# Saving 921 output to DVD



## ntexasdude (Jan 23, 2005)

Hello guys, this may have been covered in another thread but I couldn't seem to find anything. Is there a way (any way) to output the 921 signal to a DVD burner, either a set op box or to the DVD burner in my computer. There are lots of things I record that I would like to archive but I'm thinking this isn't possiblewith the 921.

Any help/comments would be appreciated.

Robert


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

Down Rezzed... Use S-Video out from 921 to a set top dvd recorder, unless you have a good video card on a pc that will accept it...Personally I have down rezzed from a 6000u to a Panasonic dvd recorder on Ram disc's that you can edit... Now I use Replays to archive from my 921 and my 6000u.( I can then burn to dvd thru my pc)


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

Using 480i/16:9 you can record Anamorphic widescreen. This results in a pretty good quality DVD. I do this with HD source and Letterboxed SD (using the 921 zoom mode).

My Philips Stand-Alone recorder doesn't set the 16:9 flags on the DVD. They display fine on a 16:9 TV, but don't get properly letterboxed on a 4:3 set.

I get around this by recording first to DVD+RW, then coping to the PC, setting the 16:9 flags, & finally copying back to DVD.

Unfortunately, no 5.1 sound. Philips has been taunting us for a year with a vapor-ware unit that can record 5.1.


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

Here is a screen shot from the 921 to Replay and converted to dvd...


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## TVBob (Dec 19, 2003)

I've also had to do DVD archiving via an S-Video connection because, sadly, the DVR-921's high quality component video outputs won't work with any DVD recorders. See the poll here http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=36007 for an explanation.

HD content is down-resd to 480 lines, but if you set the recorder up for 16x9 recording, you get a very good quality 1 hour widescreen DVD (at up to 10 Mbps). The widescreen picture looks "squished" when recording (anamorphic mode), but by recording in widescreen mode, the recoder stretches everything to the proper aspect ratio during playback. True 5-channel Dolby Digtal surround sound cannot be recorded by any current DVD recorder, unfortunately, so you get stereo or 2-channel Dolby Surround (artificial surround).

I've been less successful recording letterbox content in zoom mode due to the DVR-921's overzoom bug described here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=37319

I'm using a Sony RDR-HX900 DVD recorder, which allows one to easily remove the commercials before burning to DVD (it has its own hard disk).

I used to use my ReplayTV, Ethernet connection, and PC editing software to make DVDs, but it's so much easier to use a set-top DVD recorder for this.

Dish really needs to come out with a DVR that includes a DVD player/burner for archiving. They have room for one in the unused slot of the DVR-921, but I don't think they have plans to do this, unfortunately. Neither does DirectTV.


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## TVBob (Dec 19, 2003)

dfergie said:


> Here is a screen shot from the 921 to Replay and converted to dvd...


Not bad except the screen capture software gave you a 4:3 image instead of a 16:9 image, so the aspect ratio is off. You'll need to stretch this 300x225 image to either 355x225 or 400x225 to restore the proper 16:9 aspect ratio.  TV pixels are rectangular, PC pixels are square, so things aren't as simple as they should be.

I used WinDVD to capture the attachment from a DVD I created using the DVR-921 with an SVideo connection to a Sony RDR-HX900 DVD Recorder. If someone can capture the same shot from a Star Trek recording made with an HD TiVo using a *component video* connection to a DVD recorder, that would make an interesting comparison. The component video connection should give even better image quality.


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

TVBob said:


> Not bad except the screen capture software gave you a 4:3 image instead of a 16:9 image, so the aspect ratio is off. You'll need to stretch this 300x225 image to 400x225 to restore the proper 16:9 aspect ratio.


 Yeah, but I like these better than the letterboxed ones from my 6000u...You ever tried dvd patcher? it will adjust...


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## sgt940 (Jan 9, 2004)

dfergie said:


> Yeah, but I like these better than the letterboxed ones from my 6000u...You ever tried dvd patcher? it will adjust...


Any one found an infared blaster code that will fire a panasonic dvd-recorder?


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## ntexasdude (Jan 23, 2005)

Okay, so the answer then is yes. If I understand these posts you can use the 921 s-video connection and output it to either a set top dvd recorder or to your s-video input on your PC video card. Or presumably if your graphics card didn't have an s-video input (mines does) you could use some type video input capture device and a usb 2.0 or firewire port. Then you would have to use WinDVD or some other authoring software to burn it.

Of course I have to ask the obvious now. It's all in "real time" isn't it, much like recording to VHS? 

And the audio? It's just out of the RCA jacks isn't it? It's too bad we can't use 921's USB port (disabled, I know) straight to a PC.

Thanks for the excellent replies. Now that I know it's possible I'll try to figure out the finer points myself.

Any additional comments/experiences would still be appreciated.

Robert


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## TVBob (Dec 19, 2003)

ntexasdude said:


> Then you would have to use WinDVD or some other authoring software to burn it.
> ...
> Any additional comments/experiences would still be appreciated.


WinDVD is strictly for playback; you'll need something like Ulead DVD Movie Factory 3 to author a DVD from an MPEG2 file.

Friends who have tried using PC video capture cards often have problems with audio/video synchronization (especially true when digitizing video tapes). These problems disappear with a good set-top DVD recorder.

My recommendation would be: forget the PC. Too much to learn, too much work. Get a good set-top DVD recorder with a hard disk so you can edit and burn in the DVD-R format, either Panasonic or Sony. Avoid Philips (too many bugs).

After much trial and error, DVD-R seems to be most compatible format for the most DVD players. Cheaper set-top recorders only burn DVD+R or DVD+RW. Many older Toshiba DVD players will not recognize either DVD+R or DVD+RW, but will play DVD-R just fine.

We're now quite off topic with respect to the DVR-921, so if you need more info. it should probably be in some other forum.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

Anyone try recording from the digital audio output?

If there was only a way to convert the DVI to firewire.....


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

The route I take is 921 > Replay > dvarchive > review (converts to a dvd burnable format)> TMPG dvd author (not as complicated as it seems...) course if firewire (which mine does not have) were active we could archive to dvhs...sigh


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## ntexasdude (Jan 23, 2005)

Thanks everbody for the excellent suggestions. Like TVBob said I'm starting to think trying to connect a 921 directly to a PC is too much trouble. I think I'll buy a set top DVD recorder. I need something simple that the kids and wife can use without having to send them to electronics boot camp.

Just a few more questions.

dfergie what exactly do you mean by your steps? 921 > Replay > dvarchive > review (converts to a dvd burnable format)> TMPG dvd author Is replay a ReplayTV box? And then what is dvarchive and review.

Dave_Levin, I had no idea idea what an anamorphic DVD was until I read this page anamorphic Thanks buddy.

BTW - I have my 921 for 3 weeks now and it has been flawless. There are still some things I don't understand and some things I haven't tried but I'm learning a lot from this forum.

Robert


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## dfergie (Feb 28, 2003)

ntexasdude said:


> Just a few more questions.
> 
> dfergie what exactly do you mean by your steps? 921 > Replay > dvarchive > review (converts to a dvd burnable format)> TMPG dvd author Is replay a ReplayTV box? And then what is dvarchive and review.
> 
> Robert


Ok, I go from my 921 into my Replay Box (5040 upgraded to 290 gig on this unit ) via S-video then Record in medium quality (uses about 2 gigs and hour, Hq uses 3 , higher bitrate but not much difference) then I use a pc program dvarchive that makes a pc emulate a Replay box (you can stream directly from the pc's to your Replays...more storage space) then using a program called review I convert the Replay mpeg into a cln mpeg ( you can convert to wmv files also ) Then using Tmpg dvd author I can use the cln file to create and burn to dvd. Sounds complicated, but its not... Wish the 921 had the support like Replay...


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## jbrock (Feb 2, 2005)

OK, new to newsgroups/forum, so not sure if this correct place to ask question, but here goes.....
Does the 921 quit receiving OTA (over-the-air) signals if not subscribed to the satellite service?


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

The 921 will receive OTA out of the box before it's even subscribed. All you need is a satellite signal connected to the 2 satellite inputs (and a good OTA antenna, of course).

Note: Supposedly you will not be able to use the PVR - just the tuner. Consider that most ATSC STB's go for around 200-300$ US, using a 921 as an OTA tuner only is not very economical.


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