3 tuners and 1 cable set top box

[dvd_maniac]

I have three tuners (1 USB2 & 2 PVR-250's) and I was wondering about buying the USB-UIRT device and changing one of the inputs from TV Tuner to cable box. How will this effect scheduling? Will it use the cable box first? will it know when it needs to record from cable box for premium channels like HBO? Anything I should consider before purchasing this device?

[stanger89]

Originally posted by dvd_maniac
I have three tuners (1 USB2 & 2 PVR-250's) and I was wondering about buying the USB-UIRT device and changing one of the inputs from TV Tuner to cable box. How will this effect scheduling?

It won't.

Will it use the cable box first?

Depends on how you configure it, you can set it up to use the box first, last or in between (I suppose) depending on how you set the encoder merit in the properties file.

will it know when it needs to record from cable box for premium channels like HBO?

Yup, it figures that out when you configure a new source in the setup wizard.

Anything I should consider before purchasing this device?

My advice would be to leave the analog cable hooked up to all cards, and simply add the box to one of them. That way the analog channels will always be recorded via the tuners, and only the digital channels will fall to the cable box. That's because IR blasters, by their nature, aren't quite as reliable as the tuners. Plus the Tuners change channels faster and don't pop up an OSD on you like cable boxes do. And finaly, and probably the biggest benefit, that way you're the least likely to have a recording screwed up by someone changing the channel on the cable box during a recording

[dvd_maniac]

My advice would be to leave the analog cable hooked up to all cards, and simply add the box to one of them.

If this is done it will record analog if available and digital when neccessary? So, analog takes priority?

that way you're the least likely to have a recording screwed up by someone changing the channel on the cable box during a recording

This is not an issue since my PC, TV, and cable box is an extra one in my personal office that noone else enters and that pc acts as a media server.

[stanger89]

Originally posted by dvd_maniac
If this is done it will record analog if available and digital when neccessary? So, analog takes priority?

Sort of, what you do is enable all the analog channels on the tuner, and then only the digital ones (there aren't duplicates AFIAK, ones on both analog and digital) through the box. Then only stuff on digital channels will be recorded with the box.

This is not an issue since my PC, TV, and cable box is an extra one in my personal office that noone else enters and that pc acts as a media server.

Then it might not be worth the effort.

[dvd_maniac]

Sorry I meant this as my last quote:

And finaly, and probably the biggest benefit, that way you're the least likely to have a recording screwed up by someone changing the channel on the cable box during a recording

not this one:
quote:
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This is not an issue since my PC, TV, and cable box is an extra one in my personal office that noone else enters and that pc acts as a media server.
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[kny3twalker]

actually what you could do is
if the digital cable channels match the analogue ones
you could setup the third tuner or first tuner for the digital cable only
set it up as the first tuner if you want most recording in digital
or the third tuner if you want it free the most for liveTV

but this would only work if the digital and analogue channels matched
well other than the extras you get from digital

other wise go with stanger89 suggestion

thats how I have miune setup
but cause the analogue cable is just for locals
with DirecTV for the other channels