easy to use DVR

The biggest problem is not the video stream being encrypted
The big problem is watch free is an App/service running on the TV , with out having a video output signal hdmi, analog,DIGITAL video? No device can record it, this would require a screen recorder app running on the smart tv while watching the movie
If the TV can output a video signal ( it needs a video out connector ) of some kind , then maybe a device could be found for recording,
I do have a device that records HDMI signal to usb thumb drive, this type of recorder could be used IF the TV has an HDMI output like cable boxes,satellite receivers, DVD players and my laptop some tablets and phones, but I have never seen a tv with hdmi out,
My Vizio has 3 HDMI inputs and 2 audio out, one analog, one digital audio out, on mine even the USB input is crippled it will only accept slide show image files thru usb, like Kodak format and jpeg pictures, I can manually display and move thru select jpeg pictures from usb stick, I have done this one time, no mp4 video or even old AVI video format allowed on the USB, I love my TV except for the useless USB plug, mine is not a smart tv,
To the OP
You can't record a signal that is only internal, unless you can some how modify the inside of the TV
Is there a DVR option for that tv,
I have a Mediasonic solid state digital TV tuner, video recorder, that will record OTA broadcast tv, or non encrypted cable, to usb thumb drive or portable hard drive, records .MTS files in 720p and 1080I and will play them, it does NOT do internet stream capture, I connect the HDMI recorder between the laptop and the TV when I want to record something from the internet, this is a manually operated system, not automated, not programmable, step one power up everything and get ready

Step 2 start recording
Then start playing the video stream on the laptop

Step 3 stop play of video on laptop, at end of video stream

Then stop the recording at the HDMI recorder

ranholago wrote:
First off, we are NOT tech savvy . . . Please give me an idea of what I want to buy to enable me to record shows I stream over my new TV.

Well, if your home TV VCR looks like the following . . .


. . . then you should forget about trying to record streaming programs.

Tom_M wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
While one could use screen recording software on a PC, the result is a vastly inferior quality recording that is limited to the screen resolution of the PC which will be less than HD quality.

PlayOn is indeed screen capture software. I haven't used it in quite a while but the recording was quite good. My present notebook is set at 1080 which is HD so PlayOn should make an HD recording. Many people are quite content with playing DVDs which are only 480.

Screen capture softwares generally will result in poorer looking captures than 480, it has to do with the fact that the PC must "play back" the stream to the video card, the capture software has to the "capture" in a flash each frame at a lower resolution then the software must now encode that with the sound (which by the way is the same process) and then it must now create a file and save that to the drive..

That is a lot to ask for most FAST PCs but if you do that on what most folks will have which is a laptop with a slower lower wattage processor and add on that BASIC video card the end result will look worse than a COPY of a VHS tape that was recorded at 6 hr speed.

It will not look or sound as good as the stream and some streams may not all that great to start with..

But, you also have made an "assumption" that the stream the OP is asking about can actually be "played" on a PC.. We do not know this, I do know that the information I found on Vizios own website is the is some sort of "mobile App", they don't mention Win10 PC compatible app.. Pretty fair chance that you are not going to get the stream to play on the PC making screen recording a moot point.

Additionally, as others and myself have pointed out, it is a "STREAMING" service and with STREAMING services the WHOLE point of them is so you CAN PLAY THE STREAM AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN..

In other words NO NEED TO "RECORD" THE STREAM since you can replay it as much as you want..

The TV does not have video outputs for a reason.

HDMI is also COPY PROTECTED for a reason.

It is not easy or worth recording these streams FOR A REASON.

Pretty much ALL streams are "encrypted" (copy protected) FOR A REASON.

ATTEMPTS to circumvent, decode, decrypt any streams in order to save them to your own personal drive or media is not "Fair use" and that includes screen recording..

Telling folks how to get around encrypted streams is the same as telling them how to "pirate" someone else s copyrighted works..

If you WANT a copy, then BUY a legit copy of the program, pretty much most titles of shows and movies are readily available for sale on DVD or BR, many of them not all that expensive.. Not like it was back when VHS and Beta came out and a Hollywood blockbuster movie was $79-$100..