MP Setup with Dish Satelite Receiver

mfleck · 2008-02-07, 19:00

Just installed MP and went through the Setup Wizard. Manually searching for station, MP identified Channel 4 which is the station my Dish receiver is set to. But when I go My TV, there's no picture, just noise. What do I need to do next?

milhouse · 2008-02-08, 00:50

How is the settop box connected to your TV tuner card? If it's "channel 4", then probably coax. You'll get a better picture with a different connection. S-video>composite>coax.

Scanning for channels won't do you any good. It would detect just the one channel, and you'd have to tune the DISH receiver manually. No good for recording.

What I recommend:
1) schedules direct subscription (Schedules Direct) for downloading listings. No, it's not free. $15/year. But it works very well. Set up the channels you want in your guide here, as well.
2) install schedules direct plugin (search the forum)
3) configure the plug in, and choose the option to "automatically add new digital cable/satellite channels". The input would depend on your tuner card and connection. I have a Hauppauge 150 and connect to the Dish with S-video. So I use "SVHS" for the input. This means that when the guide is downloaded, if a channel is in the listing that isn't in MP already, it would add the channel as "external", as well as the Dish channel number (from the listings). So it has the information to tune your receiver.

Now when you start MP, it's download listings and set up the channels for you.

(I am assuming that you have already set up your Hauppauge software for IR blaster. You do that using the "IR Blaster COnfiguration that comes with WinTV.)

cybergeek · 2008-07-26, 23:00

IS there a way I can get the reciver picture on the MP interface but use my reciver remote to control the channels. as long as I don't have to go to a diffrent video input on my TV and it's completly thought MP.

milhouse · 2008-07-27, 23:18

Well, yeah you can. Though I don't know why you'd want to. This approach you'd miss out on using a program guide, recording (unless the Dish was on the right channel), etc. Just set up a single channel in MP pointed to whatever source the Dish is hooked up to (e.g. SVHS which is S-Video).

A better idea might be to connect it the right way, use the IR Blaster that came with your TV Tuner card, and let MP change the channels for you on the settop box. If you are really set on using the Dish remote, you could even use the MCE Replacement plugin to get it to accept the Dish remote commands (though you'd have to cover the IR receiver on the settop box).

Am I really misunderstanding your question?

cybergeek · 2008-07-28, 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by milhouse

Am I really misunderstanding your question?

No thats exactly what I wanted but you got me interested in hooking up my settop box to MP and use the guide there or if not use the MP remote as my all in one and control the box as well. All this kinda seams complicated is there a guide or walkthrough?

milhouse · 2008-07-28, 02:54

The regular MP documentation should suffice for enabling and setting up the TV functionality. But for specifics you get into a bit of "it depends". I assume you are using a single HTPC that acts as the client and has the TV card? Are you using 1.0 RC2 in single seat mode? That would install the client and TV Server on the same box. See the settup documentation there.

The hardest part is usually the EPG. I highly recommend the schedules direct plugin, and a subscription to schedulesdirect.org. It's not free ($15/year) but has both US and Canada listing. You get a 7 day free trial if you want to first just see if it works. (search the forum for "schedules direct")

For controlling the STB, it depends on the blaster you use. If you have, for example, a Hauppauage 150 with the IR blaster, you can use in-built functionality (there's a plugin). If you have one with the eHome transceiver, then I recommend the MCE Replacement plugin for blasting - it has the Dish settop box preconfigured so you can select from a list. (search forum for "mce replacement")

Milhouse

cybergeek · 2008-07-28, 04:26

I have two remote one that came with my tv card pvr150 haugpauge and the other is the one that came with my computer MCE. What one should I use. the pvr 150 remote came with a little thnkg that plugs into my remote reciver and the eye of that goes one the reciver led i persume.

milhouse · 2008-07-28, 15:31

Either remote will work. Pick the one you like the best, and enable either the MCE remote or the Hauppauge remote in the remotes section of configuration.

The "little thingy" you describe sounds like an eHome IR transceiver. You are correct - you'd plug the IR transmitter into the back of the remote receiver, and then tape it to the eye on the Dish settop box. Then use the IR Server Suite here to set up the blasting part of it.

2008-02-07, 19:00	#1 (permalink)
mfleck Portal User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	MP Setup with Dish Satelite Receiver Just installed MP and went through the Setup Wizard. Manually searching for station, MP identified Channel 4 which is the station my Dish receiver is set to. But when I go My TV, there's no picture, just noise. What do I need to do next?

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2008-02-08, 00:50	#2 (permalink)
milhouse Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minneapolis, MN U.S. Age: 34 Posts: 250 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts Country: My System	How is the settop box connected to your TV tuner card? If it's "channel 4", then probably coax. You'll get a better picture with a different connection. S-video>composite>coax. Scanning for channels won't do you any good. It would detect just the one channel, and you'd have to tune the DISH receiver manually. No good for recording. What I recommend: 1) schedules direct subscription (Schedules Direct) for downloading listings. No, it's not free. $15/year. But it works very well. Set up the channels you want in your guide here, as well. 2) install schedules direct plugin (search the forum) 3) configure the plug in, and choose the option to "automatically add new digital cable/satellite channels". The input would depend on your tuner card and connection. I have a Hauppauge 150 and connect to the Dish with S-video. So I use "SVHS" for the input. This means that when the guide is downloaded, if a channel is in the listing that isn't in MP already, it would add the channel as "external", as well as the Dish channel number (from the listings). So it has the information to tune your receiver. Now when you start MP, it's download listings and set up the channels for you. (I am assuming that you have already set up your Hauppauge software for IR blaster. You do that using the "IR Blaster COnfiguration that comes with WinTV.)

2008-07-26, 23:00	#3 (permalink)
cybergeek Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	IS there a way I can get the reciver picture on the MP interface but use my reciver remote to control the channels. as long as I don't have to go to a diffrent video input on my TV and it's completly thought MP.

2008-07-27, 23:18	#4 (permalink)
milhouse Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minneapolis, MN U.S. Age: 34 Posts: 250 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts Country: My System	Well, yeah you can. Though I don't know why you'd want to. This approach you'd miss out on using a program guide, recording (unless the Dish was on the right channel), etc. Just set up a single channel in MP pointed to whatever source the Dish is hooked up to (e.g. SVHS which is S-Video). A better idea might be to connect it the right way, use the IR Blaster that came with your TV Tuner card, and let MP change the channels for you on the settop box. If you are really set on using the Dish remote, you could even use the MCE Replacement plugin to get it to accept the Dish remote commands (though you'd have to cover the IR receiver on the settop box). Am I really misunderstanding your question?

2008-07-28, 02:54	#6 (permalink)
milhouse Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minneapolis, MN U.S. Age: 34 Posts: 250 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts Country: My System	The regular MP documentation should suffice for enabling and setting up the TV functionality. But for specifics you get into a bit of "it depends". I assume you are using a single HTPC that acts as the client and has the TV card? Are you using 1.0 RC2 in single seat mode? That would install the client and TV Server on the same box. See the settup documentation there. The hardest part is usually the EPG. I highly recommend the schedules direct plugin, and a subscription to schedulesdirect.org. It's not free ($15/year) but has both US and Canada listing. You get a 7 day free trial if you want to first just see if it works. (search the forum for "schedules direct") For controlling the STB, it depends on the blaster you use. If you have, for example, a Hauppauage 150 with the IR blaster, you can use in-built functionality (there's a plugin). If you have one with the eHome transceiver, then I recommend the MCE Replacement plugin for blasting - it has the Dish settop box preconfigured so you can select from a list. (search forum for "mce replacement") Milhouse

2008-07-28, 04:26	#7 (permalink)
cybergeek Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	I have two remote one that came with my tv card pvr150 haugpauge and the other is the one that came with my computer MCE. What one should I use. the pvr 150 remote came with a little thnkg that plugs into my remote reciver and the eye of that goes one the reciver led i persume.

2008-07-28, 15:31	#8 (permalink)
milhouse Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minneapolis, MN U.S. Age: 34 Posts: 250 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts Country: My System	Either remote will work. Pick the one you like the best, and enable either the MCE remote or the Hauppauge remote in the remotes section of configuration. The "little thingy" you describe sounds like an eHome IR transceiver. You are correct - you'd plug the IR transmitter into the back of the remote receiver, and then tape it to the eye on the Dish settop box. Then use the IR Server Suite here to set up the blasting part of it.