Attuverse Recording Problem

[clsjr]

When I attempted to record a program previously stored on my Motorola VIP 1215 Series dvd recorder, I received a "protected materials" message. The program is not protected by any copyright laws.

I attempted all suggested remedies from previous readers with the same problem; however, all did not work. I noticed that the dates of the remedies were during the calendar year 2007. Is there something new or did I miss something??

[TomXP411]

odd... my edit created a new post.

*shrug*

[TomXP411]

It sounds like Macrovision.

Does this happen on just one channel, or is it impossible to dub anything you have saved on the DVR? Does it happen during live viewing?

The short, super-simple explanation: Macrovision breaks video signals in such a way that you can't record them on a VCR, DVD burner, DV Camcorder, or PC capture device. It's a huge conspiracy that involves all the manufacturers of these devices. Digital video streams can enable this, it's called the Broadcast Flag.

In short, unless it's a really big deal for you to copy off that video, you will spend more time & money than it's worth to do accomplish your goal.

However, you CAN look for a video stabilizer or time base corrector, which filters out the Macrovision component of the video signal. I use a little $20 box that I bought back in 1995 or so... it still works.

The most popular device that did this (which has disappeared from retail stores) was the Sima CT-2. The Macrovision corporation pretty much sued that product out of existence... even though it served a valid and necessary purpose.

Of course, it's probably silly to buy a $90 box to copy one show, but if you find yourself constantly frustrated by one channel with the Broadcast Flag locked on, it might be a cheap investment. (My folks, for example, have been trying to archive a ton of Maverick episodes from their DVR with no success. Since there has never been a DVD release of the series, this is the only way for them to save & watch later.)

[paulpvr]

Have you tried running the uverse box to your computer and then archiving via computer to dvd?

I have the vip 1200 and record all the dvr programs to the pc via a snapstream manual recording. It is a bit of a pain, but it does work for those few shows that I might want to watch over and over.