First ever attempt at mixing the PC with TV recording!

[Devil]

Hi there guys,

Alright, I've been following XBMC for a long time (roughly 3 yrs?). Seeing all the development always got me excited, but I didn't have a proper setup to take advantage.

Finally, I think I do. I have a Samsung LNT4069 for a TV, Samsung HT-TWZ312 for Home Theatre. An XBOX 360 (bought it sometime around xmas?), and the stupid Bell Canada provided Motorola RG2400V which is the edge box that takes in the VDSL signal. I currently run TVersity on my PC which I'm planning to dump. I only used it because I downloaded torrents and played content via the XBOX 360 (TVersity detected it via UPnP) on my TV with HT sound (via the HT). I know XBMC is capable of doing it too. I just thought of XBMC as the Ferrari of media centers.. hence the wait.

Finally, to make this picture complete.. I went out to get ATI TV Wonder 600 USB 2.0 Stick HDTV Tuner with PVR, which I connected via coax to the Motorola. (Yes, I know Motorola took in the VDSL, but it has a TV out port, which I used to connect the coax to-from my PC that I use for torrent downloading and a lot of work stuff too, so it's my one and only PC that I plan on using for PVR, etc)

Now, here are my questions. I discovered (the hard way) that XBMC does not do PVR, it's quite simply a media software that aggregates everything and makes it available on the TV. No watching TV on the PC, or making it record TV. It does this off MythTV (which doesn't run on Windows, only Linux) Since I don't have another box to do this, PVR using XBMC is out of the picture. I considered Sage, but it's not free.

PS: I don't know how to make the little remote work with the USB TV Tuner..

Finally, I have a Windows 7 RC partition on the same PC, so I booted up into it.. the Windows Media Center provided a GREAT TV setup.. all up until the point where it asked for IR hardware which I don't think I have, and so the setup wouldn't move forward unless I had the IR hardware.

Is there anyway I can make this easier? I'm seriously lost in this BIG world of TV-PC softwares. I really thought XBMC is the free complete solution to all this.. but looks like Windows Media Center might win.

Thanks!

[KingBuzzo]

Media Center is a fantastic PVR and multi-room digital media interface.

However, in Canada you are limited to recording SD either thru analog cable/sattellite or a digital set top box.

If you are trying to record from a STB, you need an IR blaster so MC can change the channels.

You can buy a Media Center kit that comes with the IR Blaster, a receiver and a remote.

If you must record HD, it can be done but it is not for the faint of heart...

[Devil]

Thanks so much for the response, KingBuzzo.

What is SD (Is it Standard Digital?), and STB? .. I'm thinking the STB in my case is the Motorola RG2400V provided by Bell VDSL. And yes, it does infact have a port for "IR Blaster" at the back. I can't record HD because I don't have a HD signal to begin with, my Bell signal is standard digital, so we don't need to worry about that, heh.

Are you aware of a Media Center kit that I can buy in Canada (Toronto) from a store?

[recneps77]

SD = standard definition
often 640x480 or 720x480 for NTSC
as opposed to HD = high definition
With 720 or 1080 lines of vertical resolution.
E.g. 1280x720 or 1920x1080

STB = Set Top Box, what provides your tv signal if it's from an encrypted source like cable or satellite. (or IPTV if that's what you have, not sure based on what you wrote)

Since you don't have HD, i'd just hook up the tv outputs (probably s-video or RCA yellow-white-red plugs?) to a tuner with the appropriate connections to your PC.
You'd still have to change the channel via the STB, however.

[Devil]

Thanks for the definitions.
The setup as you guessed is almost the same. Except, I'm not trying to build a home theatre. Just trying to make my PC get TV and record shows and also browse the "Media Center" from my TV so I can watch recorded shows on my 1080P TV. But like KingBuzzo said, I think if I get the MCE kit, then I can change channels, and also view the MCE on my TV and control it from there, right?

[recneps77]

Yeah, that's right.
MCE kit allows your computer to control the STB and change channels
vs without it you have to manually change the channel on your STB (using remote or buttons, however you wish)

The MCE route is definitely best, as you can program the computer to change to channels when you're not around to do it.

[Devil]

I just found an MCE Kit. Don't know if I should return this ATI TV wonder HD 600 USB Digital and Analog TV Tuner and then get that WinTV MCE or not..

[Devil]

I just found an MCE Kit. Don't know if I should return this ATI TV wonder HD 600 USB Digital and Analog TV Tuner and then get that WinTV MCE or not..

[KingBuzzo]

That is the one I used when I was recording standard def.

You might want to do some research on if your STB will accept codes from Media Center and IR.

If you buy the kit from Best Buy, at least you could always return it in case you ran into a snag.

I'm not familiar with that ATI you have there...

Good luck!

[Devil]

Thanks KingBuzzo. See, I don't know what you mean by codes and unfortunately, I can't seem to find much info on my STB other than a post asking about it for SageTV. :S

[recneps77]

The IR blaster works like a universal remote, I believe.
So if it doesn't have the right code set for your box, it won't work.

You don't need to buy a whole MCE set like that, just an MCE remote + IR blaster.

[KingBuzzo]

if its a moto, it will probably work...

[Devil]

Hi guys,

I unplugged the ATI TV wonder USB and bought the WinTV PVR-150 MC kit (Has IR hardware and remote). I've been playing on setting it up for the past 4 hours and so far I've had a few problems:

Tried it on Win 7 RC. (As I don't have anything much other than the ATI Media center on XP)


1) Windows Media Center doesn't even detect my PCI TV tuner. When I click on live TV setup, it simply says TV signal could not be found. (However, SageTV picks up the TV signal which means the TV tuner card is well installed)

If I retry, it shows the following:


Regarding the IR remote, etc.. it was hard to follow the instructions, but either way.. I did the following:

There is a little receiverish box which I plugged into the PC via USB. The other small cable had a 3.5mm jack that I inserted into the Motorola RG2400V STB I have with the IR transmitter on the other end that I taped to the front of the STB. So, when I use the provided Media Center remote like "My pictures" etc pointed at the USB receiver, it does some desired things with Windows Media Center. Like opens My Pictures in the Windows Media player, etc. So I know the remote works one way with Media Center.

2) Sage TV. I seemed to have setup most of it using Sage TV. Everything is on channel 3. And I never quite understood how this works, but normally the channel changing happens within channel 3 (dunno if that makes sense). So, if I go to channel 5.. I don't see anything, lol. Anyhow, on SageTV it all works except when I change channels using the up and down buttons using the MC remote it shows the information bar of the Program data change channel numbers, however the picture is just the same.

So, for example, using my STB remote I go to channel 254 "Friends". I open up Sage TV, and click on Watch live TV and it shows Friends running. Now, using the MC remote if I do channel up, or down, or switch to another channel using the "Program Guide".. it blips and the little information bar changes the information, channel number, etc.. BUT the picture is still showing "Friends" and meanwhile the channel number is 256 and the show is supposed to be Tyra Banks show.

-

Now, my main concern is to first get Sage TV to work fully where I can do the channel changing thing that I metioned above.
Then, if I sit in front of the TV and point the MC remote to the STB I can change channels, pull up the programming guide, etc.. maybe even pull up SageTV's user interface on my TV? (I have XBOX 360, will that help to accomplish that?)

Finally, get all of this worked out with Windows Media Center as well before I can make up my mind on what I want to use.

All your help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

[KingBuzzo]

you have to run the tv setup mini-wizard to MC can determine what kind of stb you have.

i'm not sure how it works in 7 - haven't tried it yet...

[Devil]

Trying to figure out what you mean.. how would you do it in normal Media center?