setting up multiple ExpressVu receivers

[TomR]

I'm new to all of this PVR stuff and am looking for some suggestions as to what I should be setting up as far as hardware goes.

What I'm trying to do is to be able to is be able to record 2 channels and watch a recorded program or record 1 channel while watching a different channel. I would like to be able to output this to our TV (non HD)


To start with I have Bell ExpressVu. I have a couple of older receivers (all single tuners). And do not currently subscribe to any HD programming.

I would like to use some existing hardware I have lying around to help reduce costs and would prefer to be able to build the PVR in steps


Step 1 - being able to record from one of my receivers.
Step 2 - add a second BEV box and be able to record 2 different channels

What would be the recommended hardware (for each step) for the following hardware: CPU / RAM / Video Capture Card / IR Remote to be able to control the BEV STB / Video card to output to TV.

How would I control the 2 different BEV boxes once they were installed? Would I need 2 different remotes? I would prefer not to have a different remote for each BEV box.

Thanks for any help you can pass on to a newbie.

Tom

[pBS]

i would go with the MCE remote w/receiver...it has 2 blasters that you can address individually...that way you can blast a ch. to a box and not disturb the other one..tho they'd have to be separated so they don't receive eachother's ir signals..

and in gbpvr, you'll only have to add a 1 or 2 to the hipwsend line to send to one or the other box...

otherwise, you'd have to get 2 different blasters and set them up differently...

i know HIP will let you blast to 2 boxes..that would be my choice, but not sure if there are other ir softs will let you specify individual blasters..
[HIP is controlling software that ties it all together]

only need one remote to control things, but have to blast remote codes with 2 blasters..

for the cpu, anything p4 or above, ram 512 + [i use 1 gig but 512 works fine], capture card- hauppauges are versatile but usually have propietary remotes, tho therer are some MCE kits available, or kits without remote at all..i would stick with no remote models, as an MCE kit is very cheap..[check wiki for MCE remote pics and good models] stay away from Vista remotes tho,they are weird..
video card i'd get an ATI hd3450 tho just about anything recent will do as you're only doing sd video...still hardware accell does look nice

[zehd]

I'm one of the authors/editors of the Hip Guide yet I would recommend IR Server Suite to be your IR blasting software. Much more intuitive I believe... Though, to be clear, there's nothing wrong with HIP, and it would work just fine for what you want...

I also recommend the MCE Remote with blaster. Pretty cheap and it works.

Regarding sending IR to only one box, some people set up 'IR tents' around their boxes' IR receivers. In some cases its as simple as a piece of electrical tape. Basically you want to be sure that there other box can't see any IR from the first boxes IR bud...

[TomR]

Thanks for the info.

I was looking at the MCE Remote (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...VqHCjCdwwp) and can seem to see how you would specify which receiver you were trying to control. I was looking for some buttons like Blaster1 and Blaster2. Any I missing something or just not seeing the light? Is this the remote/receiver/remote you are referring to? If not could you provide a link?

For a capture card could you make any suggestions?
Depending on which computer I put all of this into (I have 2 lying around) would determine the requirements of a capture card.

Computer 1 only has 1 PCI and 1 AGP slot. This would be my preference but I don't think I can get the hardware in it or connected to it properly. I would need multiple capture cards to be able to capture from 2 different STBs I assume that I would need to use a USB capture device. Are there any that have hardware encoding? If there was a card that would allow me multiple connections from multiple BEV boxes, then the card would need to be a half height card since the computer is a small form Dell.

Computer 2 has several PCI (not PCIe) slots (and I think 1 AGP slot) available and is in a tower case so card height is not a restriction, but it is noisy.

Thanks for the suggestion for the video but unfortunately this card will not work for me. I do not have a PCIe slot. Could you suggest a AGP (or PCI) card that has hardware decoding?

I sorry to ask for suggestion for each piece of hardware but surfing for me is slow since I only have a dialup line in a rural area (top speed is usually 24.6). I know painfully slow. I'm looking in to upgrading to something quick but I'm trying to justify the costs.

Thanks for all the help,
Tom

[TomR]

I was looking at the MCE Remote (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...yCjCVqHCjCdwwp) and can't seem to see how you would specify which receiver you were trying to control. I was looking for some buttons like Blaster1 and Blaster2. Any I missing something or just not seeing the light? Is this the remote/receiver/remote you are referring to? If not could you provide a link?

[zehd]

Here's the concept:

Two tuners, Two STBs, each connected via composite (or s-video) to a tuner card.

When you want to record a show on channel 3, GB-PVR will (mostly randomly) pick a card to start recording, so the respective STB should be changed to that channel.

I think you have all that...

Now each of the Capture sources will use the same EPG. That way, GB-PVR knows it can choose either of the two cature sources to start recording on.

The trick is when GB-PVR picks a Capture source 1 to record from, it also sends a code to a IR software that will send a code to a IR Blaster (and IR bud) that will make the STB change channels.

So you have to Teach GB-PVR what commands to send to the IR software. With HIP that would be something like HipSend {CHANNEL} {IR PORT} or something.

Meanwhile the IR software needs to know all of the commands from the remote that comes with the STB. Well rfeally it just needs the 0-9 numbers and maybe [ENTER].

Then the Software needs to be told that there are two STB, and that the codes should be sent discreetly, to specific ports (on the beanbag) which fires only one of the IR buds.

Through testing, you should be able to click in the test screens, 100 to IR 1, and then Only one of your STBs should change channels.

(BTW, a great way of knowning if the buds are woirking is to look through the viewer of a digital camera (still or video) IR shows up there...)

Anyway assuming that you have that path correct, GB-PVR wants to change a channel on STB1, it send the channel number to the IR software, and the IR software sends the remote codes to the appropriate port/bud...

[TomR]

Thanks for the details Frank. The concept of GB-PVR "randomly" selecting which STB to send the command to was the piece that I was missing. I was stuck on how I would select which STB not that GB-PVR was going to do it "randomly".

I assume this is true for both recordings and Live TV?

[zehd]

Thanks for the details Frank. The concept of GB-PVR "randomly" selecting which STB to send the command to was the piece that I was missing. I was stuck on how I would select which STB not that GB-PVR was going to do it "randomly".

I assume this is true for both recordings and Live TV?

Someone will correct me probably, but it goes like this...

When recording GB-PVR will use the first available capture source from top down. When watching Live TV, GB-PVR chooses from down up. None makes a different though. You either have enough tuners to record all your concurrent shows or you don't. So I use the word 'random'