Cableco DVR with six tuners, can NPVR use more than one?

[Joram]

Following up on a previous discussion:

As reported there, we now have three boxes from our cable company (Verizon), including two VMS4100 DVRs and one IPC4100 STB. As I understand it, the STB doesn't have its own tuners while the DVRs each have six tuners, such that in theory we could be recording up to twelve different programs at the same time. 

Now here's the question: Is there a way for NextPVR to make use of these multiple tuners (using the appropriate hardware) so that we can record more than one program at the same time onto our PC, instead of onto the DVRs? Or are we limited to recording from one single channel on any single PC?

I suspect that the answer is the latter, but wish to confirm it. Or, preferably, refute it.  

[sub]

If you're capturing the output of your set top box, like HDMI capture, then the set top box is only ever going to be outputting a single thing at a time. ie, it might as well be one tuner.

[Joram]

Thanks @sub, that's what I figured but wanted to confirm with the experts. 

[Joram]

A follow-up to this follow-up:

Almost all my experience with NextPVR so far is with a cable company set-top box, which doesn't have its own tuners and relies on the tuners of the DVR that's associated with the STB. So the following scenario is not exactly the same: having NextPVR in a PC that's connected to the DVR itself with its several tuners.

Here's the question. As an example, the U.S. evening news shows (CBS, NBC, ABC) air in our area at the same time, between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. Suppose that (for whatever reason) we decide to record the CBS and NBC news on the DVR. If we have a NextPVR system on a PC connected to this DVR, would it be possible then to set it to record the ABC news on the PC even as the CBS and NBC news are getting recorded on the DVR?

To my mind, this is distinct from the situation @sub describes two posts above this one. If the DVR (in this case, not a STB) is recording two different shows at the same time, we can't say that there is a single particular output coming out of it, no? So I guess the question boils down to whether NPVR could only record one of the two shows that's already being recorded on the DVR (and how would it know which of the two to record?), or whether it could utilize the IR blaster capabilities to record a third show off a third DVR tuner.

(BTW I'm aware that we could set up an OTA antenna and have NextPVR recognize it as a further programming source. I'm trying to keep the focus on the DVR angle here.)

Trying to gain further understanding of how it all works, thanks.

[mvallevand]

Background recordings work fine, it is the HDMI out that NextPVR cares about. It is no different from what sub told you and what I tried to explain months ago, you have to clearly understand that the HDPVR only captures HDMI and the the remote only controls the HDMI out not what is going on in the background.

Martin

[Joram]

OK, so under the "three news shows" scenario above, let's say that the DVR isn't set to display any particular channel, but is showing the screensaver instead. Now I change the TV's video input to the PC, launch NextPVR, and select Live TV. Two channels are recording on the DVR. What channel shows up on my screen -- is it one of the two being recorded on the DVR, or can I select a third one?

[mvallevand]

In that scenario it would be the screensaver. If you recall I indicated you might need to be sure you can wake the screensaver with your tuning script.

Martin

[Joram]

the remote only controls the HDMI out not what is going on in the background

Thanks for the last reply, that was helpful. Regarding the quote above, I guess what I was having trouble wrapping my head around is how the blaster works. To my mind it seemed as though the blaster must somehow be able to make use of tuner(s) since it can change the channels that the tuner is tuned to (which suggests that the blaster can control a tuner).

Just to make sure I have this right: The bottom line is that in the "three news shows" scenario, on NPVR one could only watch and record whichever of the two channels that are getting recorded on the DVR the DVR happens to be displaying?

[mvallevand]

No it cannot record either of the shows that are being recorded, those are background processes. It doesn't show recordings unless you opt to view a recording. It records the screensaver or whatever you tune to for live tv.

Martin

[Joram]

Thanks Martin, that helped.