easy to use DVR

[ranholago]

First off, we are NOT tech savvy.
We have next to no, over the air TV reception where we live.
We do have Direct TV
We just bought a new TV, Visio, Smart TV as I believe it is called, We get what they call
"Watch Free" Works good.
We want to be able to record this programing, be able to back up and re-watch a portion of a show.

Note; Our Direct TV has a built in DVR which is pretty easy to operate and we are very happy with it. It only records Direct TV shows.
Please give me an idea of what I want to buy to enable me to record shows I stream over my new TV
As I look on Amazon and other stores, it is very confusing trying to figure out what I need, there are so many choices, and I don't get even half of the initials used to describe the features.
I would appreciate any help

[Gdetrailer]

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..

[TechWriter]

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.

[MrWizard]

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

[Tom_M1]

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.

[way2roll]

As pretty much any available content ever made is on-demand somewhere, why bother recording anything? Most networks put their shows in an on-demand queue 1-24 hours after airing. You just need to figure out what apps you need to get the content you want. Some apps or APK's have every conceivable show and movie that ever existed. Most pay apps like Youtube, Netflix, prime etc aren't very expensive now and contain an impressive amount of content and I am sure one of them contains the shows you want to see - anytime you want to see them. Most are pretty easy to use the search feature without wading through an ocean of content.

[Gdetrailer]

Tom_M wrote:
If you have a Windows PC you could record programs using PlayOn Desktop software. You can then connect your PC to your TV and play the recorded programs.

Here's a link to their site:
https://www.playon.tv/

OP is not asking about "play on".

They are asking about recording "Watch free" that is included on their TV from Vizio..

Two different streaming apps.

A little research tells me that "Watch Free" is actually powered by "Pluto"..

Found that HERE and HERE at Vizio's website.

In the links above, it does mention that there is a "mobile" App so might be able to get an app for your phone.. Not so sure about for a PC though as I don't see any mentions of OS but assuming "mobile" it is most likely Andriod/"iOS" type of thing..

But as I mentioned before, these streams will most likely be encrypted/protected making it easy for recording is not in the cards, will require considerable effort and time on your part, will require additional software and hardware and the final result/product will be an inferior copy of a copy of a copy of a copy with lots of generation loss.

It is streaming, it is a free gift from Vizio for you buying their product, you SHOULD be able to simply REWIND or REPLAY the stream ANYTIME without the need for "saving it" to your local device.. That IS the point of all of this streaming stuff..

And you can thank the MPAA and Actors Guild for all of these "protections" to prevent you from making a recording easily..

They learned from what happened when VHS/Beta hit the world that they must do a better job of controlling and protecting their content.. With the advent of DVD and then BlueRay with high quality copying possible something had to be done..

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.

[Tom_M1]

If you have a Windows PC you could record programs using PlayOn Desktop software. You can then connect your PC to your TV and play the recorded programs.

Here's a link to their site:
https://www.playon.tv/

[Dutch_12078]

K Charles wrote:
Our dish box in the MH will record antenna tv but the one in the house will not. They claim there is a tuner for it but won't say where to buy it. Maybe you should ask directv if they have a tuner for your box.

If your Dish receiver is one of the Hopper series, at the link below scroll down to the $29.99 "AirTV Dual-Tuner Adapter". This is the same OTA adapter Dish supplies in a black housing instead of white, and at a higher price. I have one of them on each of my Hopper w/Slings, and they work quite well.

www.airtv.net/products

[Gdetrailer]

K Charles wrote:
Our dish box in the MH will record antenna tv but the one in the house will not. They claim there is a tuner for it but won't say where to buy it. Maybe you should ask directv if they have a tuner for your box.

OP bought a new "Smart TV" that has a built in "Free" streaming app that they wish to record the programs from that "app"..

Don't see how the Direct DVR could "record" that streaming Internet app which would not be supported by Direct..

That App would be supported by the TV manufacturer perhaps as some "incentive" to buy that TV brand over others?

The lines of TV sources over the yrs have gotten pretty blurry and most sources do not mix..

[Lwiddis]

Please remember the programs you watch are property. They belong to someone. The programs are not your’s. The owners are giving you a license to use them under certain conditions. Recording these programs to watch at your leisure isn’t what the owners are permitting.

[K_Charles]

Our dish box in the MH will record antenna tv but the one in the house will not. They claim there is a tuner for it but won't say where to buy it. Maybe you should ask directv if they have a tuner for your box.

[wa8yxm]

Back in the analog Days I bought some REPLAY TV's.. alas they no longer make them (Did nto make the transistion to Digital) They were rated as the #1 User interface..> DISH network based their user interface on the Replay (But the Replay was still better) Last owner of the Replay was DirecTV.

I was not aware it did not allow OTA shows to record.

There are many.. Direct's original User interface was based on TiVo. I do not know if Direct has updated but if you like their User interface. Try a TiVo. See if you can get an in-store demo however

Based on the fact TiVo sued Direct and won.. I suspect you will like it.

Now I'm using a Spectrum DVR.... Which SUCKS EGGS far as User Interface is concerned.

[Gdetrailer]

"Recording" encrypted streams will be prohibited by the TOS (Terms of Services) that YOU agreed to by subscribing. Therefore there is no real easy direct and legal way to record those streams unless your streaming service OFFERS some way to download and watch later.

It is for those reasons why many services "offer" paid ENCRYPTED streaming, if it was easy and legal to record the encrypted streams then someone would start offering FREE copies online and then there would be no reason for anyone else to "buy" a paid streaming service.

I suspect your "watch free" App should allow you to at least rewind and or rewatch at a later time..