Composite Input setup (1 Viewer)

[mmacleod]

Im trying to set up MP with a dual tuner PVR500MCE to use UK analogue and telewest cable via an external set top box. I have the analogue TV working ok connected to the ariel socket on my card, but no cable. I am connecting the cable from a scart from the STB to composite on the PVR500.
Running the set up from within MP does not pick up any cable channels when it scans, I presume I am missing an option somewhere to specify composite input?
Can anyone point me in the right direction please?
Has anyone in the uk got MP working with telewest? Is there a set of best practices to follow?
Playing around a bit gives me some funny results..
With just a analogue ariel connection I pick up 31 channels when I scan!!! I know you can get digital through a normal TV ariel connection, but the PVR is not a digital card, just analogue.
If I disconnect the analogue connection and just use my cable composite connection I get no channels when I scan...

Any help gratefully received!!!

 

[edgedemon]

more invetsigation..

Right, I've tried to trouble shoot further
I can tune my TV to cable using a scart from the cable box to composite? on the tv (3 plugs, 2 audio, one video coloured white, red, yellow)
I quickly set up another box with MCE2005 and put the PVR500 into it and running a scart from TV out on my cable box to composite on my TV card works fine, and sees the channels so I know that the card is working.
Put it back into my media portal box and I can pick up no cable channels when it scans.
I am using the XP drivers for the hauppauge card, should I be using the MCE drivers?
I really do not know what is causing this, any help appreciated as this has me tearing my hair out!
Where do you set up what input to use in Media Portal???

 

[mmacleod]

Obvious questions first

I suppose it might be a good idea to check that Media portal can accept an input via composite cables???

 

[jeffp]

you have to manually add the channels to MP or import them from something like an XMLTV file. Then edit the channels and tell them what source they are coming from.

For example (I'm in the US not sure where you are) I imported all my available channels from Zapit to an xmltv file, then I went into MP setup/Television/Channels and imported them from that xmltv file. Once all the channels are listed then you have to edit each one (or there is a way to do this with a SQL tool directly in the TV database) and tell it what source it's coming from S-Video, Composite, etc.

Hope that makes some sense.

 

[Marcusb]

Unless I'm missing something here, isn't what you want simply a matter of going to Config/TV/TV Channels and then clicking on the "add composite inputs" (or similarly named, I'm going from memory here).

This will add three default inputs for your card and then you just have to map the video to the audio in the tv card properties dialog box. Usually the default mappings should be all you need.

 

[edgedemon]

I will let u know

I'll check it out when I get home from work.
I hope that is all it is as Im being driven mad by it!

Thx for the responses

 

[mmacleod]

further invetsigation....

Thanks Guys, for the pointers,
My Mistake.
I didn't realise that CVBS meant composite. I added composite in via the button on the TV Channels screen, assigned inputs to composite 1, Then I downloaded my Channels and edited each one so that the input source was changed to 'external set top box' and composite1. (took ages!!)
Then I went into capture cards, selected card 1 -edit- and on the device properties I select 'video crossbar' and set it up for composite video in.
I am presuming the crossbar is the PCI backplate with the inputs?
I then start up MP and run the setup wizard and perform a manual scan but get only snow and no channels found....
Blanked the config for the video crossbar and tried again, same results...
No Channels found anywhere during the set up. Then the strange thing, exit set up and go into MY TV and there is a picture!!!!
Check my capture log, still reporting no signal....
At last, Im off to play now and see whats what


Cheers for the pointers

 

[jeffp]

Once you manually add all the channels you don't need to run the setup wizard and scan for the channels they are already in there. Also how are you changing the channels on your STB? You have to either have a direct connect via a serial cable from the PC to the STB or you have to use an IR blaster like USBIRT or the one that comes with teh MCE remote. Other wise MP can't change the channels.

 

[mmacleod]

Im not changing channels using MP yet. Im still using 2 remotes, my eventual solution will be to use my PDA as my remote for everything.
Thats in the future, at the moment I am trying to tune everything so that it works better, I am seeing horrendous CPU usage and the remote is so slow. But I dont care - I love it!!!!

 

[Marcusb]

post your specs using the support template. There are usually a lot of things that can be done to improve CPU usage but we need to know your set up first.