I added firewire card to my computer (specs below) and am happy being able to capture HD on non-premium channels with the Motorola 6412 unit.

Now I'd like to build a dedicated computer to do this.

What would be the minimum requirements for cheapest hardware? I'm thinking a 533 Mhz front bus with 256 RAM as there is no converting to do--just straight stream recording?

Also--what would be the minimum software needed? Can I install just the firewire drivers and the Firewire Capture program (CapDVHS) or does a minimum OS need to be installed like XP-Lite, or some Linux program?

It would be fun to simply transfer the hard drive from the motorola to my computer, but there are weird security screws I've not seen before and I read that the file system is unique, so probably can't do that times 2!

If a real minimum system will work, looks like a dedicated barebones from newegg could be had for about $300 total. Not bad, then I could get back to multi-tasking! That assume the minimum system would also be accessible thru my LAN system---and that tells me right there that a more robust OS is going to be needed!!!---or maybe just use a KVM switch?? What do you guys think?

Thanks. //// Bobbo.

WHY should that work anyway??

Chef--if motorola hadn't designed there system to be anti-copy proof, then I could take the standard 120GB Seagate IDE drive out of the motorola and hook it up to my computer to transfer or record those files to dvd==just like I currently do with my Liteon 5045. Liteon is easy to switch and its just 3 phillips screws and the case is off revealing a hard drive with a standard Fat32 file system.

I would think you already know all that so I probably have misunderstood your question? If so, re-ask it and i'll give it another shot?

Meanwhile==what about minimum hardware and software specs to record the firewire signal from the Motorola 6412. I'm building my next AMD AM socket motherboard next week and I could order a few extra pieces for a dedicated pc based recorder at the same time for a few dollars savings. //// Bobbo

The point is HOW would you make the hdd and its FS/content recognized and readable so you could copy the recordings??!??

We might be talking in circles here? I said it was "too bad" I could NOT transfer the hard drive to my computer for two reasons: 1==the comcast case uses unique security screws making removal of the case difficult, and to your point-- #2--a unique file system making the drive unreadable.

IF I could access the hard drive and move it to my computer, and IF the file system were standard Fat32 like Liteon uses in the 5045, then I could use Windows to read the file structure and transfer the mpg files to my computer. I do this about once a month right now. Being able to use my computer to edit the commercials out of recordings is much easier on the computer. Course, with the comcast dvr, you can't even record material except in real time with an attached vcr--or via firewire to the computer which is what I'm doing.

Regarding minimum system requirements--
Even my system seems to hang up every once in a while. Seems I can get good recordings if I start the recordings with nothing else running, then I can multi-task. If I am multi-tasking when I start the recording, very often the recording either lacks video or audio or both. I'd also like to find a different gui for the firewire recording. I'm losing too many recordings with the initial 30 minute recording default setting and the no automatic renaming of files. Silly to write programs that way---but CapDVHS is the only HDTV capture program I have found, still googling but have only found camcorder capture via firewire so far, and they uniformily don't work.

Aren't hobbies fun? //// bobbo