NTL Digital & Media Centre - need help please...

maquiladora · 12-07-2008 06:50PM #1

Ok, I'm new to all of this so I hope the smart people here can help me a bit

Basically, this is what I have :

NTL Digital service
UPC set top box
Packard Bell media centre pc with Win XP MCE
Samsung LCD TV

I've connected the set top box to the tv card on the back of the pc throug the aerial out and after scanning while setting up media centre I've been able to pick up 16 or 17 'analogue' channels, with duplicates and fairly poor quality.

What I really want is to have the same, digital channels I get through the the set top box going through media centre.

I went through the setup and it failed because it couldn't find an IR device (can't remember exact words).

So do I need for other piece of equipment to connect between the set top box and the PC & is there anything else I'd need too?

( Edit : After some reading around I think I need to forget about the aerial out on the STB and instead use SCART/composite connection to my PC instead? I'm still not sure what the IR thing I need is, all I have with the PC is an IR dongle that controls the MC remote...sorry if these are silly questions)

mediacentre.ie · 13-07-2008 12:09AM

the IR thingy is an IR blaster. it receives signal from the MCE remote then sends the signal again via IR to your STB. This is so you can change channel correctly.

forget SCART. s-video/ composite is prob your only option.

maquiladora · 13-07-2008 01:41PM

mediacentre.ie wrote: »

the IR thingy is an IR blaster. it receives signal from the MCE remote then sends the signal again via IR to your STB. This is so you can change channel correctly.

forget SCART. s-video/ composite is prob your only option.

Ok, thanks for the info. Do you think I'd be able to pick up an IR blaster from a place like Soundstore? Any type In particular I should be looking for that you'd recommend?

mediacentre.ie · 13-07-2008 01:49PM

The hauppage one is the best. it comes with this card

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_pvr150.html

make sure it is the MCE kit.

or you can buy it seperate

http://www.irishpc.com/pgProduct.htm~cx~7E77839DD37678338BD84FD5B7FFE14730A394465418CA0C1D7DBF0EA8B2EBD3F8D592DCDF81EF53D8FB6800E08B8ACCFB172CE35F4F

maquiladora · 13-07-2008 02:02PM

Thanks again.

maquiladora · 13-07-2008 05:42PM

mediacentre.ie wrote: »

the IR thingy is an IR blaster. it receives signal from the MCE remote then sends the signal again via IR to your STB. This is so you can change channel correctly.

forget SCART. s-video/ composite is prob your only option.

Ok, just to make sure I can actually do this, above there is what my TV card actually looks like.

The back of my UPC branded STB only has an aerial out and scart out.

NTL Digital & Media Centre - need help please...

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