Sky TV on PC (1 Viewer)

[Ciruz]

Im just curious if i can receive sky channels (free to air) on my HTPC.

I have a sky satellite linked to an AV cable which goes into the back of my HTPC and gives me chan 1,2,3,4,5 but sometimes 5 goes down and i get the sky menu with channel listings and an error box saying they are having technical difficulties.

Does this mean i can get sky's free to air chans? Can i decode the rest of the channels with software?

Cheers

Mark


TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.2
MediaPortal Skin: Xface (Latest)
Windows Version: Windows XP Pro
CPU Type: Intel Pentium 3 1.0Ghz
HDD: Samsung HDLS 400Gb
Memory: 512 SDRAM
Motherboard: Intel OEM for Dell Dimension 4100
Motherboard Chipset: ntel 815 Chipset - Solano 82815
Motherboard Bios: N/A
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce 6200 DVI/HD/S-Video
Video Card Driver: Omega Nvidia Drivers
Sound Card: Creative SoundBlaster Live 64 PCI
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: WinTV 150
1. TV Card Type: Analog
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Aplus GL3C - Black
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Medion X10 Black / Silver
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:

 

[Ciruz]

Im guessing no one has a clue? lol

 

[strontium]

I have a pvr-150 mce card, is this the same as yours? It is linked using an s-video/av cable from my sky box, I have set it up so it can see any of the sky channels I am subscribed to.
I assume you have yours connected via the RF/coax?

 

[Ciruz]

yea i do but its not linked toa sky box its link to a dish. i was wondering if i could get sky through software decoding channels

Thanks for the reply

Mark

 

[Mew]

Mark

You can get Free To Air UK satellite channels in the UK using a DVB-S/S2 card. This attaches straight to the cable running from the LNB on the satellite dish. You can currently receive BBC1/2/3/4/HD/News24/Parliament, Cbeebies, CBBC, ITV1/2/2+1/3/3+1/4, CITV, Film4, Film4+1 and around 200 other FTA channels (mostly shopping etc). The advantage of this route in MediaPortal is that the signal is digital and MediaPortal is in control of the card for channel changing (and downloading of the EPG, although in the UK at present FTA EPG is now and next only).

Channel 4 and its other offspring (at least until spring 2008 when their encryption contract with BSkyB ends)) and Channel 5 are Free To View rather than Free To Air. This means that BSkyB encrypt them and you need a Sky Set Top Box some sort of BSkyB card to decrypt them. I believe someone did get a BSkyB card to work with a DVB-S card in MCE 2005 but it seemed a route fraught with issues and I am not sure that this has been done with MediaPortal. I also think the card has to be returned to a BSkyB box every 5-6 weeks to keep it active. I am not aware of any way of software decoding Free To View channels encrypted with BSkyB's Videoguard.

From you previous post I understand you are connecting the analogue feed out of a BSkyB Box into a PVR150. You should be able to record any of the channels that your BSkyB box (and card) can show. You will need to use some sort of IR blasters to allow MediaPortal to change the channel on the Sky box to the one you intend to record. The issue you seem to be having with Channel 5 from your discription sound like one with your BSkyB set-up rather than MediaPortal.

I used the first route of DVB-S/S2 until I moved and am currently using a sometimes flakey DVB-T signal now until my new dish arrives. I believe a number of people on the forums do successfully use the STB box to analogue card route.

I hope some of this might be of help.

Mew

 

[alc_aardvark]

I have this on my MP setup. I use a SkyStar-HD card (running technotrend 3200 driver) with CI module. The CI module takes a T-REX CAM (you will need to research how to program the CAM, but this is the crux of the deal). You then need to insert your valid sky card into the T-REX cam.

I have only just got it up and running due to no support from Technisat for the skystar-hd card, but initial pics look great.

I haven't tried the HD channels as yet, as I need an HD subscription.


What can't I do
===========
The sky+ will record the encypted stream to the hard-drive then decrypt the stream when viewing the program, hence the need for a single decrypter for simultaneous recording and viewing.

I cannot see that this is currently possible with MP. I would like it to be able to do the same i.e. record the encrypted stream, and then decrypt this either in the background or on the fly while viewing. I can then have an equal system to sky+ with a single (paid for) card. If anyone knows if this is possible, please respond.

Regards.