Do I need additional hardware?

[Grapher]

My trusty TiVo for nearly 7 years died on me yesterday, making me all sad-faced.

Instead of paying an arm and a leg for a new one, I thought about looking for cheaper alternatives and stumbled upon this place. Open-source? Cheap as free? Sounds good!

Anyway, other PC-based alternatives that I found before coming here required additional hardware, like a box or a TV tuner card, but when I looked for installation instructions here, I couldn't find anything on this website.

I'm totally confused. :confused: Do I just install the software, or is there something I'm missing?

EDIT: I just noticed the System Requirements link, and it lists a tuner card as "optional." :confused: So, does that mean I can just install the software and be ready to go? That sounds a bit strange to me to be able to watch TV without needing something to send or receive a signal.

[bgowland]

A TV tuner card is needed to watch / record TV but is probably marked as "optional" because NextPVR can be installed on machines in client-mode. This mode means it's possible to stream live TV / music / videos / recordings from a NextPVR 'server' so doesn't require the client to have a TV card if there's a server that has one.

[mvallevand]

With sub's new IPTV choices technically a tuner card isn't required, however IPTV isn't available widely. You probably need to evaluate your needs especially reflect on what you had. A seven year old TiVo box might not have had SD, but it is getting increasingly hard to get an SD solution. The cheapest solution is OTA ATSC, and definitely your best bet is to enter your zip code here to http://www.silicondust.com/support/channels/ to see what you have available in ATSC or clear QAM.

If you are lucky and have lots of ATSC or clear QAM, you will need a digital BDA tuner card, (starting less than $50), maybe an antenna for ATSC, $30 for an MCE remote and $25/year for legal EPG data from Schedules Direct. That assumes you have a modern PC capable of doing HD. For a $100 more more you can get a DVR that uses CableCard that have monthly rentals for the cards and usually more choice, but limited premium content. For QAM and DVR solutions you will need some sort of cable package too.

If you want premium content you pay a premium price, a cable box (STB $200 or rental) plus premium package. and either an analog capture card for SD (< $50 on ebay) or a HDPVR/Colossus for HD ($175) and the $30 remote and $25 year EPG data.

Martin.

[Grampz]

Anyway, other PC-based alternatives that I found before coming here required additional hardware, like a box or a TV tuner card, but when I looked for installation instructions here, I couldn't find anything on this website.

First requirement is to have a PC that you can tie into your TV or home theater system. I had an older EMachine box laying around. I replaced the motherboards built in audio/video connections with newer cards. A video card with hdmi interface to the tv, and an audio card with spdif (optical) to my Yamaha receiver. On the PC one needs to disable the motherboards built in chipsets for these functions. The eMachine had a slow IDE hard drive which I replaced with a SATA 7200 rpm drive. I also had to replace the power supply.. Older parts, eMachine brand, junk, etc... Am using a USB tuner which works fairly well, but would recommend using a PCI card. Others can give recommendations on that as I have not done much research.

There is a learning curve to get nPVR up and running, and some really cool plug ins for added functionality. I am still learning, but believe strongly in the package.

To the current users, developers, etc.. We have to find a way to make this easier for newcomers!

Greg

[gEd]

The other reason a tuner is optional is that you may want to use npvr for library browsing and movie or music playback duties only from the comfort of your sofa.

Open-source? Cheap as free? Sounds good!
Just to be clear, NextPVR is not open-source.

To the current users, developers, etc.. We have to find a way to make this easier for newcomers!
Johnsonx42 has a great quick start guide.
Steeb (especially) and others have spent countless hours to build the wiki pages up to help new users get started (although I noticed that there is nothing on decoders....)
And obviously the folks are here to help people get up and running as quick as possible with any issues.

What's missing?

[Grampz]

What's missing?

Look at the home page.. http://www.nextpvr.com/ Is there a getting started link? Look at the text. Many terms which are foreign to new users.

multiple clients (including thin client devices such as the Popcorn hour)

I still do not know what the "Popcorn Hour" is? And don't care!

The main goal I was seeking was finding a way to replace my cable's hd pvr with over the air signals and having a way to record them.

After you read the introductory text, one sees the download link and a jump to the forums at the right of the page. I feel that introduction to the forums/support area should follow some well thought out and written pages describing just what a new and less technically inclined user should do. A step by step approach. There should also be a Help Doc included with the download for people to get started. Help doc could contain some basic info and links to the appropriate npvr's wiki.

I do not consider myself to be a techie nor guru, but it has taken all of prior knowledge learned, and experience to follow this development.

Greg

[gEd]

The web page is just an intro to npvr - i.e. what is it and what are some of it's core capabilities in order to give people some idea on whether this software might be for them or not.
I think it has been assumed (rightly or wrongly) that people know that a wiki page (link top right) is where people find reference material.

From that link, the wiki starts with :-

Beginner
Quick Start - simple to follow guide to downloading, installing and performing initial configuration steps.
User Manual - for help with using NextPVR.
Latest patches - refer to the the Getting Started thread on the forums.

So this clearly sets out to be a guide for new users and to provide a step by step approach. I am sure Steeb and McBainUK (the principle contributors to the wiki) would interested in where specifically it is falling short so they and others can help improve it.

[bgowland]

What's missing?

Look at the home page.. http://www.nextpvr.com/ Is there a getting started link? Look at the text. Many terms which are foreign to new users.

No offence guys but I think there's a danger of hijacking this thread with a discussion of how documentation might be improved, which isn't particularly useful to the OP's question. Might I suggest the Documentation forum for further discussion?

Cheers,
Brian

[mvallevand]

I still do not know what the "Popcorn Hour" is? And don't care!

I agree with Brian's comment about keeping this on topic to help the OP out, however this comment does make me think of a correction to my earlier response. If you don't have a newer machine, for about $70-80 on ebay you can get get a used Popcorn Hour A100/A110 (with remote) that provides everything you need to watch HD captures without worries of stuttering, codec etc This is something that Grampz should have cared about with his older PC based on posts I have read.

In summary using any Windows PC XP or greater as a backend NextPVR server, a Popcorn Hour ($80), an ATSC capture card ($50) and Schedules Direct $25/year you will approximate the TiVo ATSC DVR http://www.tivo.com/products/source/antenna/index.html saving the $500 lifetime subscription. You can network other Popcorn Hours @ $80 per room , something you can't do with TiVo. With NextPVR you also get music, photos, internet radio, much wider support for personal video, DVD's too, however you don't get online services like Hulu or Amazon.

Martin

[HarryH3]

NextPVR has MANY different methods of use. I don't have a PC connected to a TV here at all. Instead I have a NextPVR system stuffed in a closet, containing 3 tuners. All the "NextPVR" screens and functionality are done across the network through a Hauppauge MediaMVP at each TV (think of it as an ancient, Standard Def, poor-mans Popcorn Hour device). The server is old and slow but it gets the job done.

Grapher, to know what tuning device to recommend, we need to know what TV service you will feed it with. Cable TV, Satellite, or Over The Air (just using an antenna)? Each has its own challenges. The Cable and Satellite industry doesn't make it easy because they want to keep raking in set top box rental revenues.