How to record DirectTV HD DVR to a DVD or PC?

Question

Is there a way to hook up a standard DVD player to a DirecTV HD DVR and record the content to this disk? If not is there a way to record the content onto a computer to later be recorded onto a DVD.

Answer 1

If your DVD player can also record DVDs, then yes. You can connect your DirecTV HD DVR to a DVD recorder like so:

Additional Items Required:

• S-Video cable
• DVD recording unit (if your DVD player can't record)
• Blank DVD

• Test your Direc TV digital video recorder and your DVD recording unit separately to make sure both are in proper working order before you connect them.

• Connect one end of an S-Video cable to your DVD recording unit and the other end to your TV.

• Find the standard RCA cables that Direc TV sent along with your digital video recorder. Attach one end of them to the corresponding slot on the DVD recording unit and the other end to the TV.

• Check your DVD recording unit to see if it came with an HD cable or the standard three-pronged cable. Buy a separate HD cable if it did not come with one.

• Attach the HD cable between the Direc TV digital video recorder and the DVD recording unit.

• Insert a blank DVD into the DVD recording unit, then turn on your TV and digital video recorder.

• Find a program you want to record to a DVD. Use the digital video recorder's Record to VCR function to save it to the blank DVD.

• Use the DVD to re-watch the recorded program at a later time on any standard DVD player or computer DVD drive.

Source

Answer 2

From here for How to Download DIRECTV HD DVR Recordings to a PC

Step 1

Check the video input jack type on your video capture hardware. Depending on your model, it could be s-video, mini plug or RCA. If you are unsure of the type, refer to your owner’s manual.

Step 2

Check the audio input jack type on your video capture hardware. Depending on your model, it is probably RCA left (white) and right (red). If you are unsure of the type, refer to your owner’s manual.

Step 3

Check the video analog output jack type on your HD DVR. The most common analog video output jack will be s-video, but it may be component video. If you are unsure of the type, refer to your owner’s manual.

Step 4

Obtain the video and audio cables that match the jack types of your video capture hardware and your HD DVR. Connect the video and audio cables from the HD DVR to the video capture hardware.

Step 5

Launch your video capture software. Windows operating systems come with an application call Movie Maker which works fine. Press Record on the software, and then press Play on the HD DVR.

Step 6

Leave it alone until your entire show is done playing. Then you can stop recording and use your HD DVR normally again.

From here for Connecting Direc TV HD DVR to a DVD Recorder

Step 1

Test your Direc TV digital video recorder and your DVD recording unit separately to make sure both are in proper working order before you connect them.

Step 2

Connect one end of an S-Video cable to your DVD recording unit and the other end to your TV.

Step 3

Find the standard RCA cables that Direc TV sent along with your digital video recorder. Attach one end of them to the corresponding slot on the DVD recording unit and the other end to the TV.

Step 4

Check your DVD recording unit to see if it came with an HD cable or the standard three-pronged cable. Buy a separate HD cable if it did not come with one.

Step 5

Attach the HD cable between the Direc TV digital video recorder and the DVD recording unit.

Step 6

Insert a blank DVD into the DVD recording unit, then turn on your TV and digital video recorder.

Step 7

Find a program you want to record to a DVD. Use the digital video recorder's "Record to VCR" function to save it to the blank DVD.

Step 8

Use the DVD to re-watch the recorded program at a later time on any standard DVD player or computer DVD drive.

Answer 3

Not sure if this is what you want, but...

I hook up my DVD recorder RCA inputs to the RCA outputs of my DVR. So the DVR is converting digital to analog, which is routed to my DVD recorder, which then converts and records back in digital DVD form.

Note that not all shows can be by recorded this way, since many DVD recorders will not copy programs marked as "copyrighted". This varies from station to station.