Question: How Do I Tune TV Channel to pickup S-Video Input (Cable)

gcarter · 2006-09-26, 17:01

Area: Media Portal Program
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.0-SVN-24.09.2006- 0:57:22,44-Build 10446
 (2006-09-24)
MediaPortal Skin: MCE
Windows Version: Windows XP (SP2)
.NET CLR Version: 2.0.50727
DirectX Version: 4.09.00.0904 (9.0c)
Audio Codec: MPA Decoder Filter
Video Codec: MPV Decoder Filter
CPU Type: Intel Pentium 4 - 2.66GHz
Memory: 1 GB
Motherboard: MS-6701 (MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD)
TV Card Model: PINNACLE PCTV HYBRID PRO PCI TV TUNER CARD (DVB-T)
TV Card Type: DVB
TV Card Driver: Latest
Video Card Model: Radeon 9800 Pro (128 MB)
Video Card Driver: Latest
Video Card Resolution: 1024x768
Video Render Type: VMR9
Audio Card Model: Creative AudioPCI (ES1371,ES1373) (WDM)
Audio Card Driver: Latest
Synopsis::

Heres my problem...

* Have a dedicated Media pc which is plugged directly into the tv
* Have just bought a PINNACLE PCTV HYBRID PRO PCI TV TUNER CARD (DVB-T) card
* I have a cable tv service (telewest, uk)

* Setup from cable box is.....
Cable Box ---> Scart Lead plugged into ---> s-video convertor --- s-video cable into s-video socket in tv card

The media center which came with my card, detected the digital channel as DVB-T... I did an xml export which is...

ChannelList MaxId="0" Name="" TunerType="DVB-T" />

I've tried with no avail to muck around with the varios tab options but again no Joy.... mediaportal insits on looking for 'tuning information'.

So to boil all that above down... my question is this...
How do I setup a mediaportal channel to recognize a single DVB-T digital input, coming from a S-VIDEO socket from my card?

____________________

EDIT - Im now attempting to take the coaxial cable directly between the card and the out socket on the box... but still no joy... autotune does not find anything

gcarter · 2006-09-28, 11:30

Its ok.... I swapped this cr*p card for a Hauppauge 1300 with hardware encoding.... worked out of the box

gcarter · 2006-09-29, 12:33

hmmm, still can't get mediaportal to work with an s-video connection.... can anyone give me setup details for configuring mp to work with this kind of connection?

donaldkennedy · 2006-09-29, 20:47

If you're using S-Video for your incoming signal then you don't actually TUNE channels as such (unlike with, say, a traditional RF feed, or a DVBT [Freeview] feed, where you're taking an untuned signal into your PC). In your case you're taking a signal (from cable) into a set-top box, then decoding it into an S-video feed.

You need to set up your channels in much the same way as those who use other UK set-top box scenarios. I use a $KY set-top box connecting into my Hauppage 150 via the S-Video connector, and this process is easy, if a bit boring.

In MP Configuration, you need to set up channels individually, and at the point where it asks you to enter the tuning details for each channel, you set them to be "External". You'll have the opportunity to enter the Telewest channel number at this point, and the port you'll receive the signal through (in your case, the S-Video).

I'm not sure how good Telewest kit is at handling infrared input. As I say, I'm using a $KY stb and the European model MCE remote, and this is a dream to set up to actually change channels on the $KY box directly from within MP. I know the NTL stbs use a different form of IR for their communication which means they don't work so well with the MCE remote sender, but I think Telewest may be better. There's probably someone on the forum with TW, so they may be able to help more than me in this area.

Hope this helps

Donald

slipery · 2006-09-30, 09:06

One thing that Donald fogot to tell you is that you will also need to set up myblaster which you will now find in the plugins section of the download. When you install myblaster copy blaster.exe in to your root media portal folder and the blaster.dll into the plugins - process folder.

You then need to teach blaster your $ky box channel numbers. do that by running blaster.exe and aiming your remote control at your Microsoft ir detector. Keep the distance down to a few cms. You will need to program all the numbers and your select button. You can then test them from this app by selecting the number and press test you should see the red bud at the end of your blaster flash. Mount this VERY CLOSE to the IR window on your STB and you should then see the box bring up the number you are testing.

If all OK then run MP setup and in the plugins section enable the MYBlaster plug in. Then provided you have followedc Donalds set up of the channel selection all should be OK

Cheers

donaldkennedy · 2006-09-30, 21:50

Good call slipery, it's so long since I set up myblaster I'd forgotten that bit!

Cheers for adding that bit.

Donald

gcarter · 2006-10-02, 17:15

Thanks for your feedback all

However im still confused...

You say 'at the point where it asks you to enter the tuning details for each channel'... which point? The channel section has a whole pile of tabs which ask for some very detailed information?!

You say to add channels seperartly... so I can ignore the analog, DVB-T, DVB-C, DVN-S, ATSC tabs? Within the external tab, I presume I use the SVHS option?

Sorry to sound thick here... if I just edit the external tab and put in the channel number and then start the MP - it just spits up the error 'no tuning information for...'

PS - I dont have a sky box, I have a pace box for receiving telewest cable

donaldkennedy · 2006-10-02, 19:46

Yes, that's quite right - use the "external" tab, then set the channels up one by one (a bit tedious, but there are ways of automating parts of this if/when you upgrade between versions of MP).

If you've a MCE remote, then you'd be well advised to have a bit of a "play" with the MyBlaster plugin, as this makes use of the MCE remote "blaster" buds to send the "change channel" commands from MP directly to your stb. From what I'm aware, the Telewest PACE boxes are much friendlier than the NTL ones in terms of working properly with infrared blasters, and so this should be a (relatively) straightforward piece of work. If you're lost with MyBlaster, have a search of these forums, there's a fair bit of advice lurking.

Cheers

Donald

gcarter · 2006-10-04, 10:36

Thanks.... up and running now... my proplem was that the MP detected x2 cards for my hauppage 1300 (digital and analogue) and I was trying to configure the channels to the digital one.... selected analogue and away it went

SimonP · 2008-08-21, 22:32

I am trying to do something similar - mix DVB-T (USB dongle) and a PVR150 (Svideo input) fed from a Telewest cable TV box.

I have the cable TV input working in Vista Media Center and, having added a few channels manually, I can see the Svideo input in MP but it cannot change channels. I tried the Server Blaster plugin in TV Server, I set both blaster ports to the PVR150 but nothing. DVB-T is working fine in MP.

Any ideas please?

(Current versions of MP/TV server with latest SVNs installed on Vista Home Premium with MS remote kit.)

2006-09-26, 17:01	#1 (permalink)
gcarter Portal Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Question: How Do I Tune TV Channel to pickup S-Video Input (Cable) Area: Media Portal Program MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.0-SVN-24.09.2006- 0:57:22,44-Build 10446 (2006-09-24) MediaPortal Skin: MCE Windows Version: Windows XP (SP2) .NET CLR Version: 2.0.50727 DirectX Version: 4.09.00.0904 (9.0c) Audio Codec: MPA Decoder Filter Video Codec: MPV Decoder Filter CPU Type: Intel Pentium 4 - 2.66GHz Memory: 1 GB Motherboard: MS-6701 (MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD) TV Card Model: PINNACLE PCTV HYBRID PRO PCI TV TUNER CARD (DVB-T) TV Card Type: DVB TV Card Driver: Latest Video Card Model: Radeon 9800 Pro (128 MB) Video Card Driver: Latest Video Card Resolution: 1024x768 Video Render Type: VMR9 Audio Card Model: Creative AudioPCI (ES1371,ES1373) (WDM) Audio Card Driver: Latest Synopsis:: Heres my problem... * Have a dedicated Media pc which is plugged directly into the tv * Have just bought a PINNACLE PCTV HYBRID PRO PCI TV TUNER CARD (DVB-T) card * I have a cable tv service (telewest, uk) * Setup from cable box is..... Cable Box ---> Scart Lead plugged into ---> s-video convertor --- s-video cable into s-video socket in tv card The media center which came with my card, detected the digital channel as DVB-T... I did an xml export which is... ChannelList MaxId="0" Name="" TunerType="DVB-T" /> I've tried with no avail to muck around with the varios tab options but again no Joy.... mediaportal insits on looking for 'tuning information'. So to boil all that above down... my question is this... How do I setup a mediaportal channel to recognize a single DVB-T digital input, coming from a S-VIDEO socket from my card? ____________________ EDIT - Im now attempting to take the coaxial cable directly between the card and the out socket on the box... but still no joy... autotune does not find anything Last edited by gcarter; 2006-09-27 at 01:06.

2006-10-02, 17:15	#7 (permalink)
gcarter Portal Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for your feedback all However im still confused... You say 'at the point where it asks you to enter the tuning details for each channel'... which point? The channel section has a whole pile of tabs which ask for some very detailed information?! You say to add channels seperartly... so I can ignore the analog, DVB-T, DVB-C, DVN-S, ATSC tabs? Within the external tab, I presume I use the SVHS option? Sorry to sound thick here... if I just edit the external tab and put in the channel number and then start the MP - it just spits up the error 'no tuning information for...' PS - I dont have a sky box, I have a pace box for receiving telewest cable Last edited by gcarter; 2006-10-02 at 17:24.

2006-10-04, 10:36	#9 (permalink)
gcarter Portal Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks.... up and running now... my proplem was that the MP detected x2 cards for my hauppage 1300 (digital and analogue) and I was trying to configure the channels to the digital one.... selected analogue and away it went Last edited by gcarter; 2006-10-04 at 10:54.

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2006-09-28, 11:30	#2 (permalink)
gcarter Portal Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Its ok.... I swapped this cr*p card for a Hauppauge 1300 with hardware encoding.... worked out of the box

2006-09-29, 12:33	#3 (permalink)
gcarter Portal Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	hmmm, still can't get mediaportal to work with an s-video connection.... can anyone give me setup details for configuring mp to work with this kind of connection?

2006-09-29, 20:47	#4 (permalink)
donaldkennedy Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Swansea Age: 41 Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	If you're using S-Video for your incoming signal then you don't actually TUNE channels as such (unlike with, say, a traditional RF feed, or a DVBT [Freeview] feed, where you're taking an untuned signal into your PC). In your case you're taking a signal (from cable) into a set-top box, then decoding it into an S-video feed. You need to set up your channels in much the same way as those who use other UK set-top box scenarios. I use a $KY set-top box connecting into my Hauppage 150 via the S-Video connector, and this process is easy, if a bit boring. In MP Configuration, you need to set up channels individually, and at the point where it asks you to enter the tuning details for each channel, you set them to be "External". You'll have the opportunity to enter the Telewest channel number at this point, and the port you'll receive the signal through (in your case, the S-Video). I'm not sure how good Telewest kit is at handling infrared input. As I say, I'm using a $KY stb and the European model MCE remote, and this is a dream to set up to actually change channels on the $KY box directly from within MP. I know the NTL stbs use a different form of IR for their communication which means they don't work so well with the MCE remote sender, but I think Telewest may be better. There's probably someone on the forum with TW, so they may be able to help more than me in this area. Hope this helps Donald

2006-09-30, 09:06	#5 (permalink)
slipery Portal Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 22 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	One thing that Donald fogot to tell you is that you will also need to set up myblaster which you will now find in the plugins section of the download. When you install myblaster copy blaster.exe in to your root media portal folder and the blaster.dll into the plugins - process folder. You then need to teach blaster your $ky box channel numbers. do that by running blaster.exe and aiming your remote control at your Microsoft ir detector. Keep the distance down to a few cms. You will need to program all the numbers and your select button. You can then test them from this app by selecting the number and press test you should see the red bud at the end of your blaster flash. Mount this VERY CLOSE to the IR window on your STB and you should then see the box bring up the number you are testing. If all OK then run MP setup and in the plugins section enable the MYBlaster plug in. Then provided you have followedc Donalds set up of the channel selection all should be OK Cheers

2006-09-30, 21:50	#6 (permalink)
donaldkennedy Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Swansea Age: 41 Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Good call slipery, it's so long since I set up myblaster I'd forgotten that bit! Cheers for adding that bit. Donald

2006-10-02, 19:46	#8 (permalink)
donaldkennedy Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Swansea Age: 41 Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Yes, that's quite right - use the "external" tab, then set the channels up one by one (a bit tedious, but there are ways of automating parts of this if/when you upgrade between versions of MP). If you've a MCE remote, then you'd be well advised to have a bit of a "play" with the MyBlaster plugin, as this makes use of the MCE remote "blaster" buds to send the "change channel" commands from MP directly to your stb. From what I'm aware, the Telewest PACE boxes are much friendlier than the NTL ones in terms of working properly with infrared blasters, and so this should be a (relatively) straightforward piece of work. If you're lost with MyBlaster, have a search of these forums, there's a fair bit of advice lurking. Cheers Donald

2008-08-21, 22:32	#10 (permalink)
SimonP Portal User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	I am trying to do something similar - mix DVB-T (USB dongle) and a PVR150 (Svideo input) fed from a Telewest cable TV box. I have the cable TV input working in Vista Media Center and, having added a few channels manually, I can see the Svideo input in MP but it cannot change channels. I tried the Server Blaster plugin in TV Server, I set both blaster ports to the PVR150 but nothing. DVB-T is working fine in MP. Any ideas please? (Current versions of MP/TV server with latest SVNs installed on Vista Home Premium with MS remote kit.)