Can I watch one cable TV channel and record another?

[Reddwarf]

It is absolutly possible to run multiple dvb-c capture cards with gbpvr, however the hvr-2200 is a hybrid dvb-t card so you need another card. Unfortunately there is no dual tuner dvb-c cards on the market (yet), but gbpcr's multi-record capability can work with encrypted channels also with some effort. The drawback is that you will have to record the shows encrypted and decrypt them in the post-processing or manually later. But if you have free slots on your motherboard you can install as many dvb-c cards you have room for.

Now, I guess most CAM's support irdeto2, most softcam's do if you want to go for the cardreader/softcam solution. Feel free to ask if you have more spesific wuestions, and I'll try my best to answer.

[OrakelJos]

It is absolutly possible to run multiple dvb-c capture cards with gbpvr, however the hvr-2200 is a hybrid dvb-t card so you need another card. Unfortunately there is no dual tuner dvb-c cards on the market (yet), but gbpcr's multi-record capability can work with encrypted channels also with some effort. The drawback is that you will have to record the shows encrypted and decrypt them in the post-processing or manually later. But if you have free slots on your motherboard you can install as many dvb-c cards you have room for.

Now, I guess most CAM's support irdeto2, most softcam's do if you want to go for the cardreader/softcam solution. Feel free to ask if you have more spesific wuestions, and I'll try my best to answer.

I realise that I can't use my HVR2200's anymore so that is no problem. I am utilising a full ATX motherboard so slots to spare. I want to record a max of 3 shows. I don't mind to invest in three separate dvb-c cards.
Is it possible to record and decrypt on the fly because we are often using a recording for pure time shifting and skipping the commercials.
Does it make any difference for GBPVR if I am using CI/CAM or softcam and does that anything to do with the fact if a show will be recorded encrypted or not? As you might have guessed I prefer to record shows decrypted.
I understood that Sub is also using dvb-c with irdeto. Perhaps he can also shine some light on this.

[sub]

I'm only using a single DVB-C tuner (alongside a DVB-S and DVB-T tuner) in my HTPC, so I dont have some of the issues Reddwarf is referring to.

Be aware of:
- The multi-record feature allows a user to record multiple channels from a single tuner card, but both physical cams and softcams can only decrypt the first of these, so you pretty much have to leave multi-record disabled if you're using encrypted channels unless you intend to decrypt them later.
- Multiple tuner cards each with physical cam and smart card should work, I havnt tried it though. Softcams will ususally not work in this scenario as they're often designed to only support a single instance (using global variables etc).

[Reddwarf]

If you want to avoid offline-decrypting the best choice is separate capture cards with CI/CA module, but you will need one smartcard for each of them, or at least a SmartWi cardsplitter. I can confirm that more than one capture card with CI/CA works (I have tested two simultanously). Decrypting with softcam (and only one smartcard shared in a Phoenix cardreader) also works flawless provided that your cpu has enough power, but you will be best off with a dual-core cpu if you want to watch and record HD.

I have successfully watched ond HD channel and recorded another HD channel with softcam, decrypting on-the-fly (dual core AMD64 2.8 GHz). But beawere that not all softcams can do this, I use NewCS and Acamd, and pvrx2 and RecordingService has to log in to the cardsharer (NewCs) as separate users.

[OrakelJos]

If I understand both of you correctly my best option would be 3 separate dvb-c cards and use only one card for each recording.
I was thinking of using the Anysee E30C Plus which has a built-in card reader. Extra smartcards up to 5 can be obtained from the cable company without an increase in the monthly subscription. I have already two of those in use for my STB's so still 3 to spare.
The Anysee is an USB device but I assume that this would not be a problem for GB-PVR.
If you have any further info on this or have an alternative solution it would be much helpfull.

BTW: I am never using my computer for live view. It is just standing in the garage. Always watching through the NMT or MediaMVP.

[sub]

If I understand both of you correctly my best option would be 3 separate dvb-c cards and use only one card for each recording.
I was thinking of using the Anysee E30C Plus which has a built-in card reader.

Unfortunately it wont work with that specific device. Each manufacture implements CI support a different way, so manufacture's devices that I've explicitly added support for will work. I've added that support with the Twinhan, TechnoTrend, FireDTV and the Hauppauge WinTV CI devices. I think the TechnoTrend is the only one that has been tested with multiple devices though.

I dont have an Anysee device, or any contacts at that manufacturer, so unfortunately there is no support for proprietary features of this manufacturer's devices.

Extra smartcards up to 5 can be obtained from the cable company without an increase in the monthly subscription.

Wow - I wish my cable company did that. It costs us about 15 euro a month to get an extra smartcard (and crappy STB).

[OrakelJos]

I've added that support with the Twinhan, TechnoTrend, FireDTV and the Hauppauge WinTV CI devices. I think the TechnoTrend is the only one that has been tested with multiple devices though.

Unfortunately the FireDTV is no longer manufactured. I will have a look into the other brands to see what is available in The Netherlands.

Wow - I wish my cable company did that. It costs us about 15 euro a month to get an extra smartcard (and crappy STB).

No extra cost indeed but we have to purchase the STB. Only choices are Samsung and Humax with or without PVR but I can live with that

[Reddwarf]

The Technotrend 1501 with CI/CA works fine for me (cable company Canal Digital uses Conax), you get it for a fair price from http://www.dvbshop.net if your local supplier don't have it.

[OrakelJos]

The Technotrend 1501 with CI/CA works fine for me (cable company Canal Digital uses Conax), you get it for a fair price from http://www.dvbshop.net if your local supplier don't have it.

Which CAM are you using? Alphacrypt? If so, I need 3 of them @ 105 euro each :mad: Combined with the cost of the 3 dvb-c cards it makes it an expensive solution. Is a cheaper alternative possible?

Sub: even if the Anysee E30C Plus is fully supported in MCE en Windows 7 MC (also multiple devices) does that still mean that it does not work in GB-PVR or is it just untested?

[sub]

Sub: even if the Anysee E30C Plus is fully supported in MCE en Windows 7 MC (also multiple devices) does that still mean that it does not work in GB-PVR or is it just untested?

It definitely wont work in GB-PVR. Unfortunately this CI stuff doesnt happen automagically. Anysee would need to supply me information, and new functionality would need to be developed to use the proprietary Anysee interfaces.

It'll only be working in WMC because they'll have written some utility that is monitoring channel changes in WMC, and doing all the extra proprietary stuff in the background that they need it to do (much like Hauppauge and Twinhan etc do). I'd effectively need to develop that same functionality, but for GB-PVR.