MythTV user Investigating Media Portal! (1 Viewer)

[iamhrh]

Well, I am a long-time mythTV user, and I'm looking to do something a little different. There are tons of things that I loved about myth, but as a windows guy, it was such a pain to try and fix it when things went wrong that I decided to see what options there are for windows out there. That said, Media Portal popped out!

My question is thus: Currently, I use two Motoroloa DCT-6200 cable boxes to capture both SD and HD video over the firewire connection, and myth is able to change channels on the boxes over the firewire connection as well. Is Media Portal capable of this? I'm currently running a demo version of SageTV, and through what they call their "Universal Network Encoder" (a program that someone wrote to get firewire cable boxes working under Windows MCE), Sage is able to control and capture from the cable boxes just like Myth. Too bad for them I despised their interface, guess their short my $80.

If firewire from a digital cable box won't work, My other quesion is this: Can I use those FloppyDTV things with direcTV in the US? I'd love to stick two of them in my PVR and be able to get satellite TV.

Summary:
1. Firewire support for the Motorola DCT-6200?
2. FloppyDTV / DirecTV support in the US?

Thanks in advance to ANYONE that can point me in the right direction

 

[FlipGer]

Hi,

1) Do not know. But I do not think so. Any more infos on these boxes? Eg. a link...

2) YES! Digital Everywhere is working closly with the MP team to get their Fire/FloppyDTV to work with MP. Even HD will work in the future!
https://www.team-mediaportal.com/news/global/digital_everywhere_and_mediaportal_update.html
DirectTV is supported through IRBlaster or Serial Connection:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?t=11511&highlight=directtv

HTH, Flip.

 

[iamhrh]

Sure! I have a ton of links.
1) Motorola's Website for the DCT-6200
2) MythTV's mailing list - searchable archives, any search on firewire will be guaranteed to turn up a ton of results
3) SageTV's firewire implementation thread
4) Windows Drivers for Various Digital Cable boxes with Firewire support

With those drivers already out there, It really seems like most of the groundwork for getting firewire support into media portal has already been laid, maybe its just that no one has come across these before?

About the FloppyDTV, I guess my biggest concern is really if it will work with DirecTV. IE, will I be able to buy a FloppyDTV, install the drivers, and just shove the card our of the STB's that they send me into the FloppyDTV and be able to record the broadcasts (SD & HD)??

Or maybe I'm totally missing something.

 

[wortelsoft]

You also need at least a directv compatible cam for the ci interface of the floppydtv.

 

[iamhrh]

So if i subscribe to the direcTV service, get the STBs they send me, and put the CAM's into floppyDTV's, they'll work?

 

[Brijn]

Recording over FW

Hello,

I looked into this a while ago when looking at getting HD.. What I found at that point (but unfortunately didn't bookmark, since I decided against getting HD) was a (set of) programs(s) that integrated with one of the other PVR apps (I think MCE, not sure).. It worked in quite a smart way..

Whenever a program was scheduled for recording on SD, the plugin would kick in and switch the STB to the correct HD channel and start recording. This set of application also came with a command line tool to switch the channels. Another piece of software was used to do the actual recording (a well known one, forgot the name now, but something like xxxVHS). At the end of the recording the plugin woul remove the SD recording and copy the HD recording in place (if size > 0). In this way the database would be correct etc.

A relatively elegant way of integrating without a lot of changes to the code. I don't know if MP provides a trigger for starting a recording, but worst case you would find the code for the recording icon and something in the same code path ;-)

If I ever decide to get HD I will start playing with it

Bas

 

[wortelsoft]

Also have a look in these threads:


https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?t=7825&highlight=firewire

and the more interesting one for you:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?p=77565

So it looks like someone has started on this but it's in an early stage.

 

[iamhrh]

Also have a look in these threads:


https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?t=7825&highlight=firewire

and the more interesting one for you:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?p=77565

So it looks like someone has started on this but it's in an early stage.

Yeah, I noticed those, but it seems a bit stalled out.
I've already got a system working for capturing over firewire, and changing channels, as per the SageTV forum thread I mentioned earlier. I just hate Comcast and would love to switch away from them.

 

[wortelsoft]

So if i subscribe to the direcTV service, get the STBs they send me, and put the CAM's into floppyDTV's, they'll work?

Can't give you an answer to that just wanted to point out that you also need a compatible cam. Maybe you can mail the manufacturers of the floppydtv to see if they know which cam you can use with your provider.

 

[iamhrh]

So if i subscribe to the direcTV service, get the STBs they send me, and put the CAM's into floppyDTV's, they'll work?

Can't give you an answer to that just wanted to point out that you also need a compatible cam. Maybe you can mail the manufacturers of the floppydtv to see if they know which cam you can use with your provider.

'tis already in progress