A quick Sky Question (2 Viewers)

[mufc4eva]

Hey all.

Just wondering if I could set my Sky TV up with Media Portal?

 

[Bagal]

Yep, MediaPortal works just fine with Sky, you'll need a TV Capture card that accepts either s-video or composite from the Sky box (I use a Hauupage PVR150) and an infrared blaster to be able to change channels automatically on the sky box (such as the Microsoft MCE Remote kit).

 

[mufc4eva]

I have the Hauupage 150PVR MCE card, only thing is I cant get the remote to work

Can I still use my Sky remote to change the channels?

If you could help me get the remote working, that would be great, I shall tell you my problem

Installed the card fine, but every time I insert the IR Blaster, it doesn't install the drivers, the pc recognizes it, but it has a little yellow mark next to it in device manager, saying:

The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver.

I have looked on the disc for drivers but they are not there?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Bagal]

You can use the Sky remote, but it will be changing the Sky box not the pc and therefore MediaPortal won't be aware that you've changed channels.

Do you know which remote you have? Is it a Microsoft remote or a Hauppage one?
Which version of Windows are you using?

 

[mufc4eva]

I aint sure which remote it is.

It came with the card but I am pretty certain it is an MCE remote.

I am using Windows XP Media Center edition, but I upgrade from XP Home, which I am kind of regretting as it looks like it would be easier for me to go back to XP Home and then install the drivers for that, as it doesn't look like I'm gonna get it work on here

Also when you say I can use the sky remote, but it will change the sky box and not the pc, what do you mean by this?

I thought it would just tune into the Sky channel and I would be able to just change channels like I would do on a normal tv?

How does the IR Blaster work then, I have it, its just a matter of getting it working so I'm not fussed that I cant use Sky remote, just a matter of getting this working and I'm all ready

And once I have the remote working, is it easy to get the blaster to change channels on sky?

And when tuning in MP via connecting vis S-Video, do i look for cable or antenna?

PS. Sorry for all the questions!

 

[mufc4eva]

Just going to add what it looks likes in device manager to see if you can guess which remote it is, doesnt really give much away though :/

 

[Bagal]

Don't apologise for all the questions, you don't ask, you don't get after all!

1. If it came with the card, I would guess that it's a Hauppage remote for MCE. Is it the one in the pictures in this review: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1522

2. I doubt going back to XP Home would make much difference, Media Center Edition is merely XP Professional with some extra bits and bobs.

3. The Sky remote cannot be used to control MediaPortal. In fact probably easier to forget what I previously said (I assumed that all you wanted to do was change channels and watch those channels through MP but obviously I wasn't thinking about how you'd control MP in the first place)

4. The IR receiver plugs into the PCs USB port, the IR blaster plugs into the back of the receiver and then the other end you place over the IR receiver on the Sky box.
You then need the MCE Replacement Plugin which is what sends the IR signals to the Sky box when you change channels within MP, best to read the docs on the plugin as I don't know a great deal about it.

5. Relatively easy, using the above plugin you either pick an existing set of IR codes or you learn the ones from your Sky remote, once done the plugin does the rest, if all is working you'll see the IR blaster flashing red as it changes the channel on the Sky box.

6. Unfortunately MP can't automatically tune in channels over S-Video, which means you need to manually add each channel yourself, which is quite an arduous task considering how many channels there are on Sky. Personally I only added those I wanted to watch.

 

[mufc4eva]

Cheers for all those answers.

Did format and had to go back to XP Home as I messed somethings up!

Tried for about 6 hours to get the remote working, but its just not happening

So looks like I may have to find an alternative to MP

I also found this: http://www.dusky-control.com/

Do you think this would work with MP?

 

[Solero]

Hi, first post!

I have been working on setting up Media Portal on my computer, I am mainly using it for watching films but what are the benefits of having my Sky through this?

It is a Sky+ box that I have so I can record programs etc quite easily already but I like MP so much would be good to have all my media through it.

Thanks

 

[TesterBoy]

You need the remote rollup to use the MCE Remote on XP Home - see https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/mce_remote_keyboard_xp_home-t4589.html for (lots of) details...