Member Avatar for jstefanon

I have a Hauppauge WinTV card and Windows Vista with Media Center. The recording function on Media Center seems to me somewhat limited. I can only record whole programs according to the times set forth in the Program Guide.

My main use for the TV card, my cable subscription, and for Media Center is to record sporting events and watch them later. Since the most competitive games run long, and the subsequent games that I also want to record are often on a different network, I end up missing the end of every good game so Media Center can record the kickoff of another game.

What I am looking for is a DV Recording program that is more flexible in terms of scheduling recordings of a certain channel from time endpoints that I can specify. You know, kind of like I used to be able to do on my FU_N VCR TWENTY FU_N YEARS AGO!

Thanks in advance for any help,
J

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A few practical ways to get the flexible start/stop recording you want (instead of relying only on guide-based whole-program recording). , suggested manual capture — that works, but there are less hands-on options that let you pick exact start and end times and still run unattended.

Use a proper DVR app that supports timers. Examples that have historically worked with Hauppauge tuners and offer custom start/stop, pre/post padding and multi-tuner handling are NextPVR (free), SageTV, BeyondTV, ProgDVB and DVBViewer. Compatibility depends on drivers (BDA vs DirectShow) and on whether channels are scrambled or copy-protected, so test any candidate with your exact card and cable connection before committing.

Scripted capture + Task Scheduler gives exact control and is dependable. Install a recorder that supports DirectShow (ffmpeg or VLC). Find the tuner name, test a manual capture, then schedule a command to run at the start time and stop after the desired duration. Example ffmpeg command (adjust device names and duration):

ffmpeg -f dshow -i "video=Hauppauge WinTV:audio=Hauppauge Audio" -t 02:30:00 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast "C:\Recordings\game_20251119_1800.mp4"

Create a .bat with that line and trigger it from Windows Task Scheduler at your chosen start time.

Practical tips: test recordings for audio/video sync and device names first; give sports extra post-padding or schedule a second “catch-up” recording; a single-tuner card can only record one channel at once; encrypted/cablecard channels may not be captureable via analog inputs; write to a large, fast drive and consider splitting long recordings into chunks to avoid losing hours if a file becomes corrupt. A brief test run will confirm the workflow and prevent missed overtime.

Member Avatar for mechbas

Have you tried the cheapo rack at Office Depot, etc.?

Member Avatar for jstefanon

Have you tried the cheapo rack at Office Depot, etc.?

I don't have time to hunt.
I was hoping for a recommendation.
But thanks for the advice, anyhow.

Member Avatar for mechbas

It's hard to make a recommend on something that's to be that personal.
The same store, and I presume others, have other selection available online, however they're bound to be more pricey.

Member Avatar for jstefanon

It's hard to make a recommend on something that's to be that personal.
The same store, and I presume others, have other selection available online, however they're bound to be more pricey.

Well, i figure it's worth a look then.
Thanks for the tip.

Member Avatar for mechbas

Well the light eventually dawns. An alternative that you might want to consider. As I read it a critical feature is a preset start/stop time. Unfortunately this isn't going to be much help there.
An NTSC adapter is used to transfer the signal such as from a VCR or your cable box, to a digital file format, *.avi by default. Under a NT file system you can record for a preset time or for the capacity of the drive, BUT, someone will have to be there to START the record feature. You can then edit the parts out that you don't like, such as commercials, and write to a (for example) DVD-rewriteable disc(s) for viewing at your leisure later.

This is from a videophile.

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