Hauppage PVR-350 on MythTV gives black & white image

10-10-20

Hi, I am testing my config of MythTV before I install it on my new system.
I have a Hauppage PVR-350 which has all sorts of ports. Guidance on this would be appreciated!

To test, I have connected the NTL-Pace box's SCART into the S-Video input on the PVR-350 via an S-Video cable. I get black and white video when I 'View TV' on the display connected to the HTPC. I believe that this is due to the lack of a composite video signal, but I have no option to connect one into the PVR-350...

To test that colour was working in some respect, I connected the PVR-350 to output on a TV via the S-Video output port, and all works OK.

So, any comments on how this should ideally be connected to get colour? I don't have HDMI as an option!

Oh, and MythTV is a bit of a bugger to configure for the first time. I've repeated the install 5 times as the documentation and general program flow is quite poor. I installed version 0.20.2 using knoppmyth.

SouperComputer

10-10-20 wrote: »

To test, I have connected the NTL-Pace box's SCART into the S-Video input on the PVR-350 via an S-Video cable.

Most likely, thats the problem, depending on the STB you have. Checkout the sticky for grey video on an NTL box. Long story short, most of the NTL boxen dont transmitt Svideo over SCART.

Theres a few MythTV users here, including myself, feel free to post up your questions, progress and triumphs.

stiofanD

Hi, I have a mythtv system with a PVR-250 connected to Ntl's pace set-top box. When I got the PVR-250, there was a small s-video to composite adapter supplied with the card, very like this.
Once this is plugged into the card, the socket is now a normal composite socket and can now accept a composite cable.

Now, the only thing remaining is to configure Myth to use the composite input. Run mythtv-setup, go to option 4 - "Input Connections" and make sure that [MPEG : /dev/video0 ] (Composite 1) is connected to your ntl digital video source.

Job done!

Let me know how you get on

Stephen

adrian.s

I'm running a mythbox with the 350 card, but taking the analogue feed from NTL, I don't have their digital service.

If you let me know what problems you're having with the set-up, I'll do my best to help ya.

A.

10-10-20

Whoza! Backstep! - I'm new to this TV on computers lark...


I have the (POS) Pace box with two SCART's and a coax output, but I don't think it's the 'digital' service! It doesn't have a HDMI connector...

So, I'll draw a picture...

NTL Feed ---> PACE ---> SCART to component converter ---> S-VIDEO cable ---> PVR-350

"SCART to component converter" gives S-Video, Composite, Audio R & L.

Now, note that there is no composite feed from the SCART converter to the PVR as the card can't take it separately.


Thanks for the offers of assistance BTW!

stiofanD

10-10-20 wrote: »

Whoza! Backstep! - I'm new to this TV on computers lark...


I have the (POS) Pace box with two SCART's and a coax output, but I don't think it's the 'digital' service! It doesn't have a HDMI connector...

HDMI has nothing to do with it. If you have a set-top box from ntl then you have ntl's digital service

So, I'll draw a picture...

NTL Feed ---> PACE ---> SCART to component converter ---> S-VIDEO cable ---> PVR-350

"SCART to component converter" gives S-Video, Composite, Audio R & L.

Now, note that there is no composite feed from the SCART converter to the PVR as the card can't take it separately.

As I mentioned above, the s-video port on the PVR-250 is ALSO the composite input port. You just need to tell the driver that the signal coming into the port is composite and not S-Video.

Thanks for the offers of assistance BTW!

Try this:

leave the SCART to S-video cable plugged into the PVR-350, as you have it set up at the moment. Go into mythtv-setup and tell Mythtv to use the composite input instead of the s-video input (as I described above).
Tell me if it works.

10-10-20

stiofanD wrote: »

As I mentioned above, the s-video port on the PVR-250 is ALSO the composite input port. You just need to tell the driver that the signal coming into the port is composite and not S-Video.

Ah OK, I get you.

Try this:

leave the SCART to S-video cable plugged into the PVR-350, as you have it set up at the moment. Go into mythtv-setup and tell Mythtv to use the composite input instead of the s-video input (as I described above).
Tell me if it works.

OK, nice one. Will do!

adrian.s

Let's redraw your picture to something you should try first!

NTL Feed ---> PVR-350

Use some coax! You'll find a TV in at the back. of your card.

Then you configure Myth to find an Huappauge x50 tuner card, and with most modern distros, your next step is configure the channel frequencies. Here's a link I used to set mine up (NTL Dublin):

http://www.zen.org/?p=299

Then when you've got that up and running, you'll have a better understanding of the architecture of the mythbox and you start to incorporate NTL's output from the pace box.

Just my 0.2c

A.

stiofanD

absolutely agree with you there adrian. when setting up myth, the first step should be to get the analogue channels working. recording the extra channels from the set-top box is a great addition, but most of the good content is on the analogue channels anyhow

10-10-20

Ok!
On the back of the PVR it has a coax connector which reads "TV" and I just assumed that it was the output to the TV. From RTFM, I have now learned that this is an INPUT!

So, I'll be able to access the standard NTL channels as I do when the Pace is off...

10-10-20

An update - I was able to receive and view signals via the coax OK, colour and all.
Signal quality isn't 100%, but good enough.

Thanks for your assistance.

Now I have a new issue - I'll post it under a different thread...