Can anyone remember -

[Reddwarf]

the name of that tuner sharing software which created virtual tuners backed by real capturecards and could be shared over network? What was the download site? Shiek Yerbouti?

[mvallevand]

DVBLInk maybe from DVBLogic.com

Martin

[Reddwarf]

DVBLInk maybe from DVBLogic.com

Martin

That's it! Thanks :o

[wodger]

That's it! Thanks :o

How did you go with this? I just heard about it and thought maybe it could let you host tuners in a hyper-v host and run npvr in a virtual machine.

edit: I also dredged up this post from 2012. Will dvblink work with nextpvr? As I say, I'd love to set up a npvr server as a vm and just be able to leave it alone, connecting to it with npvr network clients .. or the xbmc plugin even. The key to this working is being able to utilize physical tuners in the vm host machine.
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...ot-working

[Reddwarf]

The old version of DVBLink (I think it was a beta that I tested some years ago) had the option of creating virtual tuners that linked to the real tuners on a remote computer, you could scan and tune an do whatever on the virtual tuner and it would reflect on the real tuner. The new version however, does not support this option. The DVBLink software insists on doing all the scanning and tuning itself so it does not support npvr anymore. In short, DVBLink is useless to npvr users.

I tried to propose an interface for npvr to the developers, but they seemed very reluctant to even discuss it.

Edit: On second thought, someone may be able to write a plugin for npvr that can access DVBLink's server, it may even be possible to use Mvallevand's Network Recorder, I haven't looked into that, but why bother when you can use the network recorder directly to a remote npvr system.

[wodger]

why bother when you can use the network recorder directly to a remote npvr system.

Can you elaborate on this? I really don't know much about this topic, particularly what is relevant in NZ.

I just came across the term/product "HDHomeRun" in this context. I've seen it here before but never really known/cared what it was. Now I know a bit more... can you get DVB-S versions? Unfortunately I can only get freeview via satellite.

[Reddwarf]

I don't know much about the HDHomeRun so someone else who knows has to answer that. But you can set up an additional pc with tuners and a npvr system on your local network and use Martin's NetworkRecorder to access those tuners from your living-room htpc. Search the wiki ant support threads for more info on how to do that, and if you are at loss I can supply you with a NetwirkRecorder.xml file that works provided you insert your ip-addresses in it.

[wodger]

So if i'm reading it right, I would install my tuners into the host PC and install SageDCT or NPVR onto that same computer,
then have a VM running with my 'main' NPVR which accesses the tuners on the host through SageDCT/NPVR and which does all the recording,
AND I could connect to that 'main' NPVR instance in the VM with a NPVR client running on a HTPC by the TV.

Is the instance of NPVR on the physical computer there only to see the tuners (and maybe be tuned into channels?) and make them available to what I'm calling the 'main' NPVR? Or does it get involved in recordings as well?

I realise it sounds a bit complex with the VM in the equation, but if I wanted to do it that way, is that how it would work?

[Reddwarf]

Why do you mention SageSCT and why do you want to run your main npvr in a VM? Are you planning on running some other OS than windows on your htpc? If you are planning on using some other system I'd rather use XBMC and have npvr and the tuners on a "real" windows computer somewhere else.

[wodger]

Why do you mention SageSCT

It's mentioned in the PDF file on the network recorder wiki page. Maybe I made too big of a leap, but I thought (without looking into it too far as I'm at work) that SageDCT or a new instance of NPVR on a machine hosting the tuners might do similar things - I'd be able to use either to share out my tuners over the network. I get that impression about NPVR anyway.

why do you want to run your main npvr in a VM?

I would like to move my recordings 'box' and tuners to a desktop computer in the study that runs all the time and be free to turn off/move etc the HTPC. I also want to setup Hyper-V, a windows domain and 1-2 other VMs for my own reasons, and have my 'main' NPVR running isolated from all that in a VM. If the Hyper-V host has to have the tuners installed along with a copy of NPVR to make it all work, that's fine. As long as it all works. Maybe it'd be more reliable just to have the main NPVR on teh physical machine.

Are you planning on running some other OS than windows on your htpc?

The PC in the lounge will likely run NPVR and I like to have the ability to run XBMC or plex -all clients pointing at the server (however it ends up being configured). There are also going to be other clients - Raspberry Pi, XBMC etc.

If you are planning on using some other system I'd rather use XBMC and have npvr and the tuners on a "real" windows computer somewhere else.

Pretty much what I'm doing. My hope is to reduce my reliance on the physical server to just Hyper-V, the tuners and whatever interface allows a virtual NPVR to talk to the tuners. Then if the virtual machine hosting the main NPVR has issues it doesn't affect anything else.