Dual STB config using 2 Hauppauge Colossus 2 cards

[three6zerocool]

Hello,  been using NextPVR 5/6 for some time now, with both DVB-T tuners and STB using Hauppauge Colossus 2 card and Haupblast.exe for the IR blasting (learniong the codes with Hauppauges's IRblast utility.

I would like to use a second colossus card for a 2nd STB.
My understanding is that only one IR blaster will work in this configuration.  Is this correct?

Can NExtPVR V6 support Tuners hosted on a different PC?
ie. Could I install the 2nd colossus card in another PC, and have my main NextPVR server use it?

I have been messing around with Plex and Xteve, and NextPVR generates an m3u list, and Xsteve the guide data, and it works running Xteve on each machine under Plex.

The issue being that it is quite complex and not as elegant as native NextPVR clients.

I do have a proxmox server, and tried hosting 2 instances of Windows as separate VM's, and it worked, so could install NextPVR and Irblast on each instance, but before doing so just wondered if it is even possible to do with NextPVR?

I guess I would have to find an IRblasing solution for the 2nd colossus card if both cards in in the same PC, as NextPVR has no issues in that regard, it is just the IR blasting that is problematic.

Any suggestions?

[mvallevand]

There are alternatives to using the Hauppauge blaster that will work with one instance of NextPVR but yes you you can use a second server as IPTV input if you want. The second server doesn't need an epg to make it a little easier, but the Colossus will to get going. I used v4 to feed NextPVR while sub added extra support for Linux.

Martin

[three6zerocool]

That actually didn't even occur to me.

So, to clarify, I configure secondary NextPVR server up as per normal.
Then on primary nextpvr machine, I configure IPTV tuner, and give it the m3u channel list and epg url's from the secondary nextpvr?

Thank you yet again for the prompt and as usual, very informative reply.
I can honestly say that is one of the things I like most about this project, that being the simply amazing and unrivalled support.

Reading thru the forums, the effort you put into helping other users is amazing.
(methinks it is you and not WWE superstar AJ Styles who is 'The Phenomenal One')

[mvallevand]

Thanks for the kind words, some users don't like my style because I can be a bit hard line, but I try my best.

You don't need to create an m3u, you can use the server m3u, http://ip:8866/service?method=channel.m3u You won't use the EPG from the server, you can disable that server's EPG update, and do the mapping in the primary machine. There could be some issues auto-mapping because I am not sure sub supports his own format as an option.

Martin

[three6zerocool]

Thanks, I did exactly that and used the server m3u from my primary NextPVR server.
It imported in the new IPTV channel lineup, and numbered them forward from the last channel entry on the primary NextPVR server.
As I am a Sky STB user that existing lineup went from 1-618,  so the new IPTV lineup went from 619 forward.

ie. First Sky channel on primary machine is  '1 Sky TV1'  and at 619 I have channel of '519 Sky TV1'

Basically, I imported the XMLTV file from my primary server into the new NextPVR server on the other machine machine.
Not sure that was the correct thing to do?

The plan was to have two STB's with same channel offeriing, so if one family member was watching an STB channel, that I could watch another.
I thought it would merge the channels kinda like multiple DVB-T tuner channels do.

Then I made my second mistake, and ran the secondary NextPVR server on Windows 11. (as that was on the new machine already)
No issues with NextPVR etc, but discovered issues getting IR Blasting from Colossus2 card working.
Discovered it does not work unless the Blastcfg utility from Hauppauge is run in compatibility mode for Windows 7.
Things work then, but seem to be in like slow motion, where all sorts of strange stuff occurs, but mainly random stuff like sometimes it fires codes, and sometimes it doesn't.

The primary NextPVR server with identical card works great in Windows 10, so I know it works.

I also noticed that when installing the Colossusr2 driver in Windows 11, that you have to disable memory integrity option in Windows 11.  Then the driver installs, but does not seem to complete and exit correctly, and I have to kill the driver install task. Hauppauge on their site actually mention this as an issue for the Colossus2 card.

So, I have retrograded the OS back to Windows 10, and am setting everything back up again for another attempt.

[mvallevand]

My 4 IR port USB blaster was around $50 bucks. Glad I did this instead.

Martin

[three6zerocool]

Well, I have Windows 10 up and running on the secondary machine.

Working thru and installing everything such as the drivers, and about to do NextPVR itself.

Smooth sailing thus far.  The contrast between setting up Colossus2 on windows 10 compared to 11, is night and day difference.  Everything just works.
The drivers complete their install, the Hauppauge IRBlast software works and learns the codes from my remote.

You would think the current OS would be as good, but it aint!.  (not for what I am messing with)

[three6zerocool]

That went quite well.

I now have the secondary NextPVR server up and running.
Have the colossus2 tuner setup with guide and IR blasting natively on second NextPVR server.

Also have imported the server generated m3u file into the IP Tuner settings of Primary NextPVR server.
Of the test STB channels I have configured so far, it correctly changes the channel from the second STB, just as if I were on the secondary server itself.

Is it now possible to merge the secondary sourced IPTV derived STB channels with my primary channels on the main NextPVR?
What I mean, is with dual DVB-T tuners, it shows multiple sources for each channel.

Can I merge the HDMI STB channels with the m3u derived STB channels?

..Dean..

[mvallevand]

I don't know know how to automerge you might have to edit the m3u get better names and numbers, but you can do it two at a time.

Martin

[sub]

As long as both copies of the channels have the same name, you should be able to use the Settings->Channels->AdvancedTools->AutoMerge.