Hauppauge Nova-S Plus (DVB-S) and Diseqc switch

[ali40]

TV-Server Version: 1.0.0.0 RC1 (Refresh)
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.0.0 RC1 (Refresh)
MediaPortal Skin: Standard
Windows Version: Vista 64-bit
CPU Type: Athlon 64 X2 5200+
HDD: Seagate 500GB
Memory: 2GB Kingston PC2-6400
Motherboard: Asus M2A-VM HDMI
Video Card: On Board
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-T 500
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: from latest v4.2 driver pack
2. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-S Plus
2. TV Card Type: DVB-S
2. TV Card Driver: from latest v4.2 driver pack
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Antec Fusion
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Microsoft MCE remote
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA


Hi,

Have recently finished building an HTPC (above) with Vista and MCE. This works great apart from the lack of true DVB-S support so I decided to try mediaportal for the sat card. I still want to use MCE in meantime for the DVB-T as it's stable and the wife can use it :-)


I have a 3 LNB setup with 4-port Diseqc switch

Hotbrid 13 on A/A
Astra 19 on B/A
Astra 28 on A/B


I installed Mediportal 1.0.0.0 RC1 (refresh version) with TV server and it all works great and I could switch the LNB's easily. The issue is that there is some conflict between MCE and Mediaportal TV server so I tried to use the non TV server version of Mediaportal (still 1.0.0.0) - This also has the advantage that it's a lot faster to load! However, this is where I encountered the problem:

Essentially, despite configuring the Diseqc the same as with the TV server variant, mediaportal does not seem to be able to switch the diseqc switch. I have verified the LO, LH settings on the LNB (and they are the defaults in MediaPortal) but the LNB switch frequency is confusing me. I have tried the default, 0 and also 12750MHz but none seem to allow the Diseqc switch to swith LNB when scanning the sats and it's always sitting on LNB 1 (A/A).

This is 100% repeatable. Unfortunately I can't post the diagnostics from Mediaportal as HTPC is being used at present. Hopefully it's just a case of getting the correct switch freq!

Another thing I noticed with the non TV server verison is that channels are grouped according to provider when trying to add channels into a user created group. This is a real pain as you cannot select all and add to a group. Is there any way to disable this? Again, this seems to be far more logical in the TV server version.

Apart from that, Mediaportal has been good and if prooves to be stable I will migrate my DVB-T tuners into it and use it for everything. At the moment however, MCE is working 100% reliably for DVB-T which I don't want to break.

Thanks guys.

[ali40]

I assume nobody has managed to get this to work? Shame as it looked promising but I cannot use TV server as it's simply too slow and I have issues with it grabbing a tuner card and not letting go (I see this is something that I am not alone with - TV server complains about no free tuner.

TV server also seems to cause MP to hang for up to a minute for no reason. It does come back but is a real pain when trying to use it in anger.

It's a clean vista install with latest patches so I do not believe this is an OS related issue.

Thanks.

[Methanoid]

I notice one common thing in this and the other thread... Vista!!! I wonder...

[ali40]

Yes that's possible for the tuner lockup but I believe the Diseqc thing is also an issue in XP so I think it's more MP related than the OS. The fact is works fine in TV tuner and not in non TV tuner version makes me think it's not the OS.

[ali40]

Meant to add - GBPVR works fine scanning all 3 LNB's using the same LNB switch settings that I have in MP

Also the Hauppauge software has no issues with the diseqc switch so I have to conclude this is a problem with mediaportal.

Re-installed vista but this did not help.

Is this likely to be fixed or just ignored due to the fact TV server is working OK and MP2 is due for release in the future?

Thanks.

[milagroso]

Hello ali40,

I have a similar problem, also guessing that TVS is not able to correctly trigger the 22kHz tone, whilst other programs (e.g. WinTV) do. See this thread:
Hauppauge Nova-SE2 not supported any more?

Doesn't this look similar to Your behaviour?

regards from Stuttgart

[tonytoronto]

TV-Server Version: rc2
MediaPortal Version:
MediaPortal Skin:
Windows Version: xp
CPU Type: amd x2
HDD:
Memory: 2gb
Motherboard: Asus M3a78
Video Card:
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Twinhan 102g
1. TV Card Type: DVB-s
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote:
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:


I'm using XP and i have the same problem, MP simply cannot control the Diseqc switch or motor. i couldn't get rc1 or rc2 to work. Went as far as connecting lnb to card w/out switchs, most times MP cannot control the card at all-- i get no signal or quality, the odd time iget quality when i try to scan always comes up with message" card locked something about hybrid card".. Too bad the Sat stuff doesn't work right, the rest works good so far.
This setup works fine with Mytheater, w/out any issues.

Anyone know if it's possible to use the "myTV" icon to launch a diferent TV program untill all gets fixed? would be nice to be able to watch TV from whitin MP..

thanks