How to stop MP from changing 'internal' channels (1 Viewer)

martyyn

Portal Pro
November 5, 2005
99
0
Wellington, New Zealand
I have MPETuneCmd working with my blasters changing the channels on my STB but even though I have the channesl set to external through CVBS#1 it still changes the channel when I select a channel in the EPG.

Not a very good description so Ill try again.

When I press the channel I want in the EPG, MPETuneCMD fires the appropriate numbers to my STB which then changes channel.

However MP also changes its channel from my 'fixed' external STB to a channel that gives me no tv picture at all.

I have the channels set to external with the correct channel numbers but I need MP to not change from the fixed channel its tuned to (channel 332 in this case).

Am I missing something very simple here ?

Cheers
Martyn
 

martyyn

Portal Pro
November 5, 2005
99
0
Wellington, New Zealand
I take it no-one has a clue as to what Im talking about.

Having had a think about it, does having my STB connected via its coax cable to my capture card give MP the impression that there are multiple channels available rather than just the one.

What Im thinking is to connect my STB using s-video (assuming my STB has one) in the hope that MP will only think it has one input (being the Svideo and will not then try and change its internal channel.

Any thoughts, from anyone ?

Ive read so many threads talking about MPExCmd that just end with people not being able to get it to work. Now Im this close I cant give up and would be more than willing to write something up on how to get it to work, if I can just get this sorted.

Surely there is someone out there who has an idea about what Im trying to do.
 

wewe

Portal Pro
August 3, 2005
362
0
63
Herxheim
Home Country
Germany Germany
hi Martyyn,

I must say that I do not undertsand your problem. Probably because I do not know what "MPETuneCMD" or "MPExCMD" is.

I am using an external STB and Hauppauge's IR Blaster. The signal I am routing to the MP PC via S-Video. This works very good.

MP fires the switch command to the STB and then changes to the appropriate channel I have set for this "S-Video input channel". Here every external channel has it's appropriate MP channel (1 : 1).

There's only one problem with the latest CVSes that makes a problem to switch to and back from STB when timeshift is on.

thanks+regards
WeWe
 

martyyn

Portal Pro
November 5, 2005
99
0
Wellington, New Zealand
Hi WeWe,

Thanks for the reply Ill try and explain what Im up to again in the hope that thinking this reply through will lead to a solution.

I currently using the plugin called MPExTuneCmd which allows me to call an exe file when I want to change the channel.

I have it call HipSend which in turns fires off the appropriate command via my MCE remote blasters to my STB.

This all works perfectly, I can choose the channel manually and change the channel from the EPG by just selecting which program I want to watch.

The issue that I have is that MP also changes (what I can only assum) is its internal channel. I have no idea what the correct terminology is so Im guessing here.

My STB is linked via coax at the moment and Im wondering whether MP thinks that there is multiple channels on this and therefore tries to change its internal channel which of course I dont need it to because its all on my STB.

Ive used a similar setup in GBPVR and it was so simple and quick to set up its not funny.

Would connecting via s-video mean that MP would not try to change channels ?

I tried pretty much every combination I can think of in the config with having the channels set to external with the appropriate channel numbers, and have also checked the 'digital' box thinking that MP wouldnt try and change its channel with no success.

This really would be the icing on the cake for me to be able to do this and some serious WAF points are at stake.

I would be eternally gratefull if anyone has any suggestions for me.

Cheers
Martyn
 

wewe

Portal Pro
August 3, 2005
362
0
63
Herxheim
Home Country
Germany Germany
one "external" channel is linked to one "internal" channel.

You should create one MP channel for every external channel. In the properties of this channels you always take the same input. So if you have 5 channels on your STB that you want to tune in create 5 channels in MP.

thanks+regards
WeWe
 

martyyn

Portal Pro
November 5, 2005
99
0
Wellington, New Zealand
Thats exactly what Ive done, I have a channel in MP for each channel on my STB.

I think the issue is that my STB outputs on only one channel, it doesnt have seperate frequencies for each channel it has.

Im assuming the digital FTA STB's in Europe have multiple frequencies through their connection to the capture card, whereas being cable which is encoded in NZ I have only the one frequency out of my STB.
Ive tried checking the 'my input is digital' box on the channel setup but still no joy.

I cant be the only person in the world using MP that has a single input with multiple channels on it.

Wewe I thank you for your help, but Im still struggling to believe out of 220 views you are the only person who knows what Im trying to do :cry:
 

Marcusb

Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • February 16, 2005
    1,995
    29
    Melbourne
    You're on the right track, I guess the problem is that you are using the RF output on your STB. This means that MP is seeing it as an internal channel, as it has to tune it in, rather than using a direct video input.

    I think the S-Video cable would be your best solution and would probably give a better picture than RF anyway.
    The other option would be to keep RF and tell MP the freq for each channel, so that when MP changes the channels it still changes, but since the freq is the same it "changes" to the same channel. Hope this makes sense :)

    PS, this is all guess work as I don't use a STB, but it makes sense theoretically...
     

    martyyn

    Portal Pro
    November 5, 2005
    99
    0
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Marcusb said:
    You're on the right track, I guess the problem is that you are using the RF output on your STB. This means that MP is seeing it as an internal channel, as it has to tune it in, rather than using a direct video input.

    That is just what I was thinking and was looking for some confirmation I guess.

    I think the S-Video cable would be your best solution and would probably give a better picture than RF anyway.
    The other option would be to keep RF and tell MP the freq for each channel, so that when MP changes the channels it still changes, but since the freq is the same it "changes" to the same channel. Hope this makes sense :)

    I sort of know what your suggesting here, but wonder how I could find the frequencies of the channels on a TelstraClear STB. Ive tried setting all the channels to 332 which is the channel it finds my cable on when I do the autotune but that didnt work either.

    PS, this is all guess work as I don't use a STB, but it makes sense theoretically...

    Theory is what Ive been going on so far....I was hoping by putting the question on here that I would find someone who had practice of it :D

    I had a quick look last night at the back of the STB. Unfortunately WAF is very low at this point (have had trouble with BSOD's all the time, which I may have pinpointed to heat) so Ive not had any time the last couple of days to play.

    Anyway, STB doesnt have svideo only composite (I think - yellow hole ?!?) so Im going to try hooking that into my PVR500-MCE and see if MP then thinks it only has one input.
     

    Marcusb

    Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • February 16, 2005
    1,995
    29
    Melbourne
    If you want to keep the RF configuration that you currently have, you don't need to know the frequencies of all the channels, as the STB outputs all the channels on a single frequency (the one that the TV or MP tunes into). Since the channel changing part works fine as it is, what you will need to do is configure a channel in MP for every channel you wish to recieve. Make it an analog channel with the correct channel number that you are using (ie, make STB Channel 009 = 009 on MP too). When it comes time to set the analog freq, use the same freq for every channel, since they are all comin gfrom the STB anyway. This way, MP will think it is changing the channels when you select them from the guide, but in reality it is changing to the same channel and the STB is doing all the work.

    This is by no means the best way of doing it. I would still suggest using the external input method with the RCA cable. This should still give you better quality than the RF method that you are using at the moment.

    In order of quality, from least to best it goes:

    RF
    RCA
    SVideo
    Component
    HDMI/DVI

    Hope this helps

    In regards to the BSOD, use Motherboard monitor (MBM). it can monitor the temperatures and act accordingly. The bonus is that the MyStatus plugin can read its output so you can get the info in MP as well, along with a history of highs and lows.
     

    martyyn

    Portal Pro
    November 5, 2005
    99
    0
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Hi Marcus,

    Yep have been chatting with a few mates over lunch-time who agree that the best solution is to ditch the RF and go for the only other option I have on the STB which is a yellow composite.

    Im pretty sure I have a composite cable at home so will plug that into the card tonight and see how I go.

    Regarding MBM, yep I have that and also have myStatus going. The thing is I have (or rather would like) my shuttle to be inside the tv cabinet we have (which is solid wood). As you would expect it gets warm in there, but my normal 'operating' temp is around 53 outside of the cabinet and around 63 inside !

    What Ive noticed when having it outside is that I have no BSOD's but have noticed 'spikes' where it will jump to 10 degrees for 3 or 4 seconds then return to normal. Im wondering if when its in the cabinet that these spikes are too high and before the fan cuts in or anything it BSOD's

    I have taken the back of the cabinet and the case off the shuttle so will put it back in and see how it goes and look at more cooling methods too.

    Thanks for the STB help Marcus, youve been an excellent sounding board and confirmed Im on the right track :lol:
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Top Bottom