PC PVR and Satelite or Digital Box

[roxy99]

Don't get all worked up over analog being less than ideal. When you watch TV directly from the STB, you are connecting the analog S-Video out anyway. So Sage is nothing different except a PC exists between the two. Even with the extra conversion in between of analog to digital, then back to analog- you won't see the difference is SD tv. The digital aspect refers to the signal the stb receives from the coax. The output end is still going to be analog with or without Sage and a pc capture card.

Unless you're talking about HDTV, a normal 480i signal is going to be analog anyway. DVB connections and all the encryption is a whole other can of worms.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by JParedis

If above is correct, than I need to:
- Find a PCI DVB-S card which supports my provider's requirements (still to find out what all these could be).
- Once found, download MyTheatre and check if it works on that card.
- If it works, get the plugin and have connect SageTV to it.
- If all that works, pay license for MyTheatre.

Jan

Jan,
it easy to find a DVB-S card. It has to be one that also has a corresponding common interface (CI) module like the Technotrend S-1500 or S-3200. Nothing special required.

I have the latter with the CI and it works with SageTV. I also have a CAM that supports most encryption standards including mediaguard. The only thing you need is a Mediaguard CAM and you are set.

Can you tell me which Sat provider you are talking about. Is it CanalSat France? I could probably find some more concrete info.

[JParedis]

Lucas,

Originally Posted by Lucas

Jan,
it easy to find a DVB-S card. It has to be one that also has a corresponding common interface (CI) module like the Technotrend S-1500 or S-3200. Nothing special required.

I had a look at these cards. The S-3200 requires thus 2 PCI slots, one for the card and the other for the CI/CAM. I have seen cards that combine DVB and CI/CAM in one PCI card, would that not be easier?

Originally Posted by Lucas

I have the latter with the CI and it works with SageTV. I also have a CAM that supports most encryption standards including mediaguard. The only thing you need is a Mediaguard CAM and you are set.

Do you have SageTV control the card directly , or do you also go via MyTheatre?

The SAT provider's site states it uses Mediaguard /V1+ as encryption, does the /V1+ make a difference?
Is it thus the CAM that defines which encryption is supported, what CAM do you have?

Originally Posted by Lucas

Can you tell me which Sat provider you are talking about. Is it CanalSat France? I could probably find some more concrete info.

That would be www.tvvlaanderen.be (but sadly enough they only have a website in local - Flemish/Dutch - language).


What I like about my current setup is that the Hauppauge PVR-150 does all the CPU work on the PVR card, so the PC CPU has very low to no load. SageTV is also not that CPU intensive (unless a few clients are watching DIVX at same time).
What is your experience with this SageTV-Sat setup?

Jan

EDIT Aug 13 => I visited a hardware store, in business with sat's since years, and they told me that TVVlaanderen can not be captured with an internal PCI card. Must say they could not explain - clearly - to me what the problem was, so certainly will go for second/third opinion.