I am looking into setting up up a KnoppMyth machine using spare parts and had some questions about Hauppauge tuners.

what would be the best strategy for creating a multi tuner setup on a low power machine. I figure to use a PIII 650 or a PII 450 type machine. I realize that I will need to spend extra on a hardware encoder tuner board.

from what I have gathered in my searches, the PVR-500 has issues with picture quality due to an inferior Samsung chip and should be avoided for the time being. too bad because I have seen prices as low as 129-139$ for the whitebox version.

should I go with 2 PVR-150 or 2 PVR-350 boards? plus what is the difference between the retail version(seems to include an IR blaster) and the "whitebox" version? from what I have seen, the whitebox version seems to be labeled "MCE" and includes a remote control? I take it this version doesn;t include an IR blaster.

how useful(or useless) is the bundled remote and/or IR blaster? I figure to be controlling a Direct TV sat box and a Time warner cable box.

If I am installing multi tuners, could I buy 1 retail box and 1 whitebox? or do you need an IR blaster for each cable box. I have seen the retail version for about 86$, whitebox version around $50.

are whitebox version more likely to be flaky?

thanks in advance.

For the PVR-500 issues with the Samsung Tuners, see this thread http://www.mysettopbox.tv/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13175 it has fixed my issues 95% with that one parameter.

I have the PVR-500 white box version...

As for "retail box" verses "white box", it's usually means that you'll get a remote(retail) or not(whitebox). No differences in design or quality.

You'll need an IR blaster for each set-top-box you want to manage...

thanks for the reply!

is the IR blaster that comes with the retail version any good? or should I look to get a 3rd party one.

another question-how do you like the PVR-500? How do you connect it tour your video sources and control the channel changing? in the info that I have seen, it;s a 2 tuner card but with only 1 set of inputs(coax. composite)? to use both tuners, do eliminate the cable box at all and plug the coax directly into the card? I heard that it;s able to split the signal. unfortunately, that would not work with my DirectTV box.

Thanks again.

I haven't attached it to my cable boxes yet.
I believe it's cable box 1 to coax and cable box 2 to s-video or rca in...

I have limited PCI slots for this project and doing a dual tuner is the only way to accomplish it.
Hauppauge support is responsive. They don't get into Linux support but they will at least talk to you....

the pix I have seen on NewEgg seem to indicate that there is a ribbon cable to a second set of inputs included with the PVR-500. I am guessing that this is where you attach to the 2nd tuner.

did yours come with that?

Yes, you're correct. It has s-video and composite inputs off that connector.

Hi,

If you plan to watch tv using the slow cpu then you will need the pvr350 using the tv out via the onboard hardware decoder. The other cards would be fine for a second / third record.

600mhz is marginal low end as I have experienced where the 400 will be ok with the 350. (I am using R5C7)

Mike

Thanks for the replies.

so it sounds like the "ultimate setup" for a multi tuner low end box could be to pair a Hauppauge 350 with maybe a 150 because the 350 has a better hardware encoder and video out.

as for Software Encoder boards as a 2nd or 3rd Tuner, what cards work best?