In the last few months I have had several calls for DVR service. People who have DVR equipment from Direct TV, Verizon and others want to know how to copy their TV recordings to a hard drive or computer so they can keep them. This usually happens when the DVR is failing or they are switching providers and need to return their old equipment.
The short answer is that it cannot be done. Most DVR equipment uses special file systems and encrypts the data that is being recorded. The key to the encryption is tied to the DVR, so even if you can copy the data, it will not be readable in any device except the original DVR.
Why? This is how cable and satellite TV providers stay in line with copyright laws. Since you cannot copy the shows you record, you cannot produce illegal copies of copyrighted material. Thus your DVR with all those shows and movies that you wanted to keep forever is just a convenient temporary storage device. You don't really own what is on it and when the device fails, it's gone.
The solution is a DVD recorder. Once you save a show, movie or pay-per-view to your DVR you must play it back and record it to a DVD. That DVD is now the copy that you can keep forever. If you record a High Definition program on your DVR it will be recorded as a Standard Definition program on the DVD, so look for a DVD recorder that has an "up-converter" that will convert the SD program to HD when played back to an HD TV via HDMI connection.
©Bill Black