Getting Video Records off DVR?

I'm not sure if someone has already asked this question, but I took a quick look at the GB forums and didn't find one already. Is there an easy way to transfer DVR videos to your Mac? I have a Cisco Explorer 8642HDC, and I can see that is has several USB ports. Is it as simple as connecting a USB cable to it and then transferring the videos off, or is there something more complicated involved? Do I need some sort of specialty software to get the DVR videos off? I have read a few other forums and most people say that the videos on DVR are encrypted, so I assume that you have to de-encrypt them somehow. Is there software available for that?

I am interested in doing this to take boxing videos off my DVR and saving them for personal use later, not for distribution on the Internet.

Thank you in advance for any answers!

Hauppauge HDPVR.

You're best bet would be to use a capture device to simply record your screen. DVR boxes are most assuredly HDCP compliant, so you'd either have to bypass that (which isn't strictly legal) or get a component capture device like the HDPVR. With a capture device it'd be as simple as starting a recording and then playing the video you want to transfer. You won't actually be transferring it, but the end result is the same: a video file on your computer.

@ll_exile_ll: Thank you for the information. Would I have to record the TV program on the DVR, and then play it back with the HDPVR plugged into it and record it that way? What I am asking is if I wanted to record a one hour program, I would have to plug in the HDPRV and then wait a full hour for the program to play and then be recorded to the HDPVR? Is there anyway around doing it that way?

@hardindr: You have to play the entire thing. It's not magic.

@corruptedevil: Hmm, okay. Just thought someone would have figured out an easier way to do this at some point.

Any reason to get an Elgato, instead of the HDPVR?

The companies that make dvrs and stuff don't really want you to do that. Thats how piracy happens.

• HD PVRs are older (2008)
• Elgatos are newer (2012)
• I have an older HD PVR
• I have a newer Elgato

The Elgato can record at a higher bit rate and doesn't have utterly shit software that never gets updated. It'll also livestream straight out of the box and requires no additional power supply.

The newer, 2nd edition, HD PVR 2 (2013) improves on some of the old model's flaws however.

@fattony12000: Okay, thanks for the information.

@devil240z: I understand, but at this point the cat is basically out of the bag. Better to find different ways to get people's money, rather than frustrate and annoy people, but that's just my opinion.