Best way to record to a pc?

[cocheese256]

I have a new directv HD TIVO unit. Which means I have USB ports but they are not active. I may mod it some day so that I can activate the usb ports on it so that I can network it in with my home network and just send the movies over to my HTPC as files. However in order for me to do that I have to change drives in my TIVO, that means I can not get the movies that I have already recorded to my an HTPC. Also I dont really like the idea of modifing my TIVO. I noticed that there is an option on my TIVO that I can backup recorded data to a VCR. I would like to do this but not to my VCR but to my HTPC that is running MCE. In other words I would like to know if there is a way to record with my PC from my TIVO the same way you would with a VCR. I would also like to be able to keep my recordings in the same image quality. For example if it is a HD recorded channel, I would like to keep it in high def while it is being stored on my harddrive. I currently do not have my HTPC finnished so I could really use some suggestions on hardware, software, and the best way to do this. And if this works well enough I will not mod my TIVO.

 

[dualityim]

For the backup to VCR option, we can assume that TiVo will use analog outputs for that. I am not sure how advanced TiVo is, but most likely the outputs will either be S-Video or Composite video. In this case there is no way to record the high definition programming while maintaining their high resolution because a HTPC, with regular consumer-grade equipment, have no means of acception an analog HD signal, such as Component video or RGB. So if you choose to go the analog route for backup, you can only backup standard quality video. If all you want is to record standard definition video, then your HTPC can act just like a VCR for recording, just plug the analog cables in. But for HD, you will need to think of some other way.