Questions about Getting Started (1 Viewer)

[ahr8tch]

Hello All!

This forum looks like the place I need. I hope you can help me.

I want to use my laptop - HP core duo with 2GB RAM 500GB HDD 1.8GHz) running Windows XP-Pro SP3 - to 1) convert old VHS tapes to digital then burn CDs, and 2) connect to our TV cable signal converter outputs to record TV programs for later viewing. Perhaps this goal is inappropriate (cannot be accomplished) or I do not have the right equipment and software (I don't know what I'm doing - quite probably).

I know very little about this process and have been confused by the information I've found online. It seems that I need an education in the basics so that I can understand the variables at play and gain a working vocabulary. That's why I'm here.

As I understand it, all of the signal coming from a VCR is analog (and should be in the NTSC format?) and must be converted to digital to record audio and video on the HDD (though I don't know what formats should be used for the audio and video - will MP take care of this automatically or must I choose options?). Further, the PC needs software to take the converted signal and manage how the data is captured on the HDD. To accomplish these 2 steps (convert from analog and write digital on HDD), I have a Hauppauge HVR-1950 NTSC/ATSC/QAM device for converting the signal from analog (it even has a remote control). I also found MediaPortal and downloaded and installed it to manage the digital capture of signals from the Hauppage. I cannot be certain that MP is installed correctly or configured correctly.

My first effort has been to read and convert VHS video and audio data to digital and capture it on the PC. I have been unsuccessful. The VCR/DVD player is a Magnovox MWD 2206. It does not have DVD recording capability. It is connected from its Audio Out L/R and Video Out ports to the Hauppauge using a component cable with banana plugs (red for right audio, white for left audio, yellow for video). The Hauppauge is connected to the PC via a USB cable. All three components have their own power supply.

I have confirmed that the VCR will play the tapes by connecting the VCR to a TV set using regular shielded cable. That means that the VCR and the tapes are working. When I connect using the component video cable, I get no signal on the TV. It might be that there are menu options on the TV set to change to indicate a different signal input, but I don't know about this. Can anyone tell me? I need to rule out a defective component cable, I think.

When I connect the component cable from the VCR to the Hauppauge and the USB cable to the PC and start MediaPortal, I'm lost. I don't know what I should expect to see (if anything) or what I should expect to have to do (if anything) to know that the signals from the VCR are being processed by the hardware and by MP.

Let me say that I have tried to read the MP manual, but quickly discovered that I need to learn more to be able to understand and use it. Likewise, I read the manual for the Hauppauge. The latter does not reference using the device for VCR signal conversion, but I was told by a tech support rep that the device is designed to accomplish that as well as to convert signal from broadcast (OTA) or cable TV. I was told that there is no difference in connection or setup for the Hauppauge and that using the component cable instead of a shielded cable didn't matter. I am taking their word for it because I'm clueless.

So! I'm looking for help with two things: 1) pointers to tutorials or how-to's or wiki that will help me understand if my goals are valid and reasonable and what variables are at play and in which components they are managed; 2) specific guidance (drivers to use, software controls, environment management, process steps, etc) on how to proceed assuming that my hardware and software configuration ought to work. I'm only at the stage of trying to convert the media and capture it digitally. If I can accomplish that, I will then learn to edit, add captions, and burn to DVD (yes, my HP has an Optiarc DVD-RW drive).

TIA.

 

[alank]

When you use the coax shielded cable you have to tune the TV to channel 3 or 4 to watch, correct? If so, I would do the same for the Hauppauge. Attach the coax to the Hauppauge and then setup MP to have channel 3 or 4 mapped to the card. Then start playing the VCR. Then in MP go to TV and change to channel 3 or 4. You should see it playing. If successful, then start the recording. I know this is being vague but it's just to get you started in the right direction, hopefully.

 

[ahr8tch]

Thanks, alank!

It had occurred to me that I might need to set the frequency of the signal somehow on the PC, but I don't even know how to do something that simple. You mentioned mapping the card to channel 3. I assume you mean that the Hauppauge device needs to be set on channel 3 (I might be able to do that with the remote control). Can you point me to something that will tell me how to set MP to channel 3? When I load MP, all I see is a full screen without menus or navigation aids and no amount of right clicking or holding my mouth right will give me anything else.

Thanks again for the helpl

 

[alank]

Assuming you have installed MP with the single-seat TV option, try the following...
1. Start the TV Server Configuration utility.
2. Click on TV Channels.
3. Click the Add button.
......Name: 3
4. Click the Analog tab.
......Channel: 3
......Frequency: 0
......Video Source: Tuner
......Audio Source: Automatic
5. Expand TV Channels by clicking on the plus sign next to it.
6. Click on TV Mappings
7. Select your tuner card in the drop down.
8. Click on channel 3 and click the >> button to add it to that tuner card.
9. Click OK button to exit the configuration utility.
10. Now start MP.
11. Click on My TV.
12. Click TV On.
13. Push play on the VCR.
14. Click Record Now.

 

[ahr8tch]

Hi alank!

Thank you for your patience.

I became convinced that my installation was flawed. I uninstalled all components, read the manual (again), downloaded again, and installed again. Now, can get MP to load and I can even navigate some of the menus, but I can never seem to get out of the pages I land on except by ending the process in Task Manager. There are no options in the menus to return to the Home screen or up the directory chain. Nowhere in any of the menus did I find anything in MP that allowed me to set TV channels.

As for TV-Server, that app is not installed. I checked in the folders created during installation for a folder with the name "TV Server," without success. I then looked in CP/Add_Remove_Programs and could not find the app installed. Then I went to the MediaPortal website looking for a download so that I could install it, but cannot find one.

My guess is that I've still not installed it correctly. My procedure was to download everything first as suggested for creating a sub-directory that could be copied intact - without installing any components. I then went back to that sub-directory and went through the installation from there and chose to install a single seat configuration.

Further instruction will be much appreciated.


UPDATE *****************************

I revisited the installation process and discovered that TV-Server was NOT installed. So, I installed it - this time successfully. I then discovered that the hotfix was not installed; so I just installed that and rebooted. Now, I can load TV-Server and the configuration program. However, I still must install the Hauppauge device and see if the TV-Server is receiving any signals.

Again, thank you for the guidance. Without the prompting, I would have been wandering the wilderness, still.


UPDATE 2 **********************************************

Got the Hauppauge recognized by MP. Went through all the TV-Service Configuration options and the MP Configuration options. Not sure that I have it all right yet, but it looks promising