What do you use to capture 1080p HD signal?

Jamin43

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I've got a video editing software - and completed my first project over the weekend finalized onto a DVD. It looks good - but the world has moved to HD - and I'm considering what it would take to capture some of my content to HD.

My current setup is capturing video from a Coaxial Cable - ran w/ Analog output - from my HD Cable Box.

If I wanted to use a HD output from Cable box / Tuner - I would have to use a HDMI cable - or the 3 separate color cables & Audio wire into my system somehow b/c the Coaxial cable doesn't carry the high def signal.

What are options to get a HD signal onto a PC for video editing.
* Is there a HDMI capture card I'm not aware of?
* Firewire?
* Run direct pre-Tuner box coaxial signal < compressed > into my PC -and let the HD tuner unscramble things < I would think I'd lose alot of channels using this approach - and would lose teh use of DVR on my cable box>
* How do HD video recorders share content to a PC - I don't own one - but there has to be someway to transfer the high def signal onto a PC.
* other suggestions?

Thanks
 
I have seen a couple HDMI capture cards, but they are insanely expensive for a "good" one. Most currently capture uncompressed, thus requiring a tremendous amount of processing power and harddrive speed. A quad-core with raid would probably still struggle.

As far as I'm aware, the only really cost-effective way to capture HD now is to go through coaxial. I know most capture cards are at least capable of 1080i and nicer ones have onboard compression which would really help out.

Sharing HD video to a computer probably depends on the recorder itself. I suspect most of them don't allow it due to copy protection and all. DVD based ones would obviously let you burn the files to disks, but typically scaled to standard DVD format.
 
A good capture card that captures through coaxial (whether antenna or from cable box) with onboard compression would do.
 
A good capture card that captures through coaxial (whether antenna or from cable box) with onboard compression would do.

My coaxial output is an Analog signal - even though the box is Digital - HD box.

The only way I could get a Digital / HD signal to a capture card via Coaxial cable - would be the direct feed line from the cable company. The HD channels are al 160-200's - so I don't even know if cards will display channels that high or not?

do they?
 
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