SkyHD with Vista MCE

eddiem74

Hi Guys,

I just recently built my first HTPC, and am now considering looking at connecting my SkyHD to it.

Has anyone done this ? If yes, what TV Card are you using ? What are you then doing for sound (at the moment my SkyHD box goes via Amp, sound via optical, and HTPC via Amp, sound via coaxial(built into mobo)). My graphics card is a HD 3650.

Any and all advice, guidance, welcome.

(Oh, Just for some extra info, I also have a Sky+ box in another room, and an old standard box I don't use)

Cheers !

sink

It's fairly complex and quiet expensive to set up. Here is a good guide on how to do it.

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html

I have the card, cam and cas reprogramer but i'm waiting delivery of my htpc components. Should have it by the end of the week and then I'll give you a full report.

kaisersose77

Mpeg4 HD channels dont work with Vista MCE yet, so Sky HD wont work with the method sink mentions (only the non-hd channels will work). In america there HD channels are mpeg2 which Vista MCE does support.


It probably works just the same as normal sky box's if you just intend to connect your box by s-video to the pc tv card.

subway

buy one of these - http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2008/02/11/more-details-emerge-on-the-highly-coveted-hauppauge-hd-pvr/
and pray with these guys - http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/234814.aspx

eddiem74

sink wrote: »

It's fairly complex and quiet expensive to set up. Here is a good guide on how to do it.

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html

I have the card, cam and cas reprogramer but i'm waiting delivery of my htpc components. Should have it by the end of the week and then I'll give you a full report.

Cheers sink, I had seen the thread on AvForums, and glanced through it over a few days, hard work :eek: ! The kustompc link helps make things a little clearer but it does seem like a fair bit of work, and manual intervention that is required.

I'd love to hear how you get on, so please do report back once you get set-up. Thanks !

eddiem74

kaisersose77 wrote: »

Mpeg4 HD channels dont work with Vista MCE yet, so Sky HD wont work with the method sink mentions (only the non-hd channels will work). In america there HD channels are mpeg2 which Vista MCE does support.


It probably works just the same as normal sky box's if you just intend to connect your box by s-video to the pc tv card.

Thanks kaisersose77, good to know. So if I was to just use it like a regular box, that would mean I use S-Video from box to a TV Card such as PVR150(I think I've read), right ?

eddiem74

subway wrote: »

buy one of these - http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2008/02/11/more-details-emerge-on-the-highly-coveted-hauppauge-hd-pvr/
and pray with these guys - http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/234814.aspx

Nice1 subway, will take a look at the links. Thanks.

eddiem74

I am thinking I might just go with the PVR 150 as a start off option to get me familiar with the set-up, etc..

What do you guys think ? Simple enough ?

Wavey

sink wrote: »

It's fairly complex and quiet expensive to set up. Here is a good guide on how to do it.

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html

I have the card, cam and cas reprogramer but i'm waiting delivery of my htpc components. Should have it by the end of the week and then I'll give you a full report.

Any news on your set up Sink?
Would be interested in trying this if it works reasonably well.

Also can the method described here
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/...tegration.html
be used on a NTL digital service?

Wavey.

spartacus93

Wavey wrote: »

Any news on your set up Sink?
Would be interested in trying this if it works reasonably well.

Also can the method described here
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/...tegration.html
be used on a NTL digital service?

Wavey.

I'd also love to know if this would work with NTL Digital. Still not sure if it would be worth the money / effort but it would make for a very neat setup. Having to put the card back in the digital box to keep it alive would be a big drawback IMO.

In my house one of the disliked "features" of media centre is that it doesn't allow for proper channel flicking. With a 3 - 4 second delay on changing channels you really have to decide using the guide what you want to watch. That's fine by me but doesn't suit everybody...

Wavey

Quick update,

I got NTL digital working through my DVB-C card this evening. The PQ is better than the STB. EPG and all the toys are working with the native software that came with the card.
Will try and get it going in MCE tomorrow. But by all accounts it can be done.

Also have a few HD channels coming but I'm not sure if they are actually in HD. Doubt it TBH.

Have to say this beats the arse off NTL analogue through a tuner card or an STB with svideo and an array of IR repeaters.

Wavey.

subway

hi wavey.

is there any chance you post a step by step guide as to how you got this working,
what hardware was required etc because i would love to get that up and running

Wavey

Hi Subway.

There is no dedicated guide for setting up an NTL dvb system, If there is I didnt find it after spend a week or so researching but I'de be happy to put down what I know if you want it.

Spent most of the day trying to get it going in MCE with no joy. There are just too many differnent apps out there to link between MCE and what ever player you use.
All the apps you need to do it are still pretty young and it's hard to get all the right versions as they will only work together if all the versions are right.
Most have done 20 regedits, 20 reboots and 40 installs/ uninstalls today!

Wont be back to this untill next week but I'll post what ever news I have then.

Wavey.