Help please... TV cards for set top box input (1 Viewer)

[unalterable]

Hi,

Sorry if i'm posting in the wrong place.

I've been using MediaPortal for a long time. For TV series and movies - but they've all been files stored on HDDs. I have never used MP for live TV. I don't even know where to begin.

I currently have a Virgin VHD box and a Dell optiplex 755 with spare (low-profile) PCI & PCIE slots. They're both plugged into a TV.
What i want is the VHD signal going into the Dell where i can then output on the MP TV server and the TV. I would also like to stop using the VHD remote (as much as possible) and just use the medacentre remote with MP.

I presume i need to go through the VHD box to get Virgin's proprietary decoding?

I imagine i need a low profile PCI HDMI capture card? If so can you recommend one that works well with MP? And doesn't cost too much?

Also any other advice to make the most of this setup for live TV would be useful.

Help please.



Unalterable

 

[schwarzrz]

imagine i need a low profile PCI HDMI capture card? If so can you recommend one that works well with MP? And doesn't cost too much?

You are right. Have a look here:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/hdpvr2-dish-network-mediaportal-and-me.121130/page-7

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/hauppauge-hd-pvr-colossus-support.94850/

Pease check if the hdmi - signal is copyprotected by hdcp.

 

[unalterable]

thanks

Pease check if the hdmi - signal is copyprotected by hdcp.

how do i do that? does it prevent watching or just recording?

 

[schwarzrz]

You won´t see anything if the signal is copyprotected. No watching, no recording because the capturecard refuses to work.

But that is not a great issue.

 

[kilik360]

I'm using two colossus since 3 years with no problems. But I'm using Component instead of HDMI.

 

[unalterable]

how i check the copyprotection?

and would this suit my purpose?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Capture-Card-YK762H-PCI-E-HDMI-Definition-Video-Equipments-/201225614042

 

[mm1352000]

What i want is the VHD signal going into the Dell where i can then output on the MP TV server and the TV. I would also like to stop using the VHD remote (as much as possible) and just use the medacentre remote with MP.

Okay, that should be technically possible, but may be a bit costly.

I presume i need to go through the VHD box to get Virgin's proprietary decoding?

I would not presume that... but then I don't live in the UK, so I don't really know what technologies Virgin is using.
If the channels weren't encrypted then you could use any off-the-shelf PC DVB-C tuner (of which there are many, in the form of PCI cards, PCIe cards, USB sticks, USB boxes, network attached boxes...) instead of the VHD box. However, the channels are encrypted (Wikipedia says: with Nagravision 3), which means you need some way to decrypt them.

Does your VHD box have a slot into which a subscription card has to be inserted in order to watch TV?
If so, there's a good chance that you could ditch the VHD box, skip the [potentially expensive] capture card, and go with a cheaper DVB-C tuner.

I imagine i need a low profile PCI HDMI capture card? If so can you recommend one that works well with MP? And doesn't cost too much?

As above: a capture card is not necessarily what you need, and if I were you I would avoid the capture card route if at all possible. The cards are relatively expensive and quite complex to setup with MediaPortal.
To answer your question: the only capture cards that work with MP1/TVE3 are the Hauppauge Colossus and HD-PVR. TVE 3.5 supports generic DirectShow-compatible capture cards... but it isn't ready for prime-time use yet, so for now the two Hauppauge devices are the only real options. Tuner cards with capture inputs may work, but you'd be taking a risk if you go that route. There's no guarantee that the capture inputs will work, and even if they did you're generally limited to s-video and/or composite inputs (low video quality).

 

[unalterable]

Does your VHD box have a slot into which a subscription card has to be inserted in order to watch TV?

Yes, it's a box like this and the card goes in the back. How does this help though? Can i use the card without the box?

 

[mm1352000]

Can i use the card without the box?

Yes, exactly.
You should be able to get a standard DVB-C tuner with a CI module/slot. For example:
http://www.buydvb.net/tbs5881-dvbt2tc-tv-tuner-ci-usb-box-p-101.html?cPath=4

...and a CAM that can decrypt Nagravision.
You put the smartcard in the CAM, put the CAM in the CI slot, install MP (or other DVB software), scan for channels... and then all being well you should be able to watch all your channels on the PC. Beyond that, the world is your oyster.

Some people also purchase what's called a smartcard reader which avoids the need for buying a CAM and tuner with a CI slot. This can be a significantly cheaper and more flexible approach. The downside is more complexity in the configuration process. Also, if you want to go down this route you will need to source information about how to do it from elsewhere. We don't permit discussions about this approach on our forums because it is a mechanism that pay TV pirates use for all sorts of naughty stuff. We could get into trouble if we were thought to be supporting such activities.