Switching Analong Comcast to Digital HD Direct TV

[mhobbs]

So I made the switch from analog Comcast cable with no cable box (coax plugged directly into the TV) to digital Direct TV with HD and I have a box now.

The installer saw I had a splitter with one line going to my computer/GBPVR box and then one cable to the TV. He says that Direct TV will not work with the splitter and removed it. My Direct TV with HD is up and running fine although I had to switch to composite? from the HDMI cable because every time I switched channels when using HDMI, the audio would cut out... it would come back if I powered cycled the TV but I didn't wanna deal with that and dropped back to I think it was composite cables. Anyway, the sound is an issue I'll troubleshoot later and is not my issue for this thread.

My question is, how do I get my GBPVR box hooked up to direct TV? Has anyone made this switch? Also, now that I have HD, do I need to upgrade the TV capture board in my computer to an HD card? or can I still use the non-HD card and just not record in HD? Do I need two direct TV boxes and use one to connect to the computer and one for the TV? I know I can watch live TV through GBPVR but I would rather not do this and somehow split the signal.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[mikeh49]

Here's a stab at an answer from someone who hasn't actually done this.

First, if you want to watch one channel on the TV while recording another, you will need a second box. (The box acts as the "tuner".)

For capturing from the box - you most likely have 3 choices, in order of increasing quality:

Composite video - yellow RCA jack
S-video - multi-pin DIN jack

For both of these, you can use your PVR150 but you will also need stereo audio cables from the box to the PVR150.

or

To capture HD, you will need the Hauppauge HD-PVR which connects via component video (3 RCA jacks, red, blue, green) and either stereo audio or probably digital audio.

The PVR150 has an ir blaster than can most likely change channels on the DirectTV box. I think the HD-PVR does also.

If you want to use just one box, I don't know if more than one output is active at a time. For example, can you watch HD on your TV via HDMI or component, while also recording via S-video? Someone else here can help with that, I expect.

So, there's a start.

Also, just looked at your sig - your video card is probably not up to HD. You might be able to get it to work, I know I couldn't.

[markbb1]

My Direct TV with HD is up and running fine although I had to switch to composite? from the HDMI cable because every time I switched channels when using HDMI, the audio would cut out... it would come back if I powered cycled the TV but I didn't wanna deal with that and dropped back to I think it was composite cables.

If you are using COMPOSITE from the DirectTV set top box (yellow RCA analog video and red/white RCA analog audio), you are not getting digital to your TV. If you are referring to COMPONENT (red/green/blue, or RGB, for video, either red and white for analog audio or the digital audio for audio), then I don't know if there are RGB inputs on your capture card. Anyway, if you are using the yellow rca connector for video, you can capture that with your analog capture card with GBPVR. But you need to realize that the yellow RCA connector will never be digital, although your PC can record it as 480i digital.

My question is, how do I get my GBPVR box hooked up to direct TV?

The easiest way with an analog card is to connect either the yellow RCA composite video OR the black s-vhs connector from your set top box to a video input of your capture card and the left/white and right/red RCA analog audio outputs of your set top box to the corresponding inputs of your capture card.

Has anyone made this switch?

probably.

Also, now that I have HD, do I need to upgrade the TV capture board in my computer to an HD card?

only if you want an HD picture or HD recordings.

or can I still use the non-HD card and just not record in HD?

Yes, you can do that. Follow RCA or s-vhs connection instructions above.

Do I need two direct TV boxes and use one to connect to the computer and one for the TV?

DirectTV might charge an additional fee for a second set top box.

I know I can watch live TV through GBPVR but I would rather not do this and somehow split the signal.

While it is possible to split the analog composite video (yellow RCA) and the analog audio (white and red RCA), the signal strength to each device might be too low to work, or not. I don't know of a way to split s-vhs or component or HDMI.

[mhobbs]

Thank you for the suggestions! I will make an attempt to connect my GBPVR box to DirectTV this weekend. I'll report back what I find out.

Thank you again!