Can anybody recommend a capture card that doesn't have built in
Macrovision detect? My ATI 9200 is way too sensitive and will decide
that
Macrovision is a tinkertoy scam that makes money for its company for doing
something that it doesn't do. Since it is trivial to bypass, it does not
prevent the copying of VHS or DVD's for someone who wants to, but does
cause video problems for the bulk of innocent consumers. Plus, the
powers-that-be managed to get Congress to mandate that it be built in to
all consumer electronics so as to maximise the profits gained from said
scam without any concern about any such thing as fair copy rights.
It will cause many problems too numerous to list here, one of which you
described, although the main problem for you is caused by the lousy
drivers available from ATI.
Blue lines on large screen TVs is a very common problem caused by MV.
Anyway as I said, it is easy to bypass by several options...
Get a card that doesn't have MV built in. Lots of them from overseas
Internet sites, but I can't recommend a particular one since I don't have
that problem.
Get an MV remover box (usually called a sync restorer) and place it
between your VCR and the card. Anywhere from 50 to 250 bucks US.
Sometimes available on EBAY.
Find an old (really old) VCR and put it between your good VCR and card and
plug it for pass through mode. Most recorders that are thrown away are
desposed of because the tape mechanism wore out or broke. You won't care
since you only want the electronics. Most VCRs before 1998 will not
recognise MV and will refuse to pass it on. Some older Video consoles and
TVs with output jacks will do the same thing. These will also kill the
protection that are on the sound tracks of some DVDs that prevents you
from capturing into a Creative Labs device.
Download a set of drivers for your card (my solution) that kill the MV.
You had better get something ready, because the program originators are
really leaning on Cable and Satellite providers to turn MV on in their
video streams. After all, we can't have people recording programs in the
privacy of their own homes without a mechanism to pay the "owner" of the
program for every viewing. Plus, they might commit the dastardly act of
fast forwarding past those asinine commercials. Can't have that.
DD
