Directv STB, WinTV blaster and tuning sub-channels

[rbmcgee]

Hi all,

I've been searching around for the capabilities of GB-PVR and think I know the answer but need some specific advice.

I have an OTA antenna attached to my Directv box. As a result, my local channels are designated as sub-channels (8-1, 8-2, etc). I use a WinTV 150 and the Hauppauge blaster config and the on-card IR blaster. My EPG is fed via Schedules Direct specified as "satellite" and "local digital".

My wish is that GB-PVR be able to blast (and therefore tune) to these sub-channels to record local broadcasts (satellite channels work fine).

I am currently under the impression that GB-PVR cannot deal with blasting these sub-channels. Therefore I cannot record any local programs. Is my assumption correct?

BTW, I also have and use a USB-UIRT and girder if a workaround is possible.

[sub]

You'd need to use some external app like girder or hip to come up with some logic for blasting "chanel-subchannel" numbers.

GB-PVR has no builtin understanding of this US concept.

[rbmcgee]

Are there no GB-PVR US users who are using an OTA digital tuning card?

[sub]

Yeah, sure - but that's not what you've described above. OTA digital tuner cards like the HVR1600 etc work fine.

What you're talking is using an analog card (PVR150) with an IR Blaster to control a set top box that's expecting this funny major-minor channel format. This setup is a lot less common.

[rbmcgee]

I'm a little confused. Are you saying if I had a digital card (1600), GB-PVR could change the channels on the sat box or are you saying that if the antenna was plugged directly into the 1600 it could tune to a sub-channel?

[sub]

Are you saying if I had a digital card (1600), GB-PVR could change the channels on the sat box

No.

or are you saying that if the antenna was plugged directly into the 1600 it could tune to a sub-channel?

Yes.

[rbmcgee]

Thanks sub.

Well that eliminates GB-PVR from being my regular PVR. Does anyone know whether other PVR software (Sage/Beyond) have this same limitation?

[sub]

Well that eliminates GB-PVR from being my regular PVR.

Ok, good luck - I'm sure you'll find something else that does it. (you would have been able to do it, but you would have had to hook in HIP or Girder to do the blasting)

Does anyone know whether other PVR software (Sage/Beyond) have this same limitation?

I dont know. I think both sage and beyondtv have trial versions, so you can try them any see.

[rbmcgee]

Allow me to ask a clarifying question. I subscribe to Scheduled Direct.

Suppose I installed a 1600 and ran the antenna directly into the OTA input and then ran my Directv STB in through the s-video input. Assuming I've setup SD correctly, when I pull up my GB-PVR TV Guide (either via PVRX2 or over the network) what would I see?

Would both antenna inputs be seamlessly included in the guide (including obviously the sub-channels)? Would watching/recording be a seamless experience?

[sub]

Allow me to ask a clarifying question. I subscribe to Scheduled Direct.

Suppose I installed a 1600 and ran the antenna directly into the OTA input and then ran my Directv STB in through the s-video input. Assuming I've setup SD correctly, when I pull up my GB-PVR TV Guide (either via PVRX2 or over the network) what would I see?

You'd just see a list of channels, with a channel number like every other channel. ie if you had a channel with three sub channel 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, then these would listed as three channels with unique numbers. You might call them 8,9,10, or maybe 81, 82, 83, or maybe 801,802,803 - up to you really. As I said, it doesnt understand this US concept of major/minor channel numbers, so it just treats them as unique channel, just like every where else in the world.

Would both antenna inputs be seamlessly included in the guide (including obviously the sub-channels)?

The guide always lists all channels you've setup, so you'd see a combined list of all the channels from all your capture sources.

Would watching/recording be a seamless experience?

Yes.