how can I remap all channels to "3"? (1 Viewer)

[phr0stbyt3]

Please correct me if my thinking is flawed. I have a satellite receiver and a pvr-250. I have connected the satellite receiver to the tv-input on the hauppage card via coax. The hauppage card must be tuned to "3" and then I can change channels on the satellite box with its guide etc. My plan is to "autotune" using the satellite built in guide and also set-up a recording using the xmltv guide I set up. The satelite box tunes the channel and mediaportal manages the recording. How do I set up media portal so every click on the guide goes to channel 3?

I know a usb blaster would resolve this, but for now i don't have one.

 

[Marcusb]

It shouldn't be too hard to do.
What you need to do is add channel numebr three a lot of times and then change the name on each one to matche the guide.

It may take a long time though. Is there no way to use A/V inputs instead? this is the way MP is really designed.

 

[kamrat]

Is there no way to use A/V inputs instead? this is the way MP is really designed.

This would also give you far superior picture quality compared to using the rf-signal from your reciever. Preferably you should use the s-video input of your tv-card.

 

[jeffp]

There is also a way you can make that change directly in the DB. There is a SQL tool included with MP that allows you to open the TV database and then you can easily change the source of all your channels to channel 3.

The tool is SQL Database Bowser and is located in \Mediaportal\docs directory.

Open the TV database with it, then goto Browse data and change the drop down to channel. Then change the iChannelNr column all to 3.

That should do it.

If anyone else can add anything that would be great incase my thinking is off on this.

 

[phr0stbyt3]

Thank you for the terrific responses. I could certainly use the s-video input, but how would I coordinate that with the guide? Do you program the recording times manually? I like the idea of clicking on the guide to schedule a block of time to be recorded.

 

[jeffp]

Are you wanting to use MP to handle the recordings? If so you are going to need to setup your PC so that it changes the channels on your Sat Box via MP. Otherwise MP has no way to change to the correct channel to record the show you want.

 

[phr0stbyt3]

I was going to use the satellite's "auto tune" feature to tune the channels at the time of the recordings and also set MP to start and stop the recording. Essentially I would be setting up each recording twice (once the auto tune on the satellite box and once on MP.

 

[jeffp]

Well unless I'm missing something if you have an actual STB for your Sat even using the Auto Tune feature isn't going to change the channels on your Sat Box. From the way I understand it the Auto Tune only works if the cable you recieve your service from goes directly into your capture card with no box in between.

 

[gdirwin]

Your satellite probably has hundreds of channels - it is painful to set this up manually and auto-tune will not work if your input comes in via S-video or on channel 3.

1) Setup XMLTV for the tv guide. if you are in the US/Canada, Zaptoit has channel listings for just about everything.
2) Import the channels into MP from the TV guide .xml file
3) See the following threads to edit the .dbl tv database file:
http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10330
http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10777

You will also need a USBUIRT to get MP to change the satellite channel via the TV guide or via your MP remote. You can always change the channel with your satellite remote but then MP will not show the correct channel display info and if you record, the show names will not be correct.

Finally, you will probably want support for LCN (logical channel numbering) which is not yet been added in MP - if you type 333 on your remote, you will not get channel 333 but instead will get the 333rd channel in your database (not good). A workaround is to add dummy/disabled channels to fill in the blanks (so channel 333 will be the 33rd channel) but this is a pain.

 

[phr0stbyt3]

Thank you for your patience guys; I will read the threads as suggested. To clarify, Jeffp, I meant the auto-tune feature of the set top box. For example I would bring the the STB built-in in menu (with the sat remote) and click on a program, the option then comes up for the STB to auto tune to that channel when the program starts. Then I would bring up the MP tvguide and click on the same program to set the show to record. MP would tune this channel to channel three (which is the only channel the tv card thinks it receives), and record at the appropriate time.

Maybe I am making my setup more complicated than it needs to be.