Need help on ATSC card selection (1 Viewer)

makafre

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January 5, 2010
22
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Canada Canada
Hi guys, so I have an OTA antenna and get some Canadian HD channels and I need to select the right ATSC card to perform these. I use MP since 5 years but it is my first attemp with OTA:

a) watch and record TV on the server
b) watch from another client

Questions;

- Do I need to get a card that records or is it MP that takes cards of that (software)? I saw some cards do records and have hardware encoders but not sure of the interaction with MP as some cards come with their own software. Also, can MP record even if the card doesn't??
- How many tuners do I need for this setup since I only have one antenna and coax as an input, or is it not possible? How MP manages 2 clients that dont listen to the same channel?
- So what are the features I should be looking for, and maybe some cards suggestions?

Thanks a mil!
 

mm1352000

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  • September 1, 2008
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    Hello :)

    - Do I need to get a card that records or is it MP that takes cards of that (software)?
    Yeah, it's a software thing. MediaPortal's TV Server takes care of it.

    I saw some cards do records and have hardware encoders but not sure of the interaction with MP as some cards come with their own software.
    My guess (from your reference to "encoders") is that you've been reading about analog tuners. Encoders are not applicable for OTA ATSC because the signal is already digital, and therefore encoders are not required.
    Regarding other software: MediaPortal is a replacement for (or alternative to) that software.

    Also, can MP record even if the card doesn't??
    With the greatest respect, this question doesn't make sense. PC tuners themselves (the hardware) never record. They simply receive a signal from an antenna, satellite dish or cable feed and convert it into a stream that the PC can show, record, timeshift etc. with software.

    - How many tuners do I need for this setup since I only have one antenna and coax as an input, or is it not possible?
    It's definitely possible. Easy even. :)
    The answer to your question completely depends on how many channels you want to view or record simultaneously.

    All tuners should be connected to the server.

    If necessary, you can buy a splitter (quite cheap) to share the coax feed from your antenna to each tuner. That way you only need one antenna, even if you get 10 tuners.

    The rule is: one tuner per unique channel viewed/recorded simultaneously.

    For example, you might want to be able to view different channels on the server and the client at the same time as you record a third channel on the server. At most that would require 3 tuners.
    If you want to be able to view a show on 1 channel and you have a spouse and/or children that like to record 3 other shows on other channels all at the same time on a particular evening then you might need 4 tuners.
    You only need 1 tuner to view the same channel on the client and server at the same time.

    Actually, if you get X tuners you'll always be able to view or record at least X different channels. Sometimes you may be able to view or record more than X channels. That's because MediaPortal is smart, and is able to use a single tuner to record all channels that are broadcast on the same frequency.

    How MP manages 2 clients that dont listen to the same channel?
    As long as you have at least 2 tuners, it will just work. This is not something you need to worry about. :)

    - So what are the features I should be looking for, and maybe some cards suggestions?
    Any ATSC tuner(s) that are compatible with Windows should be fine.
    It doesn't matter if they're PCI, PCI-express, USB or network-attached - you can choose whichever you prefer.
    All ATSC tuners support HD, so don't worry about that either.
     

    makafre

    Portal Member
    January 5, 2010
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    1
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    Thanks a lot for these great explanations.

    The only other thing that came to my mind is the remote control; some cards come with remotes and I am wondering if we can use them with MP (will they simply emulate a MCE remote) or if will they directly change channels on the card tuners (IR?) and I am therefore not sure of what would be the effect of this when using MP?
     

    mm1352000

    Retired Team Member
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  • September 1, 2008
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    Hello again

    Thanks a lot for these great explanations.
    You're welcome, and I'm happy to have been able to help. :)

    The only other thing that came to my mind is the remote control; some cards come with remotes and I am wondering if we can use them with MP
    Yes, some will work with MP (and some will not). For example, MP supports most (all?) remote controls that come with Hauppauge tuners.

    Having said that, to be honest I think many (most?) people find the tuner remote controls inadequate and end up buying a flasher remote (eg. MCE-compatible, Harmony etc.) anyway. A major reason for this is that most tuner remote are not able to wake a PC from sleep/standby/hibernation (meaning you'd have to leave the PC on all the time => high power consumption => costly).

    If I were you I wouldn't be looking for a tuner that comes with a remote that works with MP. Better to just get a tuner that suits your needs (PCIe, USB etc.). If the remote works with MP and meets your needs then it's a bonus; if not, no big deal and you can just buy a more suitable one.

    will they simply emulate a MCE remote
    No, most (90+%) do not.

    or if will they directly change channels on the card tuners (IR?) and I am therefore not sure of what would be the effect of this when using MP?
    No, they won't directly change channels on the card's tuners. If supported, they'd work with MP like a regular TV or set top box. This is not something you need to worry about. :)

    Regards,
    mm
     

    makafre

    Portal Member
    January 5, 2010
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    Great! :)

    So I ended up ordering the Hauppauge 2255 OEM as it seems to be very well supported by MP and for the fact that the accessories are not relevant.
    My other choice would have been a TBS card.

    You actually saved me hours of googling! thank you!
     

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