Use a satellite/cable box with the PVR

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Version Status Date Updated Updated By
710 Unknown N/A N/A
810 Unknown N/A N/A
1004 Unknown N/A N/A
1204 Unknown N/A N/A
1404 Unknown N/A N/A
Usage Information

How to set it up

Using the Media Player Wizard

As of version 704 this is the easiest method to get your PVR Capture card and STB working together.

Start the Media Player Wizard from the orbiter by selecting Setup Wizard from the Advanced Menu. If your setup is correct, you will see and hear a woman giving you instructions. Select the Media Player Wizard and follow the on screen commands.

Installing PVR Capture Card

If you have one the Hauppauge TV Cards ( PVR150, PVR250, PVR500, and PVR-USB2), LinuxMCE automatically sees them and installs the necessary drivers and software packages and makes them available for use. The only piece the user needs to know is what input port will the STB be attached: S-Video Port, Component Port, or Tuner Port.

Installing Satellite/Cable Box

Installation of additional AV Equipment is accomplished via the AV Device. A more detailed description of how to add a piece of AV Equipment can be found HERE.

Connecting PVR Capture Card to Sat/Cable Box

After adding the Satellite/Cable Box, you must now select the input from the PVR to be associated with this newly installed STB. Highlight the correct port and select appropriate inputs. A more detailed description of how to interconnect pieces of AV Equipment can be found HERE.

Associating a Media Provider

This short section requires expansion


Using LinuxMCE Admin Website

Note: version 704 does not show PVR Capture Cards under AV Equipment, so the following does not apply In LinuxMCE admin choose wizard, devices, AV equipment. You'll see that the PVR capture card within the media director is listed just like any other AV device. Add the satellite or cable box to this page and edit the audio/video pipes. Specify that the audio and video are going to the PVR capture card, and select the input on the PVR capture card. Now whenever you are watching video on that input using the PVR software, LinuxMCE knows to send any channel change commands to the cable or satellite box.

If you choose the "use connection Wizard" link, you'll see that you're able to specify a "live" audio and video path. If the PVR software correctly fires live and online events, then LinuxMCE will automatically select the correct input on your AV equipment. For example most satellite boxes have multiple audio and video outlets. Hook one set of audio/video outputs directly into your TV and receiver, and in the connection Wizard indicate this as a live pipe from the satellite box to the TV and receiver. Hook another set of audio/video outputs into the media director's PVR capture card, and specify this connection as the normal audio/video pipe. Now while you're watching live TV, you'll see the signal going directly to the TV, however the media director is still recording the video that has been output to the PVR capture card. When you hit deposit button, or rewind button, or otherwise you are recorded video clip, then LinuxMCE will switch the inputs on the TV so that you're watching the video from the media director. The advantage to this approach, is that like with all PVR's, you lose quality when the video is re-encoded to the capture card. This is the same whether you use a PC-based PVR or a standalone PVR. So normally when you're using a PVR, although it is very convenient, the picture quality is not as good as it otherwise would be. With this solution you will always see the best possible picture quality. If you're watching live TV you will see the video live, including in high definition if you have a high definition TV. Only when you switch to time lapse or prerecorded video do you see the encoded video from the PVR capture card.

How to use it

It's completely automatic and transparent.

Programmer's guide

Important Scripts

TuneToChannel.sh

  • located in /usr/pluto/bin
  • used in MythTV as external channel changing script
  • Format
 /usr/bin/pluto/TuneToChannel.sh [device id] [video source id]
  • Script used to pass the following message
/usr/pluto/bin/MessageSend dcerouter 0 254 1 187 68 121 39 18544

   dcerouter server
   0 DeviceFrom
   254 DeviceTo (DCT2200 Cable Box)
   1 MsgType: Command
   187 Command "Tune To Channel"
   The rest are MsgID blocks which require [parmid paramvalue]
   parmid 68 (Channel Number): paramvalue 121
   parmid 39(XMLTV ID): paramvalue 18544
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