Adding an OTA HDTV Card to My "Analog" Setup

[ww4397]

Can channel names be changed? I tried but couldn't do it.

I have SD and HD channels of the same broadcasts, but in the TV Guide they both look the same since only the first four characters of the Channel Name are visable. For example:

7
WXYZ for SD

7
WXYZDT for HD (the "DT" part isn't visable in the TV Guide)

I don't want to select the SD channel when I want the HD channel (and visa versa).

[ktalley]

Does anyone have any clever ideas on how to do this (have both the analog and digital versions of a channel in the program guide)?

Since my OTA ATSC is very experimental at the moment, I'd like to be able to use my trusty analog for recordings, but still be able to select the HD flavor (of the channel) while I'm experimenting.

Thanks...
Kevin T.

[zed]

Set up two accounts on zap2it...one with only analogs, the other with only the digitals. In config, assign the analog account to the analog capture source and the digital account to the digital capture source. If you select the digital channel to record, it can use only the digital capture source (since it's the only one that knows about the digital channels)...likewise for the analog channels. The only problem with this is, as ww4397 pointed out, that it's difficult to tell in the guide which is which since it shows only the first four characters of the channel ID. In my guide it's pretty obvious from the way they occur in the guide. You also have to maintain two zap2it accounts.

At least this works for me...

[ktalley]

Well, that's actually what I tried (2 zap2it accounts). And now that I go back and scroll COMPLETELY thru the program guide, I *DO* see the digital channels. But it sure doesn't look like there's any rhyme or reason to the ordering!! For example, I would think that digital "5" would be near analog "5". Or the digital channels would be in a group, and the analog would be in a group. But they're scattered throughout!

Just how is the program guide sorted? (maybe this is a Sub question)

[sub]

Just how is the program guide sorted?

By channel number, as list in the main 'channels' tab of the config app.

[ktalley]

Ahhh, now I get it. Okay, that's great. I can make up a range of numbers that I don't use (i.e. 1000-1500) and put my digital channels there. They'll still show up in the program guide with the original "names" and "numbers", but at least they'll be grouped together (and I can figure it out). I'm assuming there's no way to go directly into the DB and changes these names, right? That would potentially mess up EPG updates (depending on what's used as the key...).

One final question on this, Sub. If I select the digital channel (i.e. 1005) vs the analog channel (i.e. 5) - even though they appear (in the guide) to be the same, just listed twice -- will the recording use the appropriate capture source? I would think so, but someone else asked about this and I didn't really understand the answer. I am bit "dense" sometimes...

Thanks! GBPVR is the best...
Kevin T.

[David]

I renumber all my digital channels following a simple pattern of 1ccs where the cc is the main channel number and the s is the subchannel. So I have a analog channel 28 and four digital channels numbered 1281, 1282, 1283 and 1284. I pad the channel number with a zero when it is single digit.

This system doesn't work perfectly using my mvp or the gb interface, but it provides enough separation that I can tell I am in the digital range when I see 4 channel 28's versus the singe 28 of the analog channels.

The correct recording source will be used since the channels are associated with the recording sources. Thus 1281 will be digital, while 28 will be analog.

[sub]

I'm assuming there's no way to go directly into the DB and changes these names, right? That would potentially mess up EPG updates (depending on what's used as the key...).

If you do this, it'll break at the next EPG update.

[zed]

For me they are grouped. I actually have three zap2it accounts, one for analog cable, one for OTA ATSC, and one for my old C band satellite, each of which has its own capture source(s). They appear in groups in the guide in that order so it's fairly easy to see which is which. I didn't do anything special that I know of to make it that way .

[bungle]

Sorry, no I wont be. I dont want the use to chose which capture source is used for a recording.

Can I ask why? I think I might end up ditching my Saber, since the quality isn't as good as the PVR-150 with analog cable. But if I didn't then I can see where prioritizing the tuners could be useful depending on the quality they provide.

Also, doesn't Zap2It allow multiple lineups under one account? This would eliminate having to manage multiple accounts, albeit at the cost of the work to support it.