Hauppage Card and Channels (1 Viewer)

[SteveC-MM]

I am not sure of this is OT or not, please excuse a newbie and direct me.

I was looking at getting a Hauppage PVR 250 card to use with MP. The card specs say it does 125 channels, but my cable TV provider has over 400 channels. How does the hardware handle these channels, and how does MP handle the card and/or channel differences?

Thanks.

 

[quiller]

Analog cards, such as the Hauppauge PVR line, only pick up analog channels. Most cable providers offer several hundred channels, but only the "basic" package is available without a cable box. You'll be able to find how many the card can pick up natively by plugging in your TV directly to coax, without the STB in between. However, keep in mind that you can use an IR blaster to control your STB from MediaPortal, therefore giving you all the same channels, albeit with a little more work.

 

[SteveC-MM]

Interesting

I do have a TV plugged directly into coax in the basement for the odd times I am down there, about 60 channels display.


So, for the main home MP PC:

1. I need to find a PCI card that does digital
tuning and MPEG de/compression.

or

2. I need to learn what a STB is, what an IR blaster blaster
is, and learn how to make them work with MP.




Help?






---orig---

Analog cards, such as the Hauppauge PVR line, only pick up analog channels. Most cable providers offer several hundred channels, but only the "basic" package is available without a cable box. You'll be able to find how many the card can pick up natively by plugging in your TV directly to coax, without the STB in between. However, keep in mind that you can use an IR blaster to control your STB from MediaPortal, therefore giving you all the same channels, albeit with a little more work.

 

[quiller]

1. I need to find a PCI card that does digital tuning and MPEG de/compression.

I don't know if a digital tuner can natively decode what your cable provider gives you. Check around the forums to confirm, but I believe you'll need the STB to decode the data before you can send it to your machine.

2. I need to learn what a STB is, what an IR blaster blaster is, and learn how to make them work with MP.

STB = Set-top Box. The cable box from your provider.
IR Blaster = Small transmitter, from your PC to the STB. This allows MediaPortal to control the STB (i.e. change channels).

 

[SteveC-MM]

Thanks. I'm learning. Is there a "universal IR blaster"? My cable company (Comcast in southern NJ) seems to change boxes every 4-6 months.

Is there a specific MP URI I can follow to get more clues on the IR blaster thing?

Thanks again.