Noob needs help w/ Sat. Setup

[hansoffate]

Right now, I have GBPVR setup with regular cable. I am LOVING it. I have had it set up for about a month and it is AMAZING. (many thanks to all of you for the help)

Anyways, I only get a lowly 28 channels with my 10$ a month cable company. I want to expand and get some HBO or Cinemax channels. I'm thinking about going with a satellite company because it is cheaper to get more channels and HBO or Cinemax.

With my current setup, my GF and I watch live TV via the split TV (the TV is crisper and less laggy, I haven’t fixed this issue), and then when we want to watch recorded programs, we switch to Video 1 and watch stuff off GBPVR. Also, we are able to watch live TV while another channel is being recorded which we both like about the setup.

Anyways, will i be able to replicate this setup with satellite? Also, how is it different form the cable setup? How does the IRBlaster come into play? I have a retail PVR 150

Thanks for the help
-Hans

[stefan]

With my current setup, my GF and I watch live TV via the split TV (the TV is crisper and less laggy, I haven’t fixed this issue), and then when we want to watch recorded programs, we switch to Video 1 and watch stuff off GBPVR. Also, we are able to watch live TV while another channel is being recorded which we both like about the setup.

Anyways, will i be able to replicate this setup with satellite?

That depends... =)

When you get satellite, you will have to use a set top box (STB). This box can (usually) only "give" you one channel at a time. Depending on your sat company, you might be able to get two boxes, where the monthly fee for the second box is a bit lower than the one for the first box. Companies here offer that, at least. That's what you would need to be able to watch one channel and record another one at the same time. Or... I'm not sure whether you can use dvb-s cards in [where ever you live]? If you add one of those to your setup, you can connect that to your dish (in addition to you connecting your STB to your dish), and then you can at least watch freeview channels at the same time you record something off your STB (or vice versa).

Also, how is it different form the cable setup? How does the IRBlaster come into play? I have a retail PVR 150

Thanks for the help
-Hans

The Irblaster is used by gbpvr to change channels on the STB for your at the appropriate time. The PVR 150's blaster does not support all STB. If you can in any way choose STB, try to get one that you know is supported by the 150. There are lists around the internet of which boxes are supported (I found one on Hauppauge's web site once, but can't remember exactly where right now), but I'm not sure how accurate/up to date they are. On the other hand, I think that if you already own the card, the list is there somewhere in the software you have... in an ini file or something like that? Look around.

Hope that clears more things up than confuses you

[cheval]

One more thing to remember when switching to Sat. (or anything requiring a STB) that the PVR150s IR Blaster only works on one of the multiple PVR150 cards. So you use the IR Blaster to only control on external box. You therefore need to either find another way of controlling those external boxes, or choose DirecTV and control them using a serial cable (see the wiki page under DirecTV channel control in utilities). I would choose DirecTV over Dish for the reason that some of the Dish receivers are RF controlled for the second output and therefore may be more difficult finding a way to control.
If you have any questions I can go into more details of my 3 receiver DirecTV setup.

[nitrogen_widget]

I'm curious about your setup.
Do you just change the name of your channel changer to channel changer2.exe & point to it in your second reciever set-up?
I might want to add a second reciever in the future & i've found your channel changer app to be bullet-proof.

[hansoffate]

Wow, this is alot more complicated then i thought. :confused:

Anyways, I live in the California, US. I want to go with DishNetwork because their rates are cheaper. (I can get local channels, HBO + STARZ, and the cheapest channel package (Family Pack) for 35.99. I basically just want to record local channels and HBO + Starz channels.

The STB that would come wit hthis would be the DISH 322 or DISH 311. According to the Hauppaauge website http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/support/b...ellite.htm
SAT DISH Network
SAT DISH Network DP501
SAT DISH Network DP701

Thats what is compatible. It says DishNetwork ... so i think it may work. Also checked at BYOPVR and there are some posts with successful integration.

But when i connect the ir blaster, I put the little red thing ontop of the ir on the reciever? I don't really understand the point of the IR Blaster. Basically, it changes the channel to the correct channel at the recording time.

If i get the DISH 322 (which has 2 tv support at no additional cost i believe) Then i could connect 1 to my PVR then to Video 1, And connect 2 staright to the same TV, thusly, being able to watch 1 program and record a different one at the same time, right?

Thanks for your help (I think I'm understanding this)
-Hans