Hauppauge HVR-2200 duel tuner card only recording one station. (1 Viewer)

[Richard Hole]

Hi

I have the Hauppauge HVR-2200 duel tuner card. The card supposed to record two TV channels at the same time and enable watching another channel while recording another. However, I am not able to do this. When one channel is being recorded, it wont let me watch another TV channel or record it. I get the following error message.
“Unable to start time shifting. No free card available”
However, I managed to record both ABC1 and ABC2 at the same time. But I could not do it with the other stations.
Do I have to enable another tuner on the card or could I have a faulty card?

When I tuned in the card there were two digital tuners and also two analogue tuners I had to tune in. I assume it would be one for each of the duel tuners. So there were 4 tuners all together that I had to run the scan for.
.
Your help is appreciated.
Regards Richard.

 

[guytpetj]

1. Are you using TV-Server or MP's own TV plugin?
- MP's own plugin is not able to use the second tuner, TV-Server does use both tuners.

2. If you are using TV-Server, did you assign the tv channels to both tuners in the setup program?

Make sure you configure the tuners as hybrid cards in the TV-Server setup program, otherwise you run into trouble. How to do this can be found in the wiki.

 

[Richard Hole]

Hi

Thanks for the letter.

I installed Media Portal and set it up as described below by someone who helped me on the forum. Does that mean I am using Media Portal’s own TV plugin?

If so, what would I click on to set up TV-Server or do you know the exact web page address with step by step instructions?

I set up Portal like described below.


"Open TVserver config

In the left hand pane click on TV SERVERS to expand it

Click on the name of the first tuner card (you should have 2)

Select Country and Area, then click on Scan for channels.

-- if all goes well it should pick up channels, assuming yr card is correctly installed.

Repeat this process for the second tuner.

Click on OK to close TV Server config.

As you are using XP you must have the dvbfix installed for the tuners to work correctly.

Start mediaportal and go to My TV. You should have some TV channels there and be able to get a picture."



Your help is appreciated.
Regards Richard.

 

[SpudR]

You are using the TVServer - you need to make sure MP knows you are using a hybrid card by grouping the tuners together:
TV-Server/Configuration/TVServers/HybridCards - MediaPortal Manual Documentation

 

[chesh]

Why would he want it to be a hybrid card? This card is a 2 tuner card, meaning it can tune 2 different channels at the same time. I thought hybrid cards were there for cards that shared the tuner (can only tune on one input at a time). I have an HVR-1600 that everyone said to setup as a hybrid, but in reality I found out it was a dual tuner and I'm able to tune clearQAM and analog at the same time.

 

[SpudR]

Maybe because the Hauppauge site itself states:

A PCI Express, dual tuner, hybrid board for analogue PAL/SECAM and digital DVB-T reception

lol

 

[chesh]

Hrm, that's weird. I admit, I had gotten the models mixed up. I was thinking the HVR-2250 (for the US) and it's an actual dual tuner card.

Quote from it's product page:

* Dual tuner TV board for your PC: two analog / digital TV tuners:
o Dual built-in hardware MPEG-2 encoders for recording analog cable TV, for the best system performance. Watch and record two cable TV programs at the same time!
o Dual digital TV receivers for ATSC or clear QAM. Watch and record two digital TV programs at the same time. Watch and record all ATSC and QAM formats, including the highest definition 1080i format

Looks like European users got shafted on their model....That is, unless they have one above the HVR-2200

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

I think Hauppauge themselves are getting confused on this, some cards they are stating as just hybrid like your HVR1600, which means to me that it is one tuner capable of all formats, then they have there dual tuners HVR2200\2250, which can be either digital or analogue, but not both at the same time, so 4 = 2.

But reading the write up for your card, there is nothing defining this as 2 separate tuners which may be used at the same time, good to know if it can

 

[chesh]

That's really the problem with all the newer Hauppauge cards. They don't fully explain on their own website if you'll be able to tune 2 channels at once, or if it can only tune one receiver at once, or both receivers at the same time, or 2 channels on one receiver (HVR-2200/50). I decided to go against the grain and just test the HVR-1600 myself even though a lot of people here said it should have been a hybrid. The way I was first able to tell was the fact that I was able to scan for channels on both tuners at the same time (clearQAM and analog) and I got hits for channels. Then, for the heck of it, I did a manual timeshift record on both tuners and it worked. So, really what I'm getting at here, is maybe we need to make a chart and have the users throw in some input. Not that hard to test, and the information would definitely benefit the community.

 

[SpudR]

I have the HVR-4000 and have the same issue - I have no idea just what this card can do!
I'm tempted to just email Hauppauge and ask them...
lol