FAQ




Expand All

Mac OSX Compatibility

General Hardware Questions

Colossus Related Questions

HDPVR 2 Gaming Edition Related Questions

HDPVR 1212 / HDPVR Gaming Edition Related Questions
  • What version of the HDPVRCapture software do I need for the HDPVR 1212?
    HDPVRCapture v3.x now carries support for the 1212, both HDPVRCapture v2.x and HDPVRCapture v3.x are available for download here. While both versions are compatible with the 1212 model, we recommend using v3.x.
  • What versions of the HDPVR hardware does HDPVRCapture support?
    Hauppauge Colossus PCIe Encoder, see here: Yes.
    HDPVR 2 Gaming Edition, see here: Yes.
    HDPVR Gaming Edition, see here: Yes.
    Regular HDPVR 1212 Edition: Yes.
    Canadian, European, Australian Editions: Yes.
    So basically almost every hardware edition? No. I don’t support the Japanese HDPVR.
  • Jerky MP4 playback – Frames skip / glitch in QuickTime and iMovie (Updated for 2012).
    If your 1280x720p MP4 files playback all jerky, play in slow motion or look badly broken, read on. I’m tracking a bug with the 2011 Hauppauge HDPVR firmware that’s causing the issue, it’s Hauppauge’s code inside the HDPVR firmware itself. It’s not something I can fix.The problem occurs with 1280×720 recordings only, but not with 1920x1080i recordings. Hauppauge have resolved the problem in their v1.7.30059 beta driver, I’m calling this new firmware the March 2012 firmware. It’s available for download from here (click on the beta tab).

    Check your HDPVR firmware version. Hit record, the drop down panel appears, the date on the first line is the HDPVR firmware date. If you have the October 2011 firmware then this is causing the issue.

    You need a Windows PC to upgrade the HDPVR firmware, it’s not possible to do this from the Mac.

    If you can’t get access to a windows PC, the alternative is to convert your M2TS files to MP4 using Handbrake on the Mac. It takes longer to turn the M2TS video into MP4 but it’s also an excellent workaround and the resulting files work nicely with iMovie, although they import very slowly and handbrake can take a while to learn.

    Or, if all else fails, only record in the 1920×1080 resolution, avoid using 1280x720p if you have no alternative mechanism. (Try the firmware upgrade if you can, it’s by far the best fix for the problem.)

  • If you wish to upgrade the HDPVR firmware.
    You will need access to a Windows PC.Download the Hauppauge v1.7.30059 drivers from here or here.

    1. Extract the zip file to your Windows PC desktop.
    2. Connect the HDPVR to your PC using the USB cable and press the power button on the front of the HDPVR so that the small blue LED next to the power switch is illuminated as normal.
    3. Windows will detect the HDPVR and may ask for a driver to be installed.
    4. Run the HCWDriverInstall.exe application from the extracted files.
    5. The v1.7.30059 driver will be installed and the firmware will be automatically upgraded to the 2012 version.
    6. The HCWDriverInstaller window should tell you that the process was successful.
    7. Wait 60 seconds.
    8. Disconnect the HDPVR from the windows PC and reconnect it to your Mac.
    9. The next time you record in HDPVRCapture the date on the first line in the drop down window should read 2012 if everything went well. If it still says 2011 (or 2010) then something went wrong and the v1.7.30059 drivers did not install cleanly, you’ll need to repeat the procedure.

  • Video Error messages appear during recordings.
    Video Errors are usually a sign that HDPVR is not very happy about something important, this leads to the HDPVR resetting itself internally and it’s stopped providing HDPVRCapture with video and audio data.It’s usually one or more of the following:

    1. Your video signal isn’t supported by the HDPVR. As a test, make sure you set your video signal as 1280×720 and check that HDPVRCapture shows in the lower left, “Video Signal Detected: 1280 x 720″. The HDPVR will support up to 1920x1080i. It does not support 1080p signals. Trying to record 1920x1080p can create this issue.
    2. You are using a long USB cable or USB extenders. DO NOT USE LONG USB CABLES. You need to use only the USB cable provided by Hauppauge to connect the HDPVR directly to your Mac. Nothing else. No USB extending hardware. No long cables.
    3. You have chosen the SPDIF Optical audio input but the cable is not connected or no data is being passed on the optical cable into the HDPVR.
    4. The video signal is missing, glitchy or has changed since you began recording. Perhaps the resolution has changed. Make sure in the lower left hand side of HDPVRCapture that the Video Signal Detection shows your resolution before recording. Some Game consoles can change video resolutions on the fly (PS3 mainly). When this occurs it can trigger this error. Start recording (for example) once the game title has started, not when the PS3 is on the XMedia bar and the title is about to begin.
    5. Heat. The HDPVR is sensitive to environmental heat. If your HDPVR is sitting on top of your xbox then move it off, or rotate the HDPVR so it sits on it’s side – causing the heat to rise different. Try to keep the HDPVR as cool as possible. This works for many people.
    6. Faulty HDPVR hardware.

    In 99.9% of all cases it’s 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. Very rarely it’s 6.

  • Can the HDPVR record 1080p?
    No. The hardware is simply not capable.
  • Can I use incredibly long USB cables to connect the HDPVR to my Mac?
    No. We certainly don’t recommend it, it can lead to hardware instabilities. Use only the cables that came in the box, those cables provided by Hauppauge.
  • My VHS video recordings are occasionally corrupt. Why?
    Older VHS decks, cameras or consoles often output poor or unstable video timing. These timing fluctuations often confuse the HDPVR 1212 and lead to recording glitches. Symptoms are video images being split across the screen or sliced into pieces and miss-placed in the recordings.

    The HDPVR needs a clean and reliable video signal with accurate timing information. You can use a Time Base Corrector device to rectify timing issues if you experience this issue. While we don’t specifically recommend any device, Eric contacted us to report he’s had success with the AV Toolbox AVT-8710 Time Base Corrector from B&H Photo, link here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=orderHistory&A=details&Q=&sku=276891&is=REG.

    We hope you find this information helpful.

Audio/Voice Recording Related Questions
  • How do i use the Record Microphone feature?
    If you click on the Video Controls tab in the app window, in the bottom right corner you will see the Record Microphone feature, simply turn this on and select your headset from the drop down menu.

    Please note: Your headset must be connected to your Mac and not your console in order for this feature to work.

    After recording, HDPVRCapture will generate a .m2ts.voice.m4a audio file along with the .m2ts video file. It will also add the voice recording to your iTunes library, under the playlist HDPVRCapture Narration.

    You then need to convert your video file into .mp4 (this will automatically happen if you have the Post Processing feature switched on), then import it into iMovie. Add your voice over to the video then export it.

    There is a video tutorial on our Tutorials page which guides you through the process of using the Microphone Recording feature.

  • My headset does not appear in the drop down menu?
    Try quitting HDPVRCapture, then restarting the application.
  • I have my headset connected, but it’s not recording my commentary!
    Make sure your headset is connected to your Mac and not the console. The headset must be connected to your Mac in order for the voice audio to be recorded.
  • Are voice recordings automatically added to my iTunes Library?
    Yes! HDPVRCapture will also generate it’s own ‘HDPVRCapture Narration’ playlist.
  • I’ve deleted the HDPVRCapture Narration playlist from iTunes, what should i do?
    HDPVRCapture will automatically recreate a new playlist the next time you use the voice recording feature.

Live Preview Or Passthrough Related Questions

Basic Recording and Playback Questions

Scheduling and Automatically Recording
  • Can I schedule recordings with HDPVRCapture so I can record Live TV from my DirectTV STB?
    Yes.
  • How are scheduled recordings triggered?
    Great question! Scheduling from v2.9.0 onwards changed slightly, you need to leave HDPVRCapture running in the background so that scheduled recordings may happen. If you close HDPVRCapture then your scheduled recordings will fail to trigger.
  • How difficult is it to schedule recordings?
    Simple. HDPVRCapture integrates with TitanTV and Zap2It so you can use their web guide to select shows and HDPVRCapture will integrate those with iCal. Scheduling is very simple with v3.x.
  • Do you support my country?
    Maybe, if you are in North America then YES. If you need EPG support in another country then email me. I want to hear from you! Remember, you can always manually schedule shows using the Command+N keyboard shortcut, or File/New from the menu.
  • I want to schedule recordings using my own software, so can I trigger a recording from iCal, for scheduling purposes?
    Yes, see this article. iCal support is native with v3.x.
  • How do I schedule a recording from Zap2it.com?
    It’s a simple drag’n'drop action!
    1. In HDPVRCapture switch to the iCal view.
    2. In Firefox or Safari navigate to the zap2it tvlistings grid.
    3. Drag and drop the show name into the hdpvrcapture ical view.
    4. HDPVRCapture will confirm the details with you.
    5. Simply click OK to schedule the recording.

    (It’s been troublesome lately, if you experience issues then manually schedule the recording using Command+N or File/New from the menu.)

  • How do I schedule a recording using TitanTV?
    Using your favorite browser navigate to TitanTV.com and create yourself an account and set your zipcode.Now, when you next navigate to the TV grid you will see a red record button for each show.

    1. Click this red button and your browser will download a file called ‘program.tvpi’.
    2. Go to your downloads folder and Open the file.
    3. HDPVRCapture will instantly recognize it and confirm the scheduling details with you.
    4. Click OK to schedule the recording.

  • Can I manage my recording schedule using iCloud?
    Yes. By default HDPVRCapture creates its scheduling calendar specifically on your Mac, not in iCloud. It’s created in iCal and the calendar is called ‘HDPVRCapture Recordings’.

    In iCal, click the Calendars button to show all of your Calendars on the left. If you delete the HDPVRCapture Recordings calendar from the ‘On My Mac’ section, then manually create a new calendar called ‘HDPVRCapture Recordings’ in the iCloud section of iCal, then iCloud will share this information with all your other iCloud devices.

    You will able to schedule a recording from any Mac, anywhere, and through the magic of iCloud, HDPVRCapture will record it. Simply install HDPVRCapture on your other Macs to schedule new recordings.

Capturing from your Set Top Box, Wii, PS3 or other Video Source

Editing Recordings, Making DVD’s, iTunes, AppleTV, YouTube or Playback support

Network Streaming, UPnP PS3 support and Misc
  • Can I use a UPNP media server to playback the recordings remotely on my PS3?
    Yes, see this article.
  • Can you build a command line interface, I need to be able to script?
    No. The HDPVRCapture command line interface was removed in v2.x.
  • Can I burn HDPVRCapture recordings to DVD for playback on the PS3 or another BD player?
    Yes, but you’ll need Roxio’s Toast V10 with AVC / BD support.
  • Can I stream the video during recording from HDPVRCapture to JustinTV or other Flash Encoder sites?
    Yes, but it gets a little complicated. You need to use a mixture of tools to do this. It’s not a procedure I use much myself but this does work for many people.You need, HDPVRCapture, VLC, CamTwist, FlashMedia Encoder.

    1. Install VLC into your /Applications folder (free download from videolan.org). This allows HDPVRCapture to render video while it’s recording.
    2. Test VLC live preview. Start a basic recording in HDPVRCapture then press the preview button, VLC should start and video should appear (4-5 seconds behind live).
    3. Switch to the network tab. Uncheck “Store video recordings in your chosen destination folder”.
    4. Switch to the network tab. Check “Send the captured video to the network”.
    5. Set the recording duration to Infinite.
    6. Hit record in HDPVRCapture then press preview. Video should be showing correctly. Stop recording.

    Install CamTwist, run it. Have it Capture the video coming from the VLC window (when it’s running). CamTwist will create a virtual webcam and expose the HDPVR via through it. Flash Media Encoder will see this new ‘virtual webcam’ and happily use it as a source of video material. FME will now be able to record your HDPVRCaptured video – broadcasting it to JustinTV, or any other supported web service.

    This should help, or get you started. Google is also a useful research tool for CamTwist and HDPVRCapture.

Preferences and Custom Settings

Country / Geographic specific

The Order and Purchase Process

License Key Related Questions
  • I’ve paid via Paypal, when will my license key arrive?
    Once you have purchased your v3.x license key, your license key will automatically download and unlock the software the next time you run the HDPVRCapture application (providing you are connected to the internet). We will also email you a duplicate copy of your license key in a .zip file, we recommend you archive this email for safe keeping.

    If you want to manually install/remove your license key from v3.x of the HDPVRCapture application, there is a handy step by step guide here.

    If you are still running v2.x of HDPVRCapture, there is a video tutorial on our tutorials page which guides you throught the process of manually installing your license key.

  • My license key .zip file isn’t attached to my confirmation email!
    It is possible that your email client has removed the licence key .zip file from the confirmation email thinking that it was a malicious file. Try checking your email client’s settings or using a alternative email client.
  • I still haven’t received my license key, where is it?
    Check your email SPAM folder.
    Occasionally your mail application will consider the license key email as junk and either automatically delete it or move it into your SPAM folder.
  • Can i use my license key on multiple computers?
    Yes! You can install the HDPVRCapture application onto as many computers as you like. Your license is tied to the serial number of the HDPVR unit itself, not the computer. As long as you always use the PVR device that you purchased the license key for, everything will work.
  • How do i manually install or remove my license key in v3.x of HDPVRCapture?
    Simply follow our step by step guide here which shows you how to manually install or remove your license key.

Customer Support
Copyright 2012 - 2013 Kernel Labs Inc.