Need help setting up IRSS TV3-Baster (1 Viewer)

[fyiman]

My setup is this:

Gateway DX4300 computer (Windows 7 Home Premium x64 Media Center) with:
"Hybrid ATSC/QAM PCI-E AVS Video Capture (SoftEncoder)" TV Card (Mfg: YUAN TV DRIVER).
eHome-Infrared-Receiver-USBCIR [IR Dongle] (Mfg: Microsoft).
Gateway branded "Windows Remote" (with Green "Windows" button).
Comcast RNG-110-RF Cable box, with remote for cable box.


I have been using Windows Media Center (WMC) until now and I want to try using MediaPortal as a replacement.


The Comcast cable box is connected to the TV Card at the back of the computer with a standard RG-6 Coax cable. I assume this is using ATSC (Digital) signals (or perhaps Analog/NTSC ?).


If I plug this cable directly into my TV, I set my TV to Channel 3, and use my Comcast remote to change the channel. The TV is a newer TV (TV/PC Monitor, a little more than 3 years old).


If I plug this into my TV Card, this works the same way... WMC sends signals to the IR transceiver (positioned near the Comcast cable box) to change the channel.


I have successfully installed MediaPortal with the IRSS Plugin, and I have enabled "TV3 Blaster".


MPediaPortal has identified my TV Tuner card and shows these under "TV Servers":
1-Radio Web Stream Card
2-DVB-IP MediaPortal IPTV Source Filter
3-Analog CX23885/8 PCI-E Analog Tuner
4-ATSC CX23885/8 PCI-E BDA Tuner/Demod A
5-DVBC CX23885/8 PCI-E BDA Tuner/Demod QAM A


I assume I will be using #4-ATSC (but possibly #3-Analog) (or will MediaPortal figure this out?).


From here, I think I need to do these things, but I am confused on how to proceed...
1) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) to use the eHome-Infrared-Receiver-USBCIR [IR Dongle] to change channels on the Comcast cable box. (or will IRSS somehow figure this out?)
2) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) about my Comcast cable box (RNG-110-RF), so MediaPortal can send the correct IR codes to properly change channels on my cable box.
3) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) about my "Windows Remote" so IRSS/MediaPortal can read the IR signals from that remote. (or will IRSS somehow figure this out?)
4) Tell MediaPortal to set the channel on the TV Tuner Card to channel 3.
5) Tell MediaPortal about my Comcast cable subscription so MediaPortal can determine my channel lineup.


Beyond that, I'm sure there are other configurations necessary, but at least after this is done, I should probably be able to view live TV and switch channels.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome fyiman

The Comcast cable box is connected to the TV Card at the back of the computer with a standard RG-6 Coax cable. I assume this is using ATSC (Digital) signals (or perhaps Analog/NTSC ?).

It will be using analog.
This sort of connection will give you the lowest possible video/audio quality, and the most trouble with setup. Do you have any other connection options?

mm

 

[fyiman]

...lowest possible video/audio quality, and the most trouble with setup. Do you have any other connection options?

Thanks for the quick reply, and the warm welcome.

No, that's my only TV Tuner card, so I'm stuck with it like this for now. Considering that I'm watching on a 23-inch TV/PC monitor, I'm really OK with the video/audio quality.

I have been using this for a few years with Windows Media Center, and as far as the Hardware and Interfacing, it has beed fairly much plug-and-play, and problem free for the entire time. No long term or unresolved issues at all. (WMC has, and continues to have issues, but that has nothing to do with the hardware or interfacing.)

I had trouble when I posted this thread and the original post was missing a lot of my post. I edited my post to add back what was missing, so if you wouldn't mind, please re-read my original post.

 

[mm1352000]

No, that's my only TV Tuner card, so I'm stuck with it like this for now. Considering that I'm watching on a 23-inch TV/PC monitor, I'm really OK with the video/audio quality.

So to be clear: your tuner doesn't have a composite or s-video video input?

I have been using this for a few years with Windows Media Center, and as far as the Hardware and Interfacing, it has beed fairly much plug-and-play, and problem free for the entire time. No long term or unresolved issues at all. (WMC has, and continues to have issues, but that has nothing to do with the hardware or interfacing.)

MediaPortal should be much the same... if you can manage to get it setup. The biggest problems you're going to face are fundamentally due to the fact that MediaPortal's TV Server wasn't designed to support such setups and the fact that your tuner requires software encoders. To be really up front with you, WMC is much better equipped to support setups like yours. I say this so you know what you're getting yourself in for. This won't be a 10 minute setup and done. Plan in hours.

I assume I will be using #4-ATSC (but possibly #3-Analog) (or will MediaPortal figure this out?).

You would use #3.

From here, I think I need to do these things, but I am confused on how to proceed...

You're generally right. This info might help:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...s/IRSS_(IR_Server_Suite)/Set_Top_Box_Blasting

1) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) to use the eHome-Infrared-Receiver-USBCIR [IR Dongle] to change channels on the Comcast cable box. (or will IRSS somehow figure this out?)

You would have to configure IRSS (ie. tell it what kind of blaster you have). IRSS won't figure it out automatically.

2) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) about my Comcast cable box (RNG-110-RF), so MediaPortal can send the correct IR codes to properly change channels on my cable box.

Yes, you would have to tell IRSS.

3) Tell IRSS (or TV3-Blaster) about my "Windows Remote" so IRSS/MediaPortal can read the IR signals from that remote. (or will IRSS somehow figure this out?)

This probably should be handled in MediaPortal. Certainly nothing to do with TV Server or the TVE3 blaster plugin. Maybe IRSS can do it; not 100% sure.
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...iaPortal_Configuration/8_Remote/11_MCE_Remote

4) Tell MediaPortal to set the channel on the TV Tuner Card to channel 3.

Correct. This is potentially one of the most time consuming parts, due to the RF/coax connection. With MediaPortal's TV Server you don't just configure this in one place - you have to configure this on each channel. There are shortcuts which can speed this up, but fundamentally this will be more painful than you've probably come to expect from WMC.

5) Tell MediaPortal about my Comcast cable subscription so MediaPortal can determine my channel lineup.

As per the set top box blasting link above: this means you have to create your channels in TV Server.
You could do this manually as per the link... which would be incredibly time consuming (refer to instructions 3..8 below for some idea of how painful this would be - it is okay for one or two channels, but not more than a few...).
...or you could [at least partially] automate this by using the SchedulesDirect plugin:
http://code.google.com/p/mp-schedulesdirect/

You'd sign up for a trial, configure your lineup on the SD website, install the plugin, enter your account details, and the plugin would then be able to create your channels for you (with guide info). Unfortunately due to the fact that you're using RF/coax it won't be able to fully configure each channel correctly. That's why I said partially automate. It would be able to fully automate things if you use any other connection (composite, s-video etc.). There may be other options for updating all of the channels once they've been created. We can cross that bridge if you come to it.

If you want to proceed, if I were you the first thing I would do is this:

1. Open TV Server configuration.
2. Go to the "TV Channels" section.
3. Click "add" in the channels section.
4. Enter name "test".
5. Click "add".
6. Select "analog" and click OK.
7. Enter:
   • channel = 3
   • frequency = 61.25
   • input type = cable
   • country = United States
   • video source = Tuner
   • audio source = Tuner
8. Click OK and OK again.
9. Go to the "TV Mapping" subsection under "TV Channels".
10. Select the analog tuner up the top.
11. Select the test channel on the left.
12. Click ">>".
13. Close TV Server configuration and open MediaPortal Extension installer.
14. Ensure the LAV filters plugin/package is installed.
15. Close the MPEI and open MediaPortal configuration.
16. Go to the "Codecs and Renderer" section "TV Codecs" tab.
17. Select LAV video or LAV audio for all options except audio renderer where you should select the default directsound option.
18. Click OK to close MP configuration.
19. Open MediaPortal.
    
20. Go to the TV section.
21. Select the test channel and try to view it.

If step 21 succeeds and you can see the cable box stream you're in a good position to move forward and enter your lineup and configure blasting.

I suspect that step 21 will fail due to missing software encoders. For that, install the package from here:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...oder-based-tv-cards.90355/page-8#post-1052944

...and then try again. You may need to chop/change encoders (not all encoders are compatible with all tuners) - that can be done here:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...onfiguration/06_General#Software_Encoders_Tab

mm