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Extracting HD video from a Motorola 6412 and playing it on a mac

Thanks to a helpful comment in the Motorola DVR rolling out to Comcast thread, there's a great step-by-step guide to connecting a mac to the Motorola box via Firewire, extracting the video, playing it back, and even using iCal to schedule recordings. It's basically a complete home theater system for recording, saving, and editing video on a Mac. Another handy guide covers the software and hardware requirements of HDTV, from a mac perspective.

If you've got the new Comcast box and an old G4 laying around, this solution just might be perfect for you.

update: here are some instructions for doing the same process on a PC

by Matt Haughey January 10, 2005 in Hacks

Comments

Anyone interested in doing this should check out hdvxdv.

http://www.hdvxdv.com/

They are working on decoding transport streams directly into quicktime. Contact them to let them know there's an interest!

Posted by: Brad at Jan 10, 2005 7:43:22 PM

Anyone get this to work on the 6412s in the Bay Area?

Posted by: pb at Jan 10, 2005 11:30:39 PM

Anyone have a solution for those of us with Firewire-enabled PCs?

Posted by: Tom Clancy at Jan 11, 2005 4:29:09 AM

To record video from the 5100/6200/6208/6412 via firewire on a pc, look at the following thread over at avsforum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=403695

Posted by: Raj at Jan 11, 2005 4:56:03 AM

pb, what errors did you get when you tried to get it to work?

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Jan 11, 2005 10:08:59 AM

OK, I did get it to work without too much trouble but the picture is jerky. I'll fiddle around with it a bit more. It's not exactly what I want but kind of interesting. I was hoping to pull down previously saved programs (like with Replay). This is for recording HD channels only as far as I could tell.

Posted by: pb at Jan 11, 2005 10:46:58 PM

This isn't about getting content off of a 6412... it is for the Moto 6200.

Anyone know where we can get info on extracting media off of a Moto 6412.

Posted by: Daniel Burns at Jan 12, 2005 9:08:32 AM

As noted, it worked on my 6412.

Posted by: pb at Jan 12, 2005 11:04:56 AM

i have noticed in a few other articles there has been mention of needng a certain firmware versio for your Motorola box, this is how to find out what firmware version you have.

to check the firmware version of your Motorola 6200/6412 first have the box turned on. next hit the power button then immediately after hit the OK/Select button. this will bring up the the box diagnostics, all of this is read only. there is a firmware version entry, go in there and you will see your build.

if the installer did not show you... if you need to change the settings of the box to fit your particular TV use the above procedure but instead of hitting OK/Select use the menu button. this will bring up the output settings for the box.

Posted by: comtech at Jan 13, 2005 7:27:31 AM

I there any way to buy the Motorola 6412? Or is the only option to "rent" it from Comcast? And if you can buy one, will Comcast let you use your own unit with their service?

Posted by: marc at Jan 17, 2005 10:41:16 AM

I dunno if you would want to buy one. A previous thread's (at least I think it was here; might have been @ avsforum) commenter said a Comcast installer claimed the box costs $800. The installers talk a lot of crap, but some of them are fairly knowledgable. I don't know if it makes economic sense to buy this kind of equipment. The depreciation curve is pretty steep. A real good Tivo with a cable card, maybe, but a cable company box with shitty UI and litle incentive to improve, no thanks.

Posted by: Tom Clancy at Jan 17, 2005 1:09:23 PM

Anybody know if the HD in the 6412 can be upgraded to a bigger drive? I've been searching the net for the past hour and haven't found any information on being able to swap in a bigger drive.

TIA

Posted by: Doug at Jan 23, 2005 1:29:23 PM

What are the linux options for this? prefertably Fedora core

Posted by: Jeff at Jan 25, 2005 4:57:13 PM

I have the 6412 (actually, with replacements, 4), and it is much worse in some aspects than its single tuner predecessor. In this case, recording, let's say, the 8:00PM Sunday Simpsons ON A RECURRING BASIS can only be obtained thru a 'series recording'. You can no longer set it to record on a weekly basis. However, the 'only new episodes' option does not work (on any box) and this forces ever Simpson on FOX to be recorded. If you enjoy the sunday night lineup on fox, you can RAPIDLY fill up the cable box with every Malcolm in the Middle, King of the Hill, and Simpsons which are run on Fox. There is, unfortunately, no way to just tape the Sunday Night Simpsons.

Posted by: Ira at Mar 1, 2005 9:00:10 PM

Has anyone tried pulling the HD from the DVR, and directly connecting it to a computer? IF so, what format is the HD? What file format are the saved recordings?

Posted by: scott at Mar 28, 2005 6:36:50 PM

Does anyone know how to do this to a DISH Player-DVR 510?

Posted by: David Johnson at Jul 13, 2005 7:02:12 AM

Yes there is a way to tape only the episode of the simpsons you want, but it has to be done manually for the time and channel and it has to be set up on the day in question (sunday). This does work, i do it for my science fiction on fryday nights.

Posted by: dragon at Jul 27, 2005 5:04:30 PM

721808: Hey, does anyone know where I can find a list of gas stations with low prices in my area?

Posted by: Debra Riley at Oct 18, 2005 3:25:28 AM

www.gasbuddy.com

Posted by: busta at Nov 4, 2005 4:03:21 PM

Does anyone know if you can download the DVR recording to a USB portable. If so that would be so cool! You could take a show you liked and recored to a friends or relative(even out of town) and watch it together etc.

Posted by: Jon at Nov 26, 2005 7:04:25 AM

My issue is A.to buy a PC portable PVR that could record cable HDTV to an external hard drive directly-lacie or unibrain for example(even without the use of a PC)or B.get the motorola PVR and just extract the recorded show to an external hard drive via firewire. most of the posts talk for recording issues...if I go with option B.I just want to transfer the file and that's it...anyone knowing the process?

Posted by: spiros at Nov 27, 2005 12:57:16 AM

Does anyone know what the RJ45/Network connection on the back of the 6412 is used for?

Posted by: Master Baiter at Jan 1, 2006 2:11:51 PM

The RJ45/USB/Smart Card features on the unit are non-functional and are intended for future use according to Motorola.

Posted by: willzer at Jan 24, 2006 9:54:53 AM