Unable to tune 2 sources using dual tuner card

[arnabbiswas]

I bought a Hauppague WinTV 500card, which is a dual tuner card. As instructed in a previous post, I hooked up my connections as follows:

Wall Outlet --> Splitter --> Cable STB --> Composite In of tuner card
|
V
Coax In
of tuner card

In the gbpvr config, I set up 2 capture sources : 1 as a Composite, External tuner and the other one as Internal tuner, both on the same card.

However when I try to browse my channels, I get only the analog channels (direct from wall outlet after splitting) and not any digital channels (from cable STB). I know this because when I try to watch the digital channels, I get no picture and an untuned reception. Also when I try changing the analog channels, I dont see the channels change on my STB (I use a usb-uirt to change channels on STB).

What step am I missing here? My end goal of using a dual tuner card is to watch and record 2 channels simultaneously and right now I am unable to do so because I can obtain reception only from one source.

[hopeflickering]

Im having the same prob too. However, i can get the video porportion to show i just cant get the channel line up past 100.
I think you're supposed to one connection and not two to your caputer card. I think the card splits the signal. Just hook up your composite cable to your capture card.

[sub]

I bought a Hauppague WinTV 500card, which is a dual tuner card. As instructed in a previous post, I hooked up my connections as follows:

Wall Outlet --> Splitter --> Cable STB --> Composite In of tuner card
|
V
Coax In
of tuner card

In the gbpvr config, I set up 2 capture sources : 1 as a Composite, External tuner and the other one as Internal tuner, both on the same card.

However when I try to browse my channels, I get only the analog channels (direct from wall outlet after splitting) and not any digital channels (from cable STB). I know this because when I try to watch the digital channels, I get no picture and an untuned reception. Also when I try changing the analog channels, I dont see the channels change on my STB (I use a usb-uirt to change channels on STB).

What step am I missing here? My end goal of using a dual tuner card is to watch and record 2 channels simultaneously and right now I am unable to do so because I can obtain reception only from one source.

So you've setup two capture sources, and entered your zap2it details in each? Next you need to disable the channels available on each capture source so that GB-PVR can tell which channels are available through each. ie, only analog channels on internal capture source etc.

When you click the live tv button, it'll start at the bottom of the capture source list working its way up, looking for an available capture source that has the required channel. Everytime you change channels, it'll prefer to stick to the current capture source if it has the new channel. If not, it'll look again for an available source with the required channel.

[arnabbiswas]

Thanks Sub. That did the trick and it works now.

[arnabbiswas]

I think you're supposed to one connection and not two to your caputer card. I think the card splits the signal. Just hook up your composite cable to your capture card.

That's not how it is working for me. I have the signal from the wall outlet split externally (one to the STB and from the STB to the PVR500 card and the other directly from splitter to card). I did what Sub asked and I am able to record 2 channels simultaneously (only 1 digital channel at a time, since my wall outlet does not provide digital channels). However I am not going above 100 with either digital or analog channels since my highest digital channel is 98.

[arnabbiswas]

Hi Sub,

This problem actually doesnt seem to have been resolved:

When I record a channel and try to watch another program, I still get the error message saying no tuners are available to watch the requested channel.

When I try to record a second channel when another one is already recording, and I try to play the second recording (while it is recording), it doesnt play anything and returns back to the previous screen.

As you had instructed, I have disabled all digital channels from my wall outlet (analog source).

Any ideas? Would you like me to provide you logs or any further information?

[sub]

When I record a channel and try to watch another program, I still get the error message saying no tuners are available to watch the requested channel.

You have two capture sources. Which capture(s) have the channel you're recording? Which capture source(s) have the channel you're trying to watch via live tv?

What device numbers did you give your capture sources?

Reread what I read I wrote above:

When you click the live tv button, it'll start at the bottom of the capture source list working its way up, looking for an available capture source that has the required channel. Everytime you change channels, it'll prefer to stick to the current capture source if it has the new channel. If not, it'll look again for an available source with the required channel.

I'm sure your answer is in what I've just written, but just so you know - in your type of setup, I'd be creating three capture sources, two for internal tuners (one device#1, one device#2), and one capture source for the svideo/composite connection (device #1).

If you're capture sources were both setup for device #1, then you've effectively only got one tuner GB-PVR can use at any one time.

Hopefully that clears it up for you.

[arnabbiswas]

Hi Sub,

This looks a lot better after the change you suggested. Now I am able to watch and record simultaneously or record 2 shows simultaneously.

But I still seem to be restricted by the order of recording and I wanted to ask if there is something I can do here:

When I record a show and it records from the composite source (coming from the STB) I am locking up the composite source for the duration of the recording. This is ok if this is a digital channel (since these are only availabe through the STB). But if this channel is available from digital or analog (coax)source then I would prefer gbpvr to record from the coax source so that the composite source is still available for digital only shows.

Per your previous post, I have listed my 2 analog sources (which are identical except that they belong to device 1 and device 2) at the bottom of the source list and the composite source (device 1) above them in the source list. I was hoping that this would give precedence to the analog source for a recording, but this does not seem to be always happening.

Second question: I was trying to understand your earlier instructions about creating 3 capture sources: 2 analog internal (dev 1 and 2) and 1 digital composite (dev 1). Since I have only one coax connection and one composite connection to my tuner card, I would have thought that I would just need 2 sources: 1 composite, dev #1 and 1 internal dev #2. I was uanble to follow why I need 2 internal sources for dev 1 and dev 2.

I apologize for asking too many questions, but I was just trying to understand this fantastic s/w better.

A final suggestion: If the order of recording is dependant on the order of sources listed in the capture source list, then you might want to provide the ability to reorder sources within this list. I had to manually delete and add my sources in order to reorder them within this list, which was a lot more work.

[stefan]

Per your previous post, I have listed my 2 analog sources (which are identical except that they belong to device 1 and device 2) at the bottom of the source list and the composite source (device 1) above them in the source list. I was hoping that this would give precedence to the analog source for a recording, but this does not seem to be always happening.

You got it the wrong way - gbpvr uses the first available capture source from the top down when recording. It goes bottom up for live tv.

[stefan]

Second question: I was trying to understand your earlier instructions about creating 3 capture sources: 2 analog internal (dev 1 and 2) and 1 digital composite (dev 1). Since I have only one coax connection and one composite connection to my tuner card, I would have thought that I would just need 2 sources: 1 composite, dev #1 and 1 internal dev #2. I was uanble to follow why I need 2 internal sources for dev 1 and dev 2.

You don't *need* three capture sources, but it can be helpful in some circumstances. Say, for example, that you have BBC1 and BBC2 on analogue only (bad example, I know, but I don't know which channels exist where you live ), and not on your STB. So, if you want to record something on BBC1 and BBC2 at the same time, you'd need to enable both your capture cards for analogue recording (that is, create three capture sources).

There might be more circumstances where this is applicable... just can't think of any from the top of my head. I'm sure others can