's encrypted so no way to get the data. Video out to vcr or capture card is about the only way

[Elizara]

Argh. Got to hate DRM. I'll tell Neko; maybe we can figure out some way since he still has his taping equipment.

[xopher]

It might have macrovision protection as well - that is, scrambled output when trying to record.

[orinthia]

Does the dvr have a lan port in it? I know my time warner one has that, and usb ports and such. Give them a shot; might be able to directly connect to it. I actually have no idea what'll happen, but it's a port to try out. Perhaps there's a manual or something online for more info on what it does.

Also see if there's an app/login for uverse. I know twc has this and it's kinda neat to watch cable on a phone/browser away from home, so you might be able to do something with it this way too.

Not sure if there's a dongle you can get to integrate the digital cable into, say, windows media center or something else, but you could get a normal tv dongle and get non-digital cable channels that way (like a usb thingie, wmc is pretty decent to use, and that is if uverse uses a normal coax as opposed to fiber optic or something else). First see if you can get some cable channels by just plugging the cable into the coax connection in the back of a tv and setting the tv to cable instead of air (provided you still have an old tv). You may have to get a coax splitter if things aren't already split for your rooms, but not any splitter will work. Read up on this so you don't kill your digital reception for the one box and wind up doing a lot of extra work. Probably consult support on splitting the connection if you use cable for internet and such as well.


Could also search online for your program. Probably the last thing you wanted to do, but maybe it's online somewhere.

Add: forgot to mention, with the non-digital cable thing: you'll want to make sure you can get the channel your programs are on first as well lol. You'll get a lot fewer channels on non-digital cable, so you might wind up missing the channel you want .

[kuronosan]

On UVerse's website they explicitly state that "you can watch select programs through your uverse account but for licensing reasons we cannot allow you to watch your recorded content".

Typical AT&T bullshit.

[Elizara]

yeah, no kidding.

I may not bother (Me and 'Neko were talking about it) and go to Five Below and buy me some exercise dvds instead. (I'll still look for a vcr tho; we got like 3 shelves packed with old VHS movies, most of them, like Windwalker (good for a hot day) that are out of print.)

Tho yeah..searching online, if I can find a name, might be a solution too.

Blast tho; AT&T sure don't make it easy if you wanna record and watch something in a room with no cable box. I am planning on saving for a Roku in the near future by the way just so I can watch some more stuff, now that I got a decent pair of headphones.