Moving from Tivo to mediaportal, maybe ! (1 Viewer)

[matbor]

Hi all, new to MediaPortal, I have always had a TIVO Series One (As I'm based in Aus, Goggle OzTivo if u want too know more), awesome machine, easy to use, but I want a bit more functionality, so I have a few questions regarding MediaPortal and hardware setup etc, the AUSSIE guys might need to help me on this

1. Does mediaportal allow you to watch LiveTV ? and does it cache it so u can fast-forward and review shows !! If it doesn't any time line !!!

2. I want two capture cards, the first card to record either from the Foxtel STB (The digital one) or FTA (Doesn't worry me if it is in digital or not). The other card I want too watch FTA on or to record the FTA channel if the other card is recording something else, obviously I can only record one foxtel channel at a time as I only have one foxtel STB at the moment

3. Was thinking that I might put my mediaportal machine and foxtel STB in another room and have my XBox as the frontend, I assume that the Xbox (with modchip and XBMC already loaded) will only play recorded shows and also only allow u to set recordings ? So no livetv on the Xbox !!!

4. Does mediaportal allow u to have season passes on certain shows, i.e u set it to record anything that starts with "Supernatural" ??

5. Does mediaportal have anything like tivo's ability to predict what you might like to watch and record it if u aren't using the system ??

6. How does mediaportal change the channel on the foxtel STB, what program / hardware do u need to use to do this ??

7. What is the limit on the number of capture/turner cards ?? I assume it is just the number of PCI slots !!

Thanks
Matt.

 

[mdolan]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to Media Portal! I'm also a Tivo user (UK) and I'm currently learning more about Media Portal with an eye to using in the future.

I'll answer some of the questions based on my experience. Hopefully others can help fill in the blanks.

1. Does mediaportal allow you to watch LiveTV ? and does it cache it so u can fast-forward and review shows !! If it doesn't any time line !!!

Yes it does. It has timeshifting support so you can rewind through live tv.

2. I want two capture cards, the first card to record either from the Foxtel STB (The digital one) or FTA (Doesn't worry me if it is in digital or not). The other card I want too watch FTA on or to record the FTA channel if the other card is recording something else, obviously I can only record one foxtel channel at a time as I only have one foxtel STB at the moment

Media Portal supports multiple capture cards - you can designate if they are for watching TV and/or recording.

3. Was thinking that I might put my mediaportal machine and foxtel STB in another room and have my XBox as the frontend, I assume that the Xbox (with modchip and XBMC already loaded) will only play recorded shows and also only allow u to set recordings ? So no livetv on the Xbox !!!

Fraid I know nothing about XBox/XBMC setups - hopefully someone else can help.

4. Does mediaportal allow u to have season passes on certain shows, i.e u set it to record anything that starts with "Supernatural" ??

Not sure - I'm just getting to some of the TV stuff myself, but I *think* it can.

5. Does mediaportal have anything like tivo's ability to predict what you might like to watch and record it if u aren't using the system ??

Not sure...

6. How does mediaportal change the channel on the foxtel STB, what program / hardware do u need to use to do this ??

I use an MCE remote control/blaster setup. There are other IR blaster setups inside Media Portal

7. What is the limit on the number of capture/turner cards ?? I assume it is just the number of PCI slots !!

I think the answer is - "PCI+USB+WhateverOtherMethodYouCanAttach"
:lol:

Hope that helps!

Mike

 

[mzemina]

4. Does mediaportal allow u to have season passes on certain shows, i.e u set it to record anything that starts with "Supernatural" ??

5. Does mediaportal have anything like tivo's ability to predict what you might like to watch and record it if u aren't using the system ??

If you go to this thread you will find a developer working on a new plugin (Personal TV Guide) that should provide some of the functions as #4 & #5. If it isn't like you (and others) believe the function can best serve you then ask the developer in that other thread to add these functions/features.

Mike

 

[matbor]

Cool thanks guys.

So to use mediaportal, u really need a LCD or Paslma TV otherwise the menus want look that fantastic ??

Matt.

 

[Teebor]

The menus look fine on my trusty 28 inch widescreen philips CRT tv.

Once you get the display res correct then its all good. But windows will not look the best, but then again you want to use media portal not windows anyway

Oh and in answer to your question about how many tv cards, Seven is the most that Media Portal has successfully run. Beats MCE's stock two

If you bring up a program like supernatural it will find any more occurances of supernatural and list them as options to record in the future.

Question 5) I dont think so, unless someone writes a plugin for it to do that in the future maybe.

 

[mzemina]

I guess the only thing that you left off was menuing/skin that looks like Tivo - Once we get an artist/skinner that has a bug to create that theme... You will be set!

Mike

 

[matbor]

Will find a spare machine to install it on this weekend and have a play.

Thanks.

 

[matbor]

Alright, had a quick play on the weekend and it seems pretty good... only installed it on the laptop so and got it going and also the TV guide too, so want to install it on a machine and also get the tv turner card going this weekend.

So....

Does anyone know where I can get a USB-UIRT from in Australia ?? or does someone recommend a different product that is similar, i.e send and recieve IR siginals !! (Thinking of using the Old Tivo remote at this stage and I think this usb receiver/sender will do the job)

Want to order it today so I get it before the long weekend

Matt.

 

[Callifo]

The MCE2005 remote can send (via blaster) / receive fine. Very common here in Australia too and only $60

 

[matbor]

The MCE2005 remote can send (via blaster) / receive fine. Very common here in Australia too and only $60

Cool, does that only work with the MCE2005 remote ?? not any other ??