Dvr Standalone

Is it possible to watch and record 1080i video with PC through my DVR video-out w/ component/S-video?

I have a Motorola DVR and I am wondering if I buy a TV tuner/capture card and get a signal through the video-out of the DVR with component/S-video, will I be able to see and record exactly what I see on TV (like when I press guide on the remote of the DVR I see the time schedule and can be recorded if I wanted to on PC)?

I currently have an old external Hauppauge 1950 TV tuner and it does the job I want. I don't want it to be a standalone tv tuner I just want to get the signal from the DVR and see exactly what I see on the TV screen. But currently I can only watch 480i quality. Is it possible to have 1080i? Would buying a new capture card solve the problem or there's just no way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

To get 1080i, you will need to use component video, DVI or HDMI. S-video is only adequate for 480i.

If it is the Motorola I am thinking of, then on the back you have DVI out as well as component video. These will output pictures at 1080i. If you get a video capture card that can accept DVI and/or component video in then you will have no problem capturing HD in h264 format. But they are very expensive. One option is to use a Hauppauge HD PVR box, which will sit in between your Motorola DVR and your PC. It connects to your PC via USB and will allow you to record onto your hard drive in HD. they are around £175

Check your computer specs though before purchasing as HD capturing needs a fair bit of memory, good CPU and Hard drive space.

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