New Zealand Freeview Setup.

[scottiamit]

Hi all fellow gbpvr users, I am writing from Auckland in NZ and I am looking at going from an analog setup with 2x Avermedia M150's to most likely 2x Hauppauge Nova-S Pro digital cards which will receive freeview. I just have a few things I want to check on before I start to commit to this change over.

For the satellite setup all I need is a small dish with 1x LNB, RG6 cable running from the LNB into a digital splitter (probably amplified) then straight into my 2x digital cards?

How reliable is the TV guide provided with freeview in comparison to XMLTVNZ or the likes? any advantages or disadvantages?

Any thing else I need to know in terms of setting up the digital cards (all I know is that the frequency is 10750 and the satellite I need to connect to is Optus D1), I also read somewhere I need to use the 'map digital channels' option to 'tune' the digital channels? Is there a NZ based guide any where?

A was also wondering if anyone had any feedback on data requirements for storing the new format, I presume I will fit less recordings on my hdd but was wondering how much less? I will still convert them to XVID I imagine.

I tried comskip a while ago but found the results were to inaccurate, will the detection improve any with digital?



Thanks in advance for your input.

Regards,

Scott Thompson.

[sub]

Hi all fellow gbpvr users, I am writing from Auckland in NZ and I am looking at going from an analog setup with 2x Avermedia M150's to most likely 2x Hauppauge Nova-S Pro digital cards which will receive freeview. I just have a few things I want to check on before I start to commit to this change over.

For the satellite setup all I need is a small dish with 1x LNB, RG6 cable running from the LNB into a digital splitter (probably amplified) then straight into my 2x digital cards?

Yes, that should do the job, though depending on length, you probably wont required an amplified splitter.

How reliable is the TV guide provided with freeview in comparison to XMLTVNZ or the likes? any advantages or disadvantages?

The DVB EPG is ok, but the listings from xmltvnz seem to be better. The shows often have better descriptions on the websites that xmltvnz uses. Also the DVB EPG occasion broadcasts two shows as one show. ie "War at home / Two and half men" as an hour long show instead of two half hour shows.

Any thing else I need to know in terms of setting up the digital cards (all I know is that the frequency is 10750 and the satellite I need to connect to is Optus D1), I also read somewhere I need to use the 'map digital channels' option to 'tune' the digital channels? Is there a NZ based guide any where?

I havnt got a guide, but its pretty easy. Select the "Optus D1 (FTA)" satellite option since that just has Freeview. Setup the capture source, then hit the 'map digital channels to EPG channels' and it'll scan and locate the Freeview channels.

I tried comskip a while ago but found the results were to inaccurate, will the detection improve any with digital?

Its unlikely the move to freeview will improve the commercial detection. That said, I just use the default comskip settings and its pretty good for me, but I do a lot of recordings on TV1/2/3, so your results may vary if you're predominately using other channels.

[stustunz]

theres no prime on freeview
apparently there are gaps in the guide i use it as a backup when xmltvnz fails so once in the last 3months or how ever long freeview has been going
dish has to be exact unlike analog
my dish(old sky one) is on the ground so i get bad signal causes a few drops outs
i still run both analog and digital just lucky dip what records what
sounds like you pretty much got it right though

comskip is a bit hit and miss but i would say it gets about half right
even when its wrong it gives you an idea where the adds are so you can sort of use it as chapters

[scottiamit]

As always sub your response was in record time, cheers. I appreciate the help, I will try to write a guide as I go through the whole process which may be of some assistance to others later on especially as I will most likely use Hauppauge cards.

Digital here I come...

Scott.

[scottiamit]

theres no prime on freeview
apparently there are gaps in the guide i use it as a backup when xmltvnz fails

Interesting - how do you set-up a backup guide? Are you just changing the guide for your source if the guide is missing?

[stustunz]

yeah sorry no easy way that i know of as it works different
but at least theres 2 options now just incase
its a bit of a panic when the guide fails
once reven finishes xmltvnz 3.0 im sure it will be even better

[talisman]

Greetings,

I'm a noob to this forum and to gbpvr, based in NZ. I want to set up a pvr, (and later a remote display using a mvp or mediagate mg35 or similar).
At present I only have an old Pinnacle card - not even sure if it has hw encoding, so I'll be needing to buy new cards.
I have a suitable dish and LNB already I think, left over from the old IHUG broadband days, for hooking up NZ freeview.

My main questions before I start are:
1. Is the WinTV Nova S Plus the best option for freeview?
2. I'm assuming from reading these forums I can install 2 of these?
3. Can I use the old card with software encoding for analogue? (Assuming I'll need analogue for Prime)
4. If not which is the best basic analogue card? (WinTV PVR150?)
5. What advantage if any is there in buying a multi-tuner card?
6. I see that mvp's can be driven, but is there a way to use the Mediagate MG-350hd as it has wireless plus internal hard drive?

thanks,

[stustunz]

.

My main questions before I start are:
1. Is the WinTV Nova S Plus the best option for freeview?
yes there is also the hrv3000 tripple which will give you tesrestrial when it comes although i think in auckland if you can see the sky tower you already have some access(i could be wrong but i read something like that)

2. I'm assuming from reading these forums I can install 2 of these?
you can have as many as you have pci slots

3. Can I use the old card with software encoding for analogue? (Assuming I'll need analogue for Prime)
No not recomneded there are ways but i wouldnt waste my time

4. If not which is the best basic analogue card? (WinTV PVR150?)
pvr 150 is the most popular dunno if its the best they seem to like a really good signal then the picture improves alot

5. What advantage if any is there in buying a multi-tuner card?
you save pci slot as new machines on have like 3

6. I see that mvp's can be driven, but is there a way to use the Mediagate MG-350hd as it has wireless plus internal hard drive?
hauppauge mvp is well supported by gbpvr the other is not from my understanding

[sub]

My main questions before I start are:
1. Is the WinTV Nova S Plus the best option for freeview?

Its a decent option. You'll only be able to use the digital side though, since the analog side lacks the required hardware MPEG2 encoder.

2. I'm assuming from reading these forums I can install 2 of these?

Yes, you should be able to. I havnt done it myself, but cant think of any reason you shouldnt be able to do this.

3. Can I use the old card with software encoding for analogue? (Assuming I'll need analogue for Prime)

No. GB-PVR does not support software encoding.

4. If not which is the best basic analogue card? (WinTV PVR150?)

The PVR150 is a good choice.

5. What advantage if any is there in buying a multi-tuner card?

Only the obvious - more available tuners, less PCI slots used.

6. I see that mvp's can be driven, but is there a way to use the Mediagate MG-350hd as it has wireless plus internal hard drive?

You'll probably be able to configure the Mediagate device to show you GB-PVR recordings from a directory for simple playback of files. The MVP on the other hand gives you the full GB-PVR user interface allowing you to schedule recordings, watch recordings, view live tv etc.

[idkpmiller]

I am considering adding freeview to my existing setup. I currently have sky on my system using a Hauppauge 150.

I would like to split the LNB feed so that I stil receive Sky and I can also get freeview, are they on the same polarity? If so I presume I can watch/record both. if not I suppose I need to buy a dual LNB and run a new cable.

I would also like to expend my PVR reach to the bedroom I am unable to run cables so I was wondering how are the wireless MVPs nowadays I remeber reading that the quality could be pretty shocking, has it got any better?

Cheers