Quote:
Hey LS,
What is your opinion on the CopiAll device?
http://www.world-import.com/dp-x7000...stabilizer.htm
I'm trying to create backups of classic films from my Motorola digital HD cable-box/DVR combo.
A few stations like AMC use some kind of weird encryption....
I tried using my AVT-8710 with S-video cables to no avail. sad.gif
Would the CopiAll work for me or would it just be a waste of time & money?
Thanks!
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In short, yes, waste of money half of the time.
Why do I say "half of the time" you ask? Because those anti-copy remover devices only work about half of the time. Contrary to what their marketing says, I've used and/or tested many of these devices -- several in the past 2-3 months alone -- and they fail on quite a few errors.
Macrovision AGC issues, for example, often go unfixed. These are flickering of colors, brightening and darkening of video in cycles, and other color errors.
The "copy protection remover" devices function by stripping and replacing portions of the signal, but it's not very wide or effective. A timebase corrector (and some frame syncs, or even some TBC-like or frame-sync-like devices) are broader in their signal cleaning abilities.
If this were about VHS to DVD ....
The copy protection removers often however in the $75 to $100 range -- about half the price of the TBC. You're better off dropping $215 on a real TBC, such as the
AVT-8710 sold by B&H. See
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...3167/KBID/4166
I've discussed some related information at:
Another recent post on this is at
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...ight-1927.html
It's an ugly situation, created by fearful/stupid entertainment greedmongers. Their well-intentioned/poorly-implemented attempt to prevent theft prevents easy legitimate use of the technology.
So consider these options:
- If this is a retail video available on DVD in commercial format, just trash the tape and buy the new DVD instead.
- If this is a retail product NOT available in modern digital format (DVD, Blu-ray), then you're forced to make due with whatever anti-anti-copy device (or TBC) you can find and afford. Good luck with whatever you do. Again, I suggest the full TBC.
- If this is a home movie, consider letting a reputable service handle it, such as the video services available from this site. See http://www.digitalfaq.com/services/v...ape-to-dvd.htm
When the topic is satellite/cable to DVD (like yours)...
The problem is usually the DVD recorder misunderstanding the digital rights management (DRM) broadcast keys. Few broadcasters ues the broadcast flags, and most recorders that see them (Toshiba and Sony, namely) are just confused devices. Confused again by a poor signal.
You might want to try a Grex device from
http://www.xdimax.com/grex/grex.html --- but I've found it doesn't work all the time either.
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