HOT! Beyond TV Software...$60

[zinkpig]

Originally posted by: psxjunky
zink: First, a word of caution. If you are mixing a 250 with a 350, make sure they are both using the same conexant chip, i.e. CX23415. If your 250 is newer, it will most likely use the newer CX23416 chip ... which is not yet compatible with the older CX23415 chipset based cards and you will have a lot of hassle getting them to work together (it is not impossible, but you need a lot of work and a bit of luck). The older cards (CX23415) uses a black heat sink on the chip. The newer chips run cooler and hence don't need a heat sink ... so you can just read the chip number off of it.

Oh i didnt realize they had issues even when both were the same chip. both my cards have the heatsink ..so i am guessing its the older 15 chip. My 250 is the gateway pull , got it as a newegg refurb for real cheap , if it doesnt work I plan to send it back. Th pcb is identical to the pvr 350 , same exact lay out with empty spots where the hardware decoder and the fm tuner goes. I am waiting for my processer to come from newegg, I am hoping this will work ok.

Yes, if your settopbox allows serial control, you can easily build a null modem cable to control it. The SnapStream online store also sells cable packs which may work for you.

thats really cool . I think i have a null modem adapter lying around. didnt see any option for selecting com port in sage.( 1.4) I planned on using sage until I figure how to install myth ( just way more powerful and better support from the community i heard)

 

[psxjunky]

No, if they are both the same chip, then they should work fine with each other.

Since you are planning on using Myth, it is really good that you have the older card. From what I have heard, the newer chipset is not yet supported by IVTV drivers.

Sage does allow serial control ... but since I never needed it I didn't take the time to look for it. BTW, the Sage forum (as well as the SnapStream forum) is a GREAT place to get community support.

I did try installing and using MythTV, but it proved to be just too much work and the version kept on changing so frequently that I couldn't keep up

 

[Probedude]

Originally posted by: psxjunky
For IR Blasters, Actisys IR200L $40 and USB UIRT $50 are two popular choices.

Is there also a 'build your own' IR blaster that works with Sage or BTV? I vaguely remember running across it but cannot find it anymore.

 

[psxjunky]

I seem to remember something about it too, but can't recall where I had seen it. The Girder (www.girder.nl) page probably had some info on DIY IR Blasters ...

 

[zinkpig]

here it is
lirc

 

[Probedude]

Originally posted by: zinkpig
here it is
lirc

Thanks, but the one I saw used a PIC microcontroller and I think it looked like the USB-UIRT on the inside, though there are not any PICS that support USB so it was probably serially connect.

 

[Probedude]

Here it is. I suspect the USB-UIRT is the same thing except that author added USB support (maybe using a FTDI chip).

Dave
http://www.fukushima.us/UIRT2/

 

[Slickone]

Is an IR Blaster a way to have remote control for the recording software? Would it also control playing a DVD?

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: Slickone
Is an IR Blaster a way to have remote control for the recording software? Would it also control playing a DVD?

No ... unless it is a combined IR receiver/transmitter unit like the USB-UIRT. Generally the purpose of the IR Blaster is to send IR signals to your satellite/cable box to tell it to change channel before a scheduled recording begins. This is kind of like you sitting there with the remote changing the channel and then pressing "record" on the VCR. In this case, the PVR software knows when a scheduled recording it going to be aired, so at the right moment it send the remote signal thru the IR blaster and then starts recording.

The IR receiver, on the other hand, receives signals from the PVR remote that you are using, and controls the PVR software itself - like show guide, show recorded programs, play a recorded show, pause, etc.

USB-UIRT is a device that integrates both a IR Blaster and an IR Receiver into the same unit. This is not generally the case. The retail version of Hauppauge WinTV 250/350 cards come with a IR Receiver but no blaster.

The Philips MCE remote that Newegg sells, come with both an IR Receiver unit and a separate IR Blaster cable.

 

[lockness]

Im struggling to find any advantages of this over my current setup of directv with a tivo receiver. Maybe jsut the fact that its easily on the pc and can burn dvd's? Any other advantage?

Thanks

 

[wuduhel]

Originally posted by: lockness
Im struggling to find any advantages of this over my current setup of directv with a tivo receiver. Maybe jsut the fact that its easily on the pc and can burn dvd's? Any other advantage?

Thanks

uh, no monthly fee? yeah, that's it. no monthly fee or outrageous lifetime fee.

 

[curtfj]

Warning There lates update to 3.4.4 has crashed on me 20 times since I updated a week ago. I went to thier online forum and A LOT of people are having the same problem. They are VERY slow to fix problems, I would wait before buying.

 

[stultus]

Has anyone with a Tivo switched to a PC-based solution? I have a Tivo, and I'm paying a monthly fee, but it seems like even if I looked at costs over 2 years (~$300 in saved service fees, $150 for selling my current Tivo) that I'd be hard pressed to build a dedicated HTPC that 1) looked nice, 2) had a remote, and 3) was beefy enough to record 20+ hours of shows. I think.

 

[wuduhel]

Originally posted by: stultus
Has anyone with a Tivo switched to a PC-based solution? I have a Tivo, and I'm paying a monthly fee, but it seems like even if I looked at costs over 2 years (~$300 in saved service fees, $150 for selling my current Tivo) that I'd be hard pressed to build a dedicated HTPC that 1) looked nice, 2) had a remote, and 3) was beefy enough to record 20+ hours of shows. I think.

i just got a cheap del| 400sc and a $40 160gb HDD for ~$100, a software tuner card and beyondTV trial. if i buy beyondTV and a pvr250 total cost would be ~$250 plus i have a dedicated PC in the livingroom for playing mp3 and divx.

 

[hjlin]

Originally posted by: stultus
Has anyone with a Tivo switched to a PC-based solution? I have a Tivo, and I'm paying a monthly fee, but it seems like even if I looked at costs over 2 years (~$300 in saved service fees, $150 for selling my current Tivo) that I'd be hard pressed to build a dedicated HTPC that 1) looked nice, 2) had a remote, and 3) was beefy enough to record 20+ hours of shows. I think.

Once you got DirecTivo, I don't think you want to go back to IRBlaster remote doodat. Trust me, I used to own a stand-alone Tivo, and switched over to DirecTivo. The difference is night and day. I used to hate it when I miss a show because the IR didn't change channels properly. With build-in tuners, I don't have to worry about it ever again (unless they screw up the scheduling).

Personally, the HTPC advantages I see are:
- cheaper in (very) long run compare to DirecTivo. wuduhel is going to spend $250 for this (which sounds like a great deal). DTivo is $100, and $5 a month for Tivo service, so that would be 30 months before it breaks even.
- easier to archive shows to DVD/CD/internet. You can hack DTivo to do almost same (not as nice/easy)
- Basically Tivo's Home Media opition for free. Which is nice. Something which I personally don't use.
- Upgradable to High Def later just by swapping out a card/software.

Disadvantages:
- DTivo is nice and compact. I don't think I have space, nor want a PC in my TV area.
- DTivo has 2 build-in tuners. To get that, need to pay for extra with HTPC.
- No IR Blaster crap (which is big in my book)

I dunno, some day, I might build a HTPC for the geek factor of it. But right now DTivo keeps me happy.

 

[Slickone]

So the IR Blaster has problems?

hjlin, they way you have it listed under disadvantages, your saying the HTPC has no IR Blaster.