Newbie Needs General Advice re GBPVR or NPVR with Cable Box

[classpro]

Although I've been using GBPVR for some years, I am a real newbie at this.

I use GBPVR to record the analog channels from my cable company. I have a Hauppauge analog card. My recording system is becoming increasingly outdated with the many new digital channels that come through my cable box and have better content.

Can someone explain how I would go about getting the hauppauge card to change the channels on the cable box and record from its external analog inputs (s-vga and analog sound) from the cable box (time warner - scientific atlanta HD box)? Is there a better card for recording from the cable box?

Also, I have not tried NPVR, but am curious how people in the US are getting the EPV listings. I've been using schedules direct, but that doesn't work with NPVR? I am just lost in the wiki - so many blank pages and very little general big-picture information.

Thank you in advance.

[sub]

Although I've been using GBPVR for some years, I am a real newbie at this.

I use GBPVR to record the analog channels from my cable company. I have a Hauppauge analog card. My recording system is becoming increasingly outdated with the many new digital channels that come through my cable box and have better content.

Can someone explain how I would go about getting the hauppauge card to change the channels on the cable box and record from its external analog inputs (s-vga and analog sound) from the cable box (time warner - scientific atlanta HD box)? Is there a better card for recording from the cable box?

What capture card do you have?

For the most part its pretty straight forward to configure for this type of setting. General steps from a clean NPVR install would be:

1) Use the BlastCFG software to select which set top box you have (or learn from your set top box remote), and check it change channels
2) Run NPVR, and go to the Settings->Devices screen.
3) Double click your analog device
4) set the channel changer executable to "C:\Program Files\Hauppauge\WinTV\WinTV7\Blast.exe"
5) hit the channel 'Import' button
6) set the input to 'SVideo' (assuming you're using svideo from your set top box)
7) set the EPG to 'schedules direct', then enter your username/password and click the download button, it should then list your channels
8) hit ok and you're done.

Also, I have not tried NPVR, but am curious how people in the US are getting the EPV listings. I've been using schedules direct, but that doesn't work with NPVR? I am just lost in the wiki - so many blank pages and very little general big-picture information.

NPVR does support schedules direct, so you shouldnt need to switch to any other EPG source.

[mvallevand]

If you have a firewire port on your PC and you use 32 bit Windows, I strongly recommend trying the Timmmoore tuner if you are using the SA 4250HD I've used it for over a year with no lost recordings due to the tuning problems.

Because you have the HD box you just definitely investigate the Hauppauge HDPVR or Colossus capture devices. Combined with NPVR, 4250HD, and Schedules Direct you will have a great HTPC that for me is trouble free.

Martin

[classpro]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. I have a hauppauge wintv 150mce card, which has a separate USB gadget to receive signals from the remote control and send them to the cable box. However, I can't figure out how to program the blaster for my cable box. The IRconfig program doesn't see the blaster. I'm starting to think that I may have installed the wrong hauppauge software long ago (non mce version which is made for a a hauppage card that has the blaster plug in the card itself rather than in the separate gizmo?). It sounds like I need to start fresh with a new hauppauge install and a new install of NPVR.

I'll look into hd4250 for the future, too.

Thanks again. I'll let you know how it goes.

[sub]

I'm pretty sure the software for configuring the PVR150 blaster is called BlastCFG.

[ElihuRozen]

I have a hauppauge wintv 150mce card, which has a separate USB gadget to receive signals from the remote control and send them to the cable box.

You might want to investigate using an separate program for your blasting. If you have a USB device, you probably can use HIP or IR Server Suite or something similar. I used HIP for a while & now use IR Server Suite.

[Bluetick]

I'm am able to use a usb "beanbag" with Win7 media center by using IRserver software and select enable windows media center. Not until I did this would win 7 use the blaster. The remote with Npvr will do everything but blast with the STB.

I still need to find a way to learn the channel codes for the STB.
Hauppauge Blastcfg will not work (hangs or says non compatable remote) and Mceblast just rolls through the learn.bat.

[mvallevand]

My earlier recommendation for firewire doesn't only apply to the Hauppauge HD PVR. Many US and Canadian STB's can be controlled with it and you can use svideo and composite out if that is what you want to do.

Martin

[classpro]

I don't have a firewire connection on the computer, and I am using the only pci slot for the MCE 150 card.

I don't know what HIP or IR Server Suite are, but I'll google around and see what I can find.

Neither Blastcfg nor irblastercfg can see the USB blaster,

Here is the remote and blaster product that came with my card. I do not have a blaster connection on my wintv pci card - it's on this gadget:

http://store.hauppauge.com/accessories2....mce_remote

I called Hauppauge, and they insist that windows media center will control the blaster, and that the blaster will not work with their Hauppauge software. The question I have is whether there is some way to control the blaster from GBPVR or NPVR? Does anyone know?

[Reddwarf]

http://store.hauppauge.com/accessories2....mce_remote

I called Hauppauge, and they insist that windows media center will control the blaster, and that the blaster will not work with their Hauppauge software. The question I have is whether there is some way to control the blaster from GBPVR or NPVR? Does anyone know?

I can't guarantee it but I'm pretty sure that HIP will see and handle this blaster, as long as it is supported by windows. Try downloading HIP and read the instructions, it's not that complicated. No magic spells needed