Advice Required: Building a new Freeview PC-PVR (3 Viewers)

[groovybaby]

Hi Joe, thanks for your reply.

First thing to do is open MediaPortal 2 TV Configuration and scan for TV channels on your tuner card (is it still the TBS quad) as shown here,

This is my TV Tuner Card: TBS 6205 DVB-T2 DVB-C Quad TV Tuner PCIe Card.
But I haven't installed it yet.

...note that assumes you clicked on the button Server/Client on the install!

As I said in my last post, I dont recall seeing any expected options, or making any choices, I just said OK to the T&C and it installed?

 

[joecrow]

You should have seen the screen shown in the following screenshot directly after ok to the T&Cs. Maybe it defaulted to client only since you didn't have the tuner installed. I would install the tuner and drivers (get the latest from the TBS website for your model, then try the install again, it should give you an option to repair or uninstall the existing one, click on uninstall and when complete restart the installer and this time click on "Client and Server"

 

[groovybaby]

You should have seen the screen shown in the following screenshot directly after ok to the T&Cs.
View attachment 207117

Thanks Joe,
Yes it did, and I selected the first option (senior moment) but it didn't ask me any other choices.
OK: I'll continue with your previous suggestions.

 

[joecrow]

Good then that was correct, more that that you don't get, it could well be that the wicki is referring to an old version but with MP2 2.3 that is it.

 

[CyberSimian]

This is my TV Tuner Card: TBS 6205 DVB-T2 DVB-C Quad TV Tuner PCIe Card.
But I haven't installed it yet.

When setting up the EPG, I would strongly recommend reading this page in the Wiki, which was rewritten at the beginning of this year (by me), and is correct.

There is another page in the Wiki describing EPG setup, but it does not supply all of the information that you need in order to obtain an optimal setup for the EPG, and I am not even sure that it is 100% correct , so ignore that other page.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[groovybaby]

Install looks OK.
First thing to do is open MediaPortal 2 TV Configuration and scan for TV channels on your tuner card (is it still the TBS quad) as shown here, note that assumes you clicked on the button Server/Client on the install! Then continue to follow the guide for setting up an EPG. Once you have got the TV channels scanned and EPG setup you should be able to run MP 2 (x64 in your case but both will work) and test the TV playback (navigate with KB), then you can go to settings, cog symbol at top of page (default Nereus skin), and set up everything else from there, including your remote ("Input Devices").

Update for the EPG assuming you will be receiving DVBT OTA broadcasts, I would recommend starting with the DVB.

When setting up the EPG, I would strongly recommend reading this page in the Wiki, which was rewritten at the beginning of this year (by me), and is correct.

There is another page in the Wiki describing EPG setup, but it does not supply all of the information that you need in order to obtain an optimal setup for the EPG, and I am not even sure that it is 100% correct , so ignore that other page.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

OK I've followed the info on page:

Tv Engine Setup

Table of Contents

www.team-mediaportal.com

I've looked at these pages:

TV Guide Setup - EPG

Table of Contents

www.team-mediaportal.com

DVB EPG Data

How to get EPG data directly from your aerial, cable or satellite provider via your DVB tuner.

www.team-mediaportal.com

...which I will set up next.

Q: But How does the EPG control the PC:
eg: does the PC have to be on all the time, or in sleep-mode etc?

NB: When my PC is in sleep-mode, my TV card's aerial amps dont seem to be powered, which cuts off the aerial signal to my other original proprietary PVR, which is in the same aerial-loop.

Many thanks.

 

[joecrow]

Q: But How does the EPG control the PC:
eg: does the PC have to be on all the time, or in sleep-mode etc?

The EPG will be "grabbed" on a schedule when the PC is powered up and MP is running, the schedule will be handled in different ways depending on the method chosen but for DVB EPG it is controlled from the TV config. as shown in the1st. screenshot below (those are the default values which normally work OK), i.e an epg grab will be attempted every 240 minutes but will time out if not completed in 10 mins. In the 2nd screenshot you can usually see it in action, it will say something like a channel name and "Grabbing". I use a different EPG grabber which is why it is not showing up there.

.

 

[CyberSimian]

I've looked at these pages:

Hmm, two more Wiki pages purporting to describe how to set up EPG grabbing . Neither of those pages gives all of the details contained in this page. Although this is an MP1 page, "TV Server" is identical between MP1 and MP2, so everything described in that page is relevant to your MP2 installlation.

When my PC is in sleep-mode, my TV card's aerial amps dont seem to be powered, which cuts off the aerial signal to my other original proprietary PVR, which is in the same aerial-loop.

I use a 4-output amplified aerial splitter to feed my system:

• One output goes directly to the TV.
• One output goes to my Pinnacle 2000i dual-tuner card in the HTPC (card has one input socket).
• Two outputs go to my TBS 6284 quad-tuner card in the HTPC (card has two input sockets).

The Pinnacle and TBS cards both have output sockets, so they could in principle be daisy-chained, but I don't use them that way. Instead I leave those output sockets unconnected.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[groovybaby]

The EPG will be "grabbed" on a schedule when the PC is powered up and MP is running, the schedule will be handled in different ways depending on the method chosen but for DVB EPG it is controlled from the TV config. as shown in the1st. screenshot below (those are the default values which normally work OK), i.e an epg grab will be attempted every 240 minutes but will time out if not completed in 10 mins. In the 2nd screenshot you can usually see it in action, it will say something like a channel name and "Grabbing". I use a different EPG grabber which is why it is not showing up there.

.View attachment 207152 View attachment 207153

Thanks for the detailed info.
So when there are any pending recordings, the PC has to be left on all of the time, with MP running?
eg: recordings cant be actioned from sleep mode?

 

[joecrow]

Thanks for the detailed info.
So when there are any pending recordings, the PC has to be left on all of the time, with MP running?
eg: recordings cant be actioned from sleep mode?

No once a recording has been scheduled you can put the PC to sleep or hibernate either with or without MP running and Windows will (should) wake it up when its time to start recording automatically and return to sleep/hibernation when complete, MP does not need to be running at this time either. It is also possible to set the wake up without any video for lights out operation, called "Away Mode" which again is an option under Windows. The PC can also be put to sleep while a recording is underway and it will continue till completed although please note that if hibernate is enabled that is not so and the recording in progress would be lost.