Media Center PC Section

[Art Vandelay]

Is there a section covering Media Center PC issues? I did a search but came up with little on the site. I am trying to burn a DVD+RW of TV shows recorded with the Media Center burning system or Sonic. Both programs tell me the file is copy protected and can't be used. The show is The Wire from HBO. Is this an HBO thing or will all the shows I record with the PC be protected from NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX?

Thanks,

AV

[locoeng]

Is this a new a problem or a new computer that you are experiencing problems recording shows?

http://www.hbo.com/corpinfo/faq/cgmsfaq.shtml

[Art Vandelay]

Might Be HBO

I sure hope it is only HBO, I just bought this Media Center PC and recorded The Wire and I want to transfer it to DVD to take to work and watch on downtime. I get the message "file is copy protected, can't be used" when i load it with Sonic or Media Player 10 or in the Media Center interface with its burning program. Funny though when I click on the file the properties say it isn't copy protected. I don't know if it matters but I get HBO shows on my Canadian Sat. provider since they have an agreement with HBO, same with Showtime.

HBO uses the CGMS-A -- Content Generation Management System for Analog)

I sure hope it's only HBO, still makes me mad. I don't want to plug in the VCR!!

AV

[locoeng]

What kind of MCPC did you get...or did you build it. I've been thinking about building one.

[BR7]

I am looking to get the WinTV-PVR-500 MCE for my Dell E510 XP\MC I hope it's worth it

[Chewy]

a little history

http://review.zdnet.com/4520-6033_16-4207643.html

newer history

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6350489.html?display=Technology

[Bay_wolf]

www.byopvr.com forums can probably help you with your problem. They have with all of my media center problems and I think its just Premium channels like Starz and HBO and Encore etc...

Bay_wolf

[Art Vandelay]

Not Good News

Chewey, so I assume there is no way around it? Any software out there? I really don't want to bring out the VCR. I appreciate everyones help.

Thanks,

AV

[BR7]

If that's the case why is that HBO is able to record on a PVR ?

[Chewy]

in my second link there were references to the "analog hole", not my field
of expertiese but seems to be a weakness in the protection.

[Bay_wolf]

If you read my earlier post and www.byopvr.com forums didn't help then are you using Media Center Edition 2005? because Microsoft puts copy protection on their files but other 3rd party software like gbpvr and sage tv don't if I remember correctly. Sage Tv costs but gbpvr is free.

Bay_wolf, hope this helps.

[MikeyBK]

Nero Vision Express should be able to convert those .dvr-ms files from Media Center to DVD format and burn to disc. Takes a long time though. I don't have HBO though so never tried it on HBO shows from capture.

The Win-TV PVR from Hauppage comes with their own capture software, WinTV 2000, and it captured Macrovision protected VHS when Sonic would not, stating it was copy-protected. So I think the WinTV 2000 will not see the HBO shows as copy-protected and it will capture in standard mpeg2 format and not dvr-ms files. Only thing is it's limited capture settings. Only can manually turn on the recording and manually shut it off.

The best thing about Windows Media Center is it's ability to set recordings by shows' name, entire series, set-time recording, or scheduling the recordings days or weeks in advance.

[Bay_wolf]

dvr-ms tool box is a set of programs and might help also.

bay_wolf

[Art Vandelay]

Will Look into this further

Thanks Bay Wolf, I went to the site to post a question but there was some problem (now for 2 days) with registration. I will check out the software you mention.

BR7 I don't think the problem is recording the HBO to the PVR. I have done that and I can watch the HBO stuff on my Media Center PC. The problem I have is when I want to burn that show to DVD I get the message saying it is copy protected and it won't go any further with Sonic or the built in Media Center burning program.

AV