Iss there a method of recording movies of TV

[elder73]

Some time ago I would record movies directly of TV under the DOS system. I had to add a card to my computer at the time, but it was some time ago.
I am wondering if things have developed to the point that there might be a software programme that would do this. I would like to do this with a laptop which does not allow any messsing around with its innards. Thank You.

[GreyGeek]

No. You still need an NTSC (or PAM) device that receives either a transmitted signal or a cable signal and shows that signal on your display. Then you can use one of the several screen recording apps.

Another alternative is to try one of the several "Watch TV on your computer" websites, and use the screen recorder while watching them. However, many of those good sites require a monthly fee and the free ones are usually infested with malware.

[elder73]

No. You still need an NTSC (or PAM) device that receives either a transmitted signal or a cable signal and shows that signal on your display. Then you can use one of the several screen recording apps.

Another alternative is to try one of the several "Watch TV on your computer" websites, and use the screen recorder while watching them. However, many of those good sites require a monthly fee and the free ones are usually infested with malware.

Thank you that is what I expected I suppose. I've been able to capture movies with screen recording but mostly on my Windows laptop. Trying to do it with Kubuntu has been a bit of a trial. The latest screencap gets the movie OK but I can't get it to record sound, although that is only small problem, I just have to pick one of several choices. The big probem is that the video runs like one of those old Charlie Chaplin movies. I have written the the author of that software who has been helpful but so far have not come to a full solution.

[NickStone]

You can buy a USB TV adaptor to connect to your pc/laptop and pick up TV channels that way and use VLC to hook up to the device, you will need to find one that is compatible with Linux. I bought a cheap TV set top box that connects direct to my TV and I can record on to a SD card or USB stick then I simply transfer it to my PC to put on to a DVD.

The one that I have is this http://www.amazon.co.uk/FREEVIEW-REC...le+set+top+box

[oshunluvr]

The key is what kind of TV signal and how is it delivered to the TV. ATSC (over-the-air antennae digital broadcasts) and clear QAM (unencrypted cable) signals can be easily captured with any of several USB devices or even stand-alone network enabled devices like SiliconDust products. Then you can watch TV anyway on your network or over WiFi. (Sorry, Gerry) NTSC as a broadcast signal is almost totally dead in the US except for older playback devices like VCRs and DVD players.

You can also get a device like a TiVX - an over-the-air DVR/PVR - that records and plays back broadcast signals. A few years ago when we lived in L.A. I "cut the cord" and watched only broadcast (free) TV. I have one and was able to record and copy/save my TV shows and movies. Unfortunately, I now live in an area where there are few broadcast stations so I had to get cable. At least it's a lot cheaper here

If you're looking to watch encrypted stuff (like your satellite or cable premium channels) your choices are limited. An HDMI splitter and capture device might do it.

[perspectoff]

FFMPEG with X11grab

I've used FFMPEG with X11grab for a long time. No hiccoughs and smooth recording, IME. It does take a bit of fiddling to record only the part of the screen that is desired, but it is fast once it is set up.

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Screenca...G_with_x11grab

I use the Pulse Audio Volume Control settings (sudo apt-get install pavucontrol) to make sure the sound gets captured, although Veromix may be able to do the same thing. Something like this:

* Menu -> Multimedia -> PulseAudio Volume Control

* Select as an input "Monitor of Internal Audio Analog Stereo":

** PulseAudio Volume Control -> Input Devices -> Show: All Input Devices -> Make sure Monitor of Internal Audio Analog Stereo is not muted (click on speaker icon)

* Make sure the "Internal Audio Analog Stereo" device is selected for the ALSA plug-in [ffmpeg] application:

** PulseAudio Volume Control -> Recording -> ALSA plug-in [ffmpeg]: ALSA capture from: Internal Audio Analog Stereo

Mencoder (e.g. instructions at http://linux.die.net/man/1/mencoder ) has similar PVR options (and in general I find mencoder faster and better), but I haven't taken the time to learn how to do it.

Windows screen recorders have always been a bit slower and give huge files, IME, but certainly adequate.

Of course, as everyone else says, you still need the TV broadcast adapter to get the image on your screen in the first place... I used Hauppage TV adapters long ago, but since I don't watch broadcast TV any longer (or cable TV or satellite TV for the past few years), I don't know what are the up-to-date adapters for capture.