May 04, 2015 By 'non-TiVo' I meant DirecTV DVRs that were not 'TiVo powered', for example, HR21. However, I think that the THR22, which runs TiVo software, also has this restriction. If you have an older DirecTV-TiVo DVR, then you should be able to watch any recordings even without DirecTV service. I have done this without even a dish connected. Usually when that happens, it means either the coax cable that screws into the back of the box or the wall is loose and needs screwed in, the cables going into the power inserter are loose and need to be tightened (little black box on the floor pl.
Items you will need
- TV
- Video cables
- DVR player
- Recordable DVD disc (such as DVD + R/RW)
- DVD player
Every Digital Video Recorder (DVR) has a limit, a full-to-capacity point where it refuses to record anymore. Alternatively, the DVR can simply start dumping the old recordings to make room for the new recordings, but this can be a problem for those who like to keep their favorite shows and movies around for quick access. Luckily there is a way to keep your favorite shows and not lose them. You must do a simple transfer of information from your DVR to your DVD player.
Record From DVR to DVD
Record the show first on the DVR as you normally would.
Turn on everything including the DVR, DVD player and the television.
Connect an S-Video cable from the DVD player to the DVR player. The cable will be red and white.
Change the inputs on the DVD player. Since you are using an S-video input, the correct setting would be L1.
Change the TV setting to match the settings of your DVD. If you are watching what you are recording, the setting on the TV should be 'Video 2.'
Play the show back to test that all the cables are connected correctly and the inputs are congruent with each other. If while playing back you can hear and see your show, you are good to proceed. If not, check your cables and make sure the inputs agree.
Place a DVD + R/RW disc into your DVD player.
Set the recoding time according to the DVR instructions. Two hours of recording time is usually a safe amount of time, unless quality is not your number one priority. For example, a show you do not plan on keeping or a sporting event you will simply watch once and tape over would be conducive to longer recording times. Otherwise the 2-hour setting will give you the best quality you can expect, and it should mirror the quality of the original DVR recording.
Push 'Play' on the DVR player and 'Record' on the DVD player. If you want to build a playlist of shows or record multiple shows, simply push 'Stop' on the DVD player while you set up each new recording.
Tips
If you plan on doing this often, consider purchasing an additional DVD player that is set up especially for this purpose since you will not be able to watch DVDs with this setup. You would need to constantly switch the cables and change the inputs with only one DVD player.
More Articles
DirecTV digital video recorders store video files on their hard drives in a proprietary format. However, their video outputs make it simple for you to transfer video to your notebook computer. All that you need to do is to connect those outputs to a video capture device connected to your notebook computer and you can then record the program right on your computer. Since there are a number of video capture devices that connect over USB, you don't need a desktop computer to do this -- just about any notebook computer can capture and record video.
Step 1
Plug your video capture device's USB plug into an open port on your [notebook](https://society6.com/notebooks?utm_source=SFGHG&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=2389) computer.
Step 2
Insert the red and white connectors on your analog stereo interconnect into the correspondingly color-coded jacks marked 'Audio Out' or 'Audio Output' on the back panel of your DirecTV DVR.
Step 3
Plug the other end of the audio interconnect cable into the red and white input jacks on your video capture device.
Step 4
Insert a video cable into your DirecTV DVR's video output. If both your DVR and your video capture device have one, use a round four-pin S-video cable for the best connection and plug it into the port marked 'S-Video' or 'S-Video Out.' If you cannot use an S-Video cable, use a composite video cable that will look like an audio cable but may be color-coded yellow. Plug it into 'Video Output' or 'Video Out' jack on your DVR.
Step 5
Plug the other end of the cable into the video input on your capture device.
Step 6
Step 7
Press the 'Power' button on your DVR's remote to turn it on.
Step 8
Press the remote's 'List' button to bring up the list of recorded programs in your DVR.
Step 9
Scroll down to the program that you want to transfer to your laptop by using the up or down arrows on your remote's directional pad.
Step 10
Press the 'Play' button on your remote control to start the program.
Step 11
Press the 'Record' button on your laptop's video capture software as quickly as possible after starting the program.
Press the 'Stop' button on your laptop's video capture software as soon as possible after the program finishes.
Items you will need
- USB video capture device
- Composite or S-video video cable
- Analog stereo interconnect cable