Switch capture sources

[nhojo7]

I'm new at this, the answer is probably quite simple.

I have cable and S-Video connected to my ATI 550 Pro tuner.
I have configured both sources.

Question: How do I switch from one source to the other for capturing?

[stefan]

You don't. Gbpvr automatically chooses (the appropriate) input for you.

[nhojo7]

Hmmm, I have s-video coming from the digital box and cable from a separate cable outlet.

I have tried capturing the s-video signal from the box (Motorola DCT 6200) with other PVR software and the resulting display seems noticeably better compared to capturing the same program through cable. The DCT 6200 is a HDTV box, but the non-HD channels come through OK with software such as Cyberlink Power Cinema or Power Director, and possibly Sage TV.

The box has to be set on the channel that is to be captured --- maybe GB PVR has no provision for this. I guess I could only have one capture source, the s-video, but that would defeat the purpose of a fine capture program.

Thanks

[sub]

You can configure it like that. Just setup two capture sources for the device. One configured to use the svideo input, the other configured to use the 'fixed channel, external tuner' option and set the channel number to 2 or 3 (or whatever you digital box outputs on).

[stefan]

Did you look at the wiki on some tips on how to setup capture sources?

[nhojo7]

In reading the wiki on setting up the capture card --- ConfigDefineSource -- I see the following: "Future releases may also support other capture cards such as the All-In-Wonder series from ATI.

As I mentioned in my post, I am using an ATI 550 Pro (but not the All-In-Wonder).

It may be that at present only the Hauppauge card is able to switch from cable to s-video from a set-top box?

I have followed instructions as closely as possible without success.

[stefan]

It should work with the ATI 550 pro. We need to clarify something: the "cable" you are talking about, is that directly from the cable outlet, via coax, and into the capture card? If that's the case, then sub misunderstood you, and his advice is not completely correct. You should still set up two capture sources, one for "internal tuner" (that'd be the cable outlet), and one for the s-video input you are using. Both capture sources should have board number 1 (since it's actually the same board).

Now, say you have channel ABC on both cable and STB (set top box), and channel XinHD on STB only.

If you record something off ABC, then gbpvr will choose whether to use cable or STB according to a certain ruleset, but if you record something off XinHD, then the STB will be used.

If the number of channels on cable is a true subset of the ones on the set top box, then there would be little or no purpose of set up both cable and STB sources, since the card can only be used for one at a time.

You also write that the STB must be set to the channel you want to watch. That's only half true. That is true until you get a channel changer of some sort. The most popular ones seem to be the MCE 2005 remote, or the USB-UIRT, both supported by gbpvr so that gbpvr can change channels on the STB for you when needed.

[nhojo7]

Appreciate your come back, stefan.

The "cable" is directly from the wall cable outlet (I have 2) via coax to the ATI 550 Pro cable-in screw terminal.

My second cable outlet goes to my STB which is a HDTV Motorola DCT6200.

I do not expect to receive HD signals through my computer tuner card (I don't think there is a card out there that can do this yet -- only over the air), but I would like to be able to record the non-HD stations through the s-video outlet on the STB to my tuner card.

The regular cable channels are a "subset" of those on the STB to confirm your note, so perhaps there is no way, since as you say the card can only be used for one at a time.

I have tried using the s-video as the only source, but it seems locked on a channel other than what is shown on the STB -- the channel it locks to is (4) our local service channel.

[stefan]

I have tried using the s-video as the only source, but it seems locked on a channel other than what is shown on the STB -- the channel it locks to is (4) our local service channel.

Let me get this straight. No matter what the STB shows, the card always records channel 4? Then you've got it set up wrong. In such case I suspect you set it up to use " fixed channel, external tuner". You should have it set up to use "s-video, external tuner", or possibly "composite, external tuner" (but i doubt that).

[sub]

Its not clear to me exactly what your're trying to say the problem is.

Did you setup the two capture sources:

1) The first capture source configured to use the PVR150's tuner. This should be connected to directly to the cable feed (by passing STB). You can run the tuning assistant to see what channels are available to you via this capture source.

2) The second capture source configured to use the PVR150's svideo input. This capture source would normally only be able to record the channel that the STB is tuned to, so you'll want to add an IR Blaster to your setup so that GB-PVR can tell the STB to change channels when it needs to.

Each of these capture sources should only have the available channels for that input enabled. GB-PVR follows an often described set of rules to decide which capture source to use for recordings and live tv. Given its only one card, GB-PVR will only allow one to be used at a time.