tuning in media center

ablelocks

I've finally got a Dell Dimension e520 with Media Centre 2005 rollup 2. It has an Nvidia 7300 LE, I've upgraded the drivers.

I have a hauppauge win pvr usb2 external tuner, and have upgraded the drivers for MCE.

I have two cable sources analog and digital - Chorus Limerick. (Chorus never switched off my analog when I upgraded to digital - shhh)

The analog cable goes straight from wall socket to tuner. (I have yet to set up the digital cable from the set-top box to the tuner via scart to s-video/rca)

I set the region to Ireland in MCE and tuned in some channels but only a few have tuned in using the automatic scanning - even tho' the tuners own software has picked up all channels and broadcasts them - quality is very good.

I tried 2 options in MCE - told it to scan using the antenna option, it found 5 channels with good quality picture. Then I scanned using the set-top box option and it picked up 13 channels - but v. poor picture quality.

Do I have to have access to the EPG for the tuning to work properly - I don't yet have broadband?

I've only taken one stab at it and I haven't had a chance to go back over it yet - before I do, does anyone have any tips or advice?

8T8

I have no experience with analogue tuning Chorus only using the digital service with the set top box.

There is a very detailed thread over at The Green Button by someone who outlines tuning in analogue chorus on MCE which is worth a read & seems to answer most of your issues.

As for the EPG data you don't need broadband it will pull the EPG data down in chunks for a certain number of days etc.

Krusty_Clown

Haven't touched the tuning in a while, but don't you have to specify:
1) Company / provider (NTL/Chorus etc).
2) What aree this operator is providing you this reception in (Dublin, Waterford, etc)
I seem to remember having to select NTL analog, and Dublin.

Are you sure you installed roll-up 2 and all other subsequent updates?

Maybe you could try a different region, e.g. Dublin, Cork etc..

ablelocks

8T8 wrote:

I have no experience with analogue tuning Chorus only using the digital service with the set top box.

ok, I got the analog tuned in no problem.

however, I cannot get the digital tuned in. At the moment, I have connected the set-top box to the tuner via a scart to composite cable.

This means the the tuner software sees the set-top box as one channel - the only way to change the channel is to use the set-top box controls. I assume this is why Media Centre can't find the picture for each channel from that signal?

There doesn't seem to be any other way of getting the signal to the tuner. Unless there's a way of splitting the digital signal to go to the set-top box and the tuner? I suspect that I may need to get a different tuner...

8t8 - would you mind outlining your set-up?

Tom Dunne

ablelocks wrote:

This means the the tuner software sees the set-top box as one channel - the only way to change the channel is to use the set-top box controls.

That's the setup I have with my Sky box. I have to change channels with the Sky remote.

To change channels automagically, you need an IR blaster. It basically simulates your remote control and changes the channels for you.

8T8

A set top box limits it to one channel at a time just like with the TV.

This means you can only record one program at a time there is no way around this without a second box.

As tom dunne mentions you need the MCE remote and IR blaster this little device allows MCE to control the Chorus STB for changing channels, after that is installed re-run the setup wizard and you can configure the controls for changing the channels on Chrous digital.

There is no way to pipe the feed directly from Chorus digital into MCE as MCE does not support DVB-C and Chorus use encryption to scramble the signal which a smart card decodes in the STB.

ablelocks

8T8 wrote:

A set top box limits it to one channel at a time just like with the TV.

This means you can only record one program at a time there is no way around this without a second box.

As tom dunne mentions you need the MCE remote and IR blaster this little device allows MCE to control the Chorus STB for changing channels, after that is installed re-run the setup wizard and you can configure the controls for changing the channels on Chrous digital.

There is no way to pipe the feed directly from Chorus digital into MCE as MCE does not support DVB-C and Chorus use encryption to scramble the signal which a smart card decodes in the STB.

thanks guys - I appreciate the help

so MCE should be able to pick up the signal from the set-top box connected to the tuner via a scart to composite cable. It's not doing it at the moment - MCE only picks up 3 channels, and assigns those to the wrong channels in the EPG. Every other channel shows as static in MCE. In the Tuner application, every channel comes thru perfectly and I can record from it.

Also, does this mean that I can't have both the analog and digital chorus in MCE - I have to use one or the other?

I'm not too worried about the remote (yet) - once I know everything is working fine I'll get onto that.

Tom Dunne

ablelocks wrote:

Also, does this mean that I can't have both the analog and digital chorus in MCE - I have to use one or the other?

I know the hardware can support it (forgot to mention, I've got the USB PVR2 also). I have the rabbits ears giving me a crappy signal for the four terrestrial channels and I have Sky going in as metioned earlier.

I'm using GB-PVR, so I can switch between sources, I would imagine Media Center could do the same.

8T8

Unlike GB-PVR MCE can only handle once source at a time it does not support multiple sources the only way is to manually switch between the two.

ablelocks I'm not sure what's going wrong the STB when running the MCE tuning wizard you select cable/set top box as the input you do not pick the tuning in wizard that is for connections that do not use a STB.

Once you select the set top box it goes through the motions of type of service "Chorus Digital" and location then it will display the compsoite & s-video inputs and if it is working show a video signal of the current channel on the STB, on the next page it will prompt you about the remote and the IR blaster to change channels etc.

Now it's been a while since I last did this but I do not think MCE will allow you to even complete the STB TV setup wizard without the remote and IR blaster present (this might have changed).

Krusty_Clown

Just to add that Media Portal also supports multiple sources simultaneously, and you can even watch more than one channel at a time on a single DVB card as long as they are on the same transponder..

Also, Media Portal's new TV server supports streaming to as many clients as you like.. It's well worth taking a look a tthe TV Server tutorial videos, availble here: http://www.team-mediaportal.com/tv-server_tutorial.html

kaisersose77

hopefully mediaportal starts to work on non tv areas as its pretty crap. For non-live tv related stuff, xbmc on the xbox is an awful lot better and thats on a 6/7 yr old games console. It needs a total facelift as they havent made any real changes to the interface since it came out imo.

ablelocks

8T8 wrote:

Unlike GB-PVR MCE can only handle once source at a time it does not support multiple sources the only way is to manually switch between the two.

ablelocks I'm not sure what's going wrong the STB when running the MCE tuning wizard you select cable/set top box as the input you do not pick the tuning in wizard that is for connections that do not use a STB.

Once you select the set top box it goes through the motions of type of service "Chorus Digital" and location then it will display the compsoite & s-video inputs and if it is working show a video signal of the current channel on the STB, on the next page it will prompt you about the remote and the IR blaster to change channels etc.

Now it's been a while since I last did this but I do not think MCE will allow you to even complete the STB TV setup wizard without the remote and IR blaster present (this might have changed).

got to this point last night 8t8. so now I have to buy yet another remote. great - that'll make 5 + a wireless mouse and keyboard.

thanks for the help.