Uk Sky TV on MediaPortal RC1 (1 Viewer)

[JDWestoby]

The most recent threads on UK Sky TV have been about using the analogue inut and generally how to make it happen - but that was over a year ago. Things have moved on....


Thank you KustomPCs for the 'Sky on MCE' article (derived from forums itself I believe). At the end of the article it mentions the use of MediaPortal.

This prompted me to think again about replacing my wonderful but ageing TiVo. I'd currently looked at most of the Windows and Linux alternatives but overall didn't feel they were worth the effort. Especially with the upcoming HD channels (none of which I want, so - WHY am I doing this???)


Well folks it is here (and much better than MCE, for a start the card runs as a satellite card not terrestrial so it runs sensibly). While still a bit of an effort it isn't beyond the whit of mortal man.

I have NOT put this together using my massive brain but have just followed several threads in the forums, read, re-read (re-re-re-read), watched the vidoes, sat and thunk, and followed where others have led.

For info MediaPortal is SO GOOD that after downloading it I actually donated money to it within a day of a somewhat bedeviled (pre-RC1) install too.

(It would be nice if you could download the entire install/instruction manual and read/print it out as a PDF or some such. But that's just me being picky again.)


I'd like to put this together into a better 'how-to' but mainly it is following the existing manual pages [very, very precisely] and just 'knowing' that at the end it will work.


Howto UK Sky on MediaPortal
=====================

This is for a standalone, single-seat install. SHould be easily adpatable to multi-seat as WebEPG/TVServer already work with this (seriously, I am SO impressed).

Caveats -
1) UK Sky card needing to be put into a (satellite) connected Sky box every so often as mentioned on KustomPCs guide to keep it alive

2) Should probably work with other satellite cads that can take a CAM but I used the FloppyDTV-S2 card from KustomPCs.

3) You need to install the TV card drivers - use the BDA ones.

4) Use a Dragon CAM and blow the Predator firmware and set the Sky box serial number as per the 'Sky on MCE' instructions on KustomPCs UK website. Programmer is expensive but can be used to program cards if you're into that sort of thing (there is a CAS 3 too).

5) Haven't changed most of the default paths (for this area, mainly just the Recordings directory - on a per card basis!). If you do, you may need to ensure that they are consistent across the various configurations. (Heck, I can't change where TiVo hides things so why should I care!)

6) You will do a lot of reading before you feel you [sort of] understand what is happening. Don't worry and don't hurry. I started this on Saturday and still haven't finished yet!



Download MediaPortal RC1 (which includes TVServer).

Install the Requirements for MediaPortal and TVServer, (See the manual pages, read them repeatedly and then follow them like a baby duck and it should be OK).

Following the instructions in the online manual, install MediaPortal and TVServer.

(I found it easier as I'd previously installed an earlier version so was slightly familiar with the ideas.)

(If using multiple cards take note of the replacement for Psusdecd.dll in the TVServer installation. With a Nebula DigiTV FreeView card, I fell foul of this and asked a question [in the wrong place] in the forums - I was told off but NOT flamed. VERY nice people on the forums.)

The new installer is a breeze too!


Insert the CAM and your viewing card and using TVServer configuration set up the TV card(s) so they can see the channels.

Enable/disable/combine/delete as you desire. Again read the relevant TVServer pages. (Stupidly I combined the channels for Freeview and Sky and when I took the Sky card out I couldn't tune to the FreeView channel - ho hum...)


Now in MediaPortal configuration, enable WebEPG and follow the install instructions online (these took some finding - do a search on the website for WebEPG). While you are here configure WebEPG to download automatically.

Outside of MediaPortal/TVServer this now requires firing up the WebEPG config program and (manually - sob!) setting up channels. When you've finished download the channel listings. (Note the comment about looking at the filename to see when it has finished).

Being XML you can open this in notepad or something and see what it looks like!

So you now have an XML file that has the information you need...Now the thing that isn't so obvious is that you have to enable the XMLTV plugin in MediaPortal. Open TVServer configuration, go to Plugins at the bottom and scroll down to XMLTV, tick it right click and enable it. There are other settings again check the online pages (search for XMLTV) and especially note that unless you have a tvguide.lst file this box should NOT be checked. (I fell over this one too.)

Go to the Mappings and press the Load/Refresh and you should see the channels come up. Ignore everything else, especially the Remote tab as WebEPG has responsibility for downloading now.


Now fire up MediaPortal and when in TV the guide should be populated with channel information. I assume it takes a while because mine didn't come up instantly the first time (and I only did a few channels).

You can now schedule recordings (even when MediaPortal is off as TVServer runs as a service!) and do all the other incredibly clever stuff that this development allows.

End.


MediaPortal is a truly awe inspiring project and I am now seriously looking to replace my TiVo with this.

I really, really want to express my sincere amazement at how good this is, how configurable, how expadable, how clever (multi seat/multi server!), how much thought and functionality and just how much I think people should donate just a little bit of time/money/work to keep this alive. (as well as donating I'm working on a plugin - which will of course be free.)

If only I could work out how to get Season Passes/Series Links (TiVo/Sky trademarked terms acknowledged). And as interesting as they are (and sometimes work well), I can live without TiVo suggestions if I have to.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Nice guide

Can i be a bit pickey, Team MediaPortal have decided TVE3\TV engine to be to confusing, so it will always be referred to as TVServer, so if you do not mind editing to reflect this, we are having to do this ourselves, hopefully will stop any confusion.

Thanks

 

[iosub]

Hi
Do you know if I can use DIABLO as a cam for the Sky smartcard?

Thanks!

 

[JDWestoby]

Truth be told I followed the KustomPCs way of doing things.

I >think< the Diablo is similar but even the Dragon CAM needed new firmware (hence an expensive reporgram job) so it >may< be possible.

It's been a while since I fidldled with CAMs extensively, so I don't know how these two differ - sorry.

(The Dragon CAM is >>ONLY<< [ha, ha - hollow laugh] around £50 so when you consider the other things it requires it's not a major cost.

But do note that you STILL need the Sky box to put the card back in every so often (and you apparently can't get Box Office movies - how far is your local BlockBuster...?).

Hope this helps.

 

[iosub]

Thanks! I will try tomorrow

 

[JimmyBoy]

This is ALMOST a perfect solution, the only little niggle is the fact of having to place the card in the original box every so often - I would forever be wondering "have I left it in long enough", "should I of put it in earlier" etc.. etc...

This is in no way a criticism, I am just thinking out aloud. Is there any known work around for being able to simulate the callback (or whatever you would call it) that the original sky box does to keep the card alive ?, the only other way I could think of doing it (which I dont think is possible) would be by being able to copy your card so you could have one card in the HTPC permenantly and one in the skybox permenenantly.

Is there any way of being able to get the CAS pre-programmed with the appropriate firmware to aviod having to buy the programmer which would only be used the once, and would then not be of any real use.

Thanks.

 

[jimbo19]

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong cant seem to decode encrypted sky chans , but cam works fine and decrypts in firedtv viewer ?

Well down to one tuner and its now decrypting fine ..... apart from HD encrypted channels ?? any ideas guys
Also after a few channel changes etc and flicking between radio tv etc , I find that mediaportal client hangs , can't even ctrl alt del out , have to restart pc
I was hoping to replace mce with this , but at moment this build RC1 just seems to have too many issues.
Are you guys using RC1 or an svn build ?

 

[Willith]

I currently use a T-Rex CAM and sky card with a Fire-DTV S2 card. And it works flawlessly with TVServer. It is a far better solution to using analogue inputs from a Sky STB.

Of course only issue is keeping the card alive. Not too bad that it happens once every 2 months or so and it only needs 24 hours in the Sky STB. though i've heard the Dreambox is able to keep a Sky card alive. I wonder if its a software or hardware issue.

In addition, i also get Channel 4 HD which is encrypted in NDS. So the CAM is also fulfilling its part. However i am not subscribed to Sky HD so cannot test the Sky HD channels.

 

[jimbo19]

Willith - are you using rc1 or an svn version ?
I am using the same cam , I know about keeping card alive have had to phone sky twice in last 4 months to reactivate it in an stb

 

[Willith]

Hi
You should not have to phone sky. The 'Keep Alive' signal is sent every so often only to cards with valid subscriptions. This is how they filter out unauthorized cards (i.e. people who have unsubscribed).