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linux mythtv newbie
http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=12381		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  kilobit [ Sun Oct 29, 2006 7:41 pm ]
Post subject:  linux mythtv newbie
Hello guys, ive been wanting to setup a mythbox now for 3 years and over the years i would get started and then put it away for a while. This time i am wanting to get this thing setup but i have some questions about some things. First let me tell you what my hardware is.

Amd athlon 2200+
160gb pata drive (main storage will be on windows server)
Nvidia 440? basic card no tv out just vga
pvr-350
feed => satellite (dtv-dishnetwork)

Now, up until here recently i had always thought that i could use the input on my pvr to my satellite box and use the output from the pvr to my tv. I have read on these forums that this is not how to do it. I am a little confused about this and was wondering if someone could clarify. This server will be the frontend/backend and will be setting right by the tv.

If i do need a standard tv-out car to use instead of my pvr350 then i have a wintv tv tuner card and 2 ati all-in-wonder capture cards. In any event would someone point me in the right direction as to how i should use this hardware and how i should set it up correctly. Thanks guys.

Oh btw, i only know how to navigate in linux and a few simple commands so i will probably be using knoppmyth for the setup as well.

Thanks
-Tommy
Author:  mjl [ Mon Oct 30, 2006 7:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Hi,

I am a little confused as to what you are asking. The 350 card will accept video (composite or svhs) and rf. This would be plain old standard tv siganls.

Depending how you have connected or plan to connect the 350 card would depend on what is available from your sat box as a video or a rf signal (ch 3 or 4?)

There is information on how to make an external channel changing device for control over the sat box as the 350 would have to stay in one place during view / record.

The 350 has on board a hardware decoder which off loads a lot of cpu work. If you set up for tv out then a composite video (svhs alternate) is available on the dongle cable. Also if using the dongle cable, there is a check box to "use the 350 output" in the utility menus. This is what enables the hardware decoder to be used and only applies to that output.

Be advised, if you are using the 350, there are some issues with the R5D1 and takes a little extra work to get it going for tv out. R5C7 works fine.

I suspect when Cecil's work load and daily demands allows him, he will have that small detail tweaked in his future releases. To be able to appreciate the work he has done, install some system, then try to make mythtv work. So keep smiling, life is good :)

Mike
Mike.
Author:  borgednow [ Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: linux mythtv newbie
kilobit wrote:
Hello guys, ive been wanting to setup a mythbox now for 3 years and over the years i would get started and then put it away for a while. This time i am wanting to get this thing setup but i have some questions about some things. First let me tell you what my hardware is.

Amd athlon 2200+
160gb pata drive (main storage will be on windows server)
Nvidia 440? basic card no tv out just vga
pvr-350
feed => satellite (dtv-dishnetwork)

Now, up until here recently i had always thought that i could use the input on my pvr to my satellite box and use the output from the pvr to my tv. I have read on these forums that this is not how to do it. I am a little confused about this and was wondering if someone could clarify. This server will be the frontend/backend and will be setting right by the tv.

If i do need a standard tv-out car to use instead of my pvr350 then i have a wintv tv tuner card and 2 ati all-in-wonder capture cards. In any event would someone point me in the right direction as to how i should use this hardware and how i should set it up correctly. Thanks guys.

Oh btw, i only know how to navigate in linux and a few simple commands so i will probably be using knoppmyth for the setup as well.

Thanks
-Tommy


Actually, you aren't that far off I think.

Your dish feed/dish box will feed into your pvr, and your pvr will feed into your tv.

Most people hook up their tvs to their pvrs through the video card rather than through a tv card. (unless you have a tv card that does input and output. Most are just input.) Your nvidia card is only vga, so you may end up buying a convertor box that switches vga to a tv signal. I use an nvidia card with an s-video port on it, which hooks directly to my s-video in on my tv.

I don't know how difficult it would be to have the tv hooked through the wintv card though. The hauppage 350 has an in and an out also, and I guess it's a little more complicated to use.

I believe the biggest problem you will have is that your tuner card won't be able to change your channels. I could be wrong but I think you will still need to have the box for your satellite dish doing the channel switching. There is a solution though,

People have gotten around this by using an ir feed that has your pvr telling the sat box to switch channels. It's basically a kludge though.
Author:  kilobit [ Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ok, good answers! I was wanting to use the pvr-350 for both tv out and in. If this is complicated i will just buy a tv-out card. Now, my satellite box i thought lirc and the ir blaster was suppose to work with that. And this leads to my next question. Will my satellite reciever box display its menu system everytime the pvr tells it to change channels or something? Because that would be annoying to have 2 things telling me when i change channels or something. Doesnt the majority of mythtv users use it for digital cable/satellite? I would imagine that all have their own menu system that would have to be disabled too! or you would see both.
Author:  borgednow [ Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
kilobit wrote:
Ok, good answers! I was wanting to use the pvr-350 for both tv out and in. If this is complicated i will just buy a tv-out card. Now, my satellite box i thought lirc and the ir blaster was suppose to work with that. And this leads to my next question. Will my satellite reciever box display its menu system everytime the pvr tells it to change channels or something? Because that would be annoying to have 2 things telling me when i change channels or something. Doesnt the majority of mythtv users use it for digital cable/satellite? I would imagine that all have their own menu system that would have to be disabled too! or you would see both.


I don't know about the majority but I have regular old analog, so my hauppage tuner card is able to switch channels fine on it's own.

I'm assuming your tv only has coax inputs. If you have s-video or composite on your tv, I'd just switch to a cheap nvidia card with s-video or composite video. If not, and you need to use coax to the tv, then I'd just stick with the hauppage 350 out to the tv. At least try it before spending more money anyway.

The lirc and the ir blaster will do what you need. I'm not using it and I'm not familiar with it, so don't take what I said about it as gospel. I thought it was moderately kludgy only because it seems kludgy to me. Unfortunately, it's the best kludge around.

I'm just nitpicky. In my own opinion, a non-kludge solution would be a satellite receiver that could talk to other devices without going through IR.

Or even better, a satellite receiver tuner card that you could plug into your pvr.

Basically the kludges are all the satellite receiver mfr's faults. There's nothing that the mythtv side can do to improve it yet until someone makes better hardware.
Author:  bruce_s01 [ Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I was wanting to use the pvr-350 for both tv out and in.

You should be able to use the TV-Out of the PVR350, though as I understand it there are problems with R5D1.

Quote:
Now, my satellite box i thought lirc and the ir blaster was suppose to work with that.


If your IR-Blaster is a device that allows your PC to send IR signals to devices, then yes it should allow you to control the STB. Though you should check compatibility, in the UK, a couple of Cable Suppliers use IRDA rather than RC-5 to send IR signals.

Quote:
Will my satellite reciever box display its menu system everytime the pvr tells it to change channels or something? Because that would be annoying to have 2 things telling me when i change channels or something. Doesnt the majority of mythtv users use it for digital cable/satellite? I would imagine that all have their own menu system that would have to be disabled too! or you would see both.


There should be a setting on your STB that sets how long the Channel/Now/Next display is on when changing channels, possibly even if it's displayed at all.

Bruce S.
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