Calling all MP New Zealanders (Both of you!!) (3 Viewers)

[rlevis]

I'm not up to date on this at all. Is there no card reader that can reader newer decoders or MySky cards?

 

[kiwijunglist]

Hey All.
My names Elliot and I'm from Auckland.

In the possible near future I'm looking at getting a nice LCD T.V to hang on my bedroom wall along with SkyTV Multiroom. Now I'm just wondering as I've seen a few topics around is it possible to run the sky box through the computer and have the T.V hooked up to the graphics card?

Like say Sat > SkyTV box > HVR-3300 > ATi HD5770 > T.V through HDMI. Or something in that form.

I saw this thread HERE and I want to know is it possible in NZ and with the Set top boxes we have and with a HVR-3300.
That is question number one.

Second question is: because I am not running a dedicated HTPC (the tv tuner is in my main computer) Will I be able to run MediaPortal full screen on the T.V and still be able to use my computer screen?

Thanks
This might not be very clear I will try further explain if you are confused.

Yes it is possible as long as the output on the skybox can hook up to the input on your tv tuner card. If you have an IR blaster then mediaportal can control the skybox by telling it to turn to the desired channel. This means you can schedule recordings from the tv guide, and the htpc will set the skybox to the correct channel to record the desired program.

Yes it is possible to run mediaportal fullscreen and still be able to use the computer, but it will be 100x better to have a standalone htpc.

 

[gperkinson]

UPDATE: Have confirmed with 4TR developers that having more than 1 "recorder / tuner" option activated will cause conflicts and the Live TV stopping / no stream issue, however unticking the "Argus" option means the machine will not wake to record through Powerscheduler. I'm thinking perhaps use Windows Task Manager to run the things Powerscheduler does. I'm also thinking that perhaps I need the "Reinitialise tuner" tickbox activated in 4TR - will trys these options out and report back. Any comments welcome!!

Well that is mighty awkward! Did they explain why powerscheduler doesn't work when you don't enable/install Argus (which is their TV Server)?

Hi,

Came home last night to find the machine was recording everything OK and remember rebooting in the morning, so I think that did the trick. Seems that some changes made in 4TR require a reboot to take effect.

Cheers

Graham

 

[darkraid]

I'm not up to date on this at all. Is there no card reader that can reader newer decoders or MySky cards?

From what I have read it looks like if you have a sky card that has the number NZ45xxx then it will work in the card reader, but if you have a NZ17xxx it won't work in the card reader as the software that reads the card only supports the NZ45xxx cards.

Hey All.
My names Elliot and I'm from Auckland.

In the possible near future I'm looking at getting a nice LCD T.V to hang on my bedroom wall along with SkyTV Multiroom. Now I'm just wondering as I've seen a few topics around is it possible to run the sky box through the computer and have the T.V hooked up to the graphics card?

Like say Sat > SkyTV box > HVR-3300 > ATi HD5770 > T.V through HDMI. Or something in that form.

I saw this thread HERE and I want to know is it possible in NZ and with the Set top boxes we have and with a HVR-3300.
That is question number one.

Second question is: because I am not running a dedicated HTPC (the tv tuner is in my main computer) Will I be able to run MediaPortal full screen on the T.V and still be able to use my computer screen?

Thanks
This might not be very clear I will try further explain if you are confused.

Yes it is possible as long as the output on the skybox can hook up to the input on your tv tuner card. If you have an IR blaster then mediaportal can control the skybox by telling it to turn to the desired channel. This means you can schedule recordings from the tv guide, and the htpc will set the skybox to the correct channel to record the desired program.

Yes it is possible to run mediaportal fullscreen and still be able to use the computer, but it will be 100x better to have a standalone htpc.

Okay. I'm going to try having the sat connected directly to my pc with a card reader to read my sky card with all the appropriate software for it.

Would you care to explain how to get mediaportal full screen on the 2nd display (TV) and still have the function in the 1st display please?

 

[Neville]

Would you care to explain how to get mediaportal full screen on the 2nd display (TV) and still have the function in the 1st display please?

Hi Did this for some time and have only recently changed to a server/ client setup. So can be done successfully. The main reason I changed was got sick of the Hard drive noise in the lounge and wanted the geberal computer out of the lounge and back in the office!

On MP config you set the start screen name (ie Screen 2 - TV) on the general settings. I had to play around getting various remotes to only work the MP client when there was someone on the computer and thus and stolen the focus. In the end used the Haupaugge remote with event ghost and message plugin to ensure all MP signal got to MP in spite of any focus.

Worked well but is certainly a lot simpler having a dedicated MP client to avoid all this sort of thing

Now have the MP server running in the office with TV recording, music etc and made up a client computer running a SSD drive (ie silent) with i3 processor and much better set up. Client is near silent. Always off when not used. Power scheduler wakes up the server as needed etc etc. The server is used as general computer as well with no problems (well not major anyway)


Good luck
Neville

 

[rlevis]

Do you notice a delay when starting and forwarding through programs? I've seriously considered your configuration but I currently have the reverse situation where MP TV server and main client is in the lounge, and I have a MP client in the office where I occasionally watch programs. I find it takes ages to start and move in the program compared to the server pc. I've got a 1gb wired network.

 

[Neville]

Do you notice a delay when starting and forwarding through programs? I've seriously considered your configuration but I currently have the reverse situation where MP TV server and main client is in the lounge, and I have a MP client in the office where I occasionally watch programs. I find it takes ages to start and move in the program compared to the server pc. I've got a 1gb wired network.

Not really

I have a relay switching off EVERYTHING (TV, Amp, Remote "eye" Sub woofer) when the computer (ie usb) is powered off so keep the client powered off most of the the time. Reboot takes about 1min or so. From there click on recorded TV and it starts quick enough. I will time it next we do all that. I very seldom watch live TV so no comment there. Overall I am happy as the server is often asleep and it has to be kicked awake as well so seems like a reasonable time frame. I have 100mb lan network. The client is a miniITX with a Zotac H55ITX-A-E mobo and i3 processor so not sure whether that is good bad or otherwise for speed
I will time it later...
Neville
Edit - 50 sec boot upfrom off to Bleazle home screen. 12 sec to click recorded TV and open item in folder list and click OK and have playing video - intrepid journeys I think that is TV one. In this case server was up recording...
Seems fine to me....

 

[rlevis]

Anyone here know how to make MiniDisplay work with iMon and an Antec Veris case? I had a major problem with MP recently and reinstallation didn't help, so I selected "Full Uninstallation" which was a big mistake. It deleted all my backup folders which I had stored under the Team-MediaPortal folder.

This resolved my MP problem but I've lost some config files. Someone else set up MiniDisplay for me a couple of years ago and I have no idea how to get it working again. I've selected SoundGraph iMon "Type" and tried various settings but the display on the case remains blank. iMon is running as always. The Test button displays nothing. I'm not even sure what the Port should be set to "NONE" or "localhost"?

Anyone?

 

[johns11]

Happy 2011 to you all!

Well, I've got a problem that I really need your combined expertise with... please!

I previously set up an DVB-T MP system for a family member in Whangaparaoa. It's run for a year now with minor issues on 1.0.2. In the last few weeks (not sure when it started exactly) the picture has become so scrambled/pixelated in the evenings that it's unwatchable... I mean really unwatchable!, but it will run all day with not a glitch. The problem seems to start sometime around 6:30pm and get better at around midnight. Oh, and TV one is worst followed by Two. TV3 seems affected but to a lesser degree. I've just upgraded to 1.1.2 which seems generally more reliable but no difference in the picture problem.

The pixelation is in the recordings so is not just a rendering issue. I have looked at the signal strength/quality at different times of the day on all channels using the "tuning info" menu, and while the 4 providers have quite different strength/quality, the values so seem to be noticably different at evening time.

The TVNZ website mentions some problem called "ducting" where during certain atmospheric conditions the signal is delayed. This happens most during the summer, during evenings, and mainly on lower Freq channels like TV One. Ok, so 's 3 hits right there but it's not clear whether this is a digital (UHF - hardly low freq) or analog (VHF) issue. Ducting is mentioned with Freeview elsewhere.

So, any ideas please. Is it just that at all the new HD TV's purchased for Xmas are turned on in the evenings and sucking the DVB-T signal right out of the air? Has anyone else experienced this or similar problems?

Thanks

 

[rlevis]

It should only be the analog VHF signal that can be affected by sunspot activity ionising the Ionosphere which causes radio waves to be reflected much more than usual. I've not heard of UHF ever being affected.

It's definately not the signal being sucked out of the air. I hope you were joking

But it does sound like a signal reception problem. How far away is the TV transmitter? They may need a UHF signal amplifier box at the antenna.