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2012-10-02, 00:31
(This post was last modified: 2012-10-02, 00:34 by thebearnecessit.)
Going to try and setup xbmc pvr, can anyone help me with a couple questions.
1. Which back end is likely to be the best choice to run on Windows XP? It looks like For The Record or MediaPrtal from what I can see. What are others using with Windows?
2. Which hardware is likely to be my best option? Or to put it another way, can people post and tell me what's working for them? The HD Homerun seems to be mentioned quite a lot when I was reading up.
background info in case it matters: I'm running Eden PVR on Windows XP and would like to use two cables from my satellite dish, I'm based in the uk.
Any help at all is much appreciated, let me know what's working for you.
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KRA77
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First off, XP might give some problems, as a minimum it needs some patches.
1. backends for windows:
- Mediaportal tv-server good product, good support, need various plugins to become fullfeature, I would probably not suggest this someone who is new to the game.
- For The Record, excellent software as a recorder, lots of features, can be a little tricky to setup but good manual. Has many features as a recording backend, but that's also one of it's downfall currently, I believe it was made as the perfect recording software, and was not made with live-tv in mind, ergo it lack conflict managment.
- Nextpvr, I would put this somewhere in the middle of the 2 above, I've only tested it for about a week, but it seems like a good alround option, fairly easy to setup, and it has the features most people want. I've had some issues with it, but the support from developer has been damn impressive.
- DVBViewer, I have not tested this.
Mediaportal and 4TR har had plugins for a long time (been using 4TR since january) Nextpvr is rather new, and needs new "unstable" Frodo builds to work.
As for hardware, I have noe experience with this HD Homerun, basically any dvb-s(2) card with BDA drivers should work for the mentioned backends. Your problem is subscription card, support for CI/CAM is limited, but you allways have the option of using softcam with your card, all of them support it (some unofficial) I think it's considered illegal in some contries. But hey, I pay for sub...
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KRA77
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2012-10-02, 16:46
(This post was last modified: 2012-10-02, 16:49 by KRA77.)
I'm not sure how signals are transmitted in UK, but normally you need dvb-s2 for HD channels.
As for backend, I would try nextpvr first and see if it suits you needs, because it's a easy install and setup. It's a nice place to start.
I've allways considered hauppauge to provide nice cards, but I just got a nova hd dvb-s2 usb2, and have had some bsod's since, something I found not uncommon looking at hauppauge forum. It might also be the fact that I'm running WHS2011. I was trying different USB port and pluged it into an old usb1 hub, the result was bsod at boot !
My HVR-4000 from hauppauge served me well for many years, as did pvr150 before that, but now I'm not so sure about hauppauge anymore.
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Can't you return your Hauppauge?
Thanks so much for you help.
I've just bought the Hauppauge wintv dvb-s usb2. I don't need HD channels (and I think they are still available in the UK with dvb-s anyway from what I've read).
I'm going to go with NextPVR as you suggested. I'll try and remember to come and post results here in case anyone is looking in and wondering what hardware and software to go with in order to get satellite channels through xbmc.
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KRA77
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would be nice to get feedback if the tuner is working, I see your registered on NPVR forum. Hopefully the Hauppuage you get is better than mine, it's the normal dvb-s version, not dvb-s2 so not same hardware. Returning mine is futile, it was the only dvb-s2 usb tuner I found available in Norway, so I have to stick it out and hope it becomes more safe with driver update.
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KRA77
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No I don't think it's the same, I believe mine in called Nova HD dvb-s usb2 or something like that, mine has dvb-s2 support, I believe the one you ordered dont
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I have an HDHomerun, its a great tuner. Not sure if its the best, but I highly recommend it. Great thing is that you can put it anywhere...just have to attach a network cable to it.
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I'm in NA. I bought it from newegg. I use tvheadend as a backend for xbmc.
Just doing a quite look, I haven't seen a mention of DVB-S support for the HDHomerun. Maybe someone in the UK knows?
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2012-10-07, 20:18
(This post was last modified: 2012-10-07, 20:20 by thebearnecessit.)
OK, I didn't buy HD Homerun in the end. I sacrificed HD channels and the ability to have two signals and bought a Hauppauge WinTV gadget that plugs into my computers USB port and feeds me tv channels from my satellite dish.
The model I bought is the Hauppauge DVB-S USB2. It was £66 form ebay. Which is about $100.
Hauppauge = manufacturer
WinTV = range of tv gadgets for computers
DVB = Digital Video Broadcast (just means digital tv as far as i know)
S = mine is S, and not S2. which means it can only accept one cable from my dish instead of two (which meas I can't record a seperate channel whilst watching something at the same time)
USB2 = it plugs into your computer using your computers USB port.
I wanted to use XBMC so here's what I had to do:
find a copy of xbmc that works with tv (a "PVR" version)
install my hauppauge WinTV
install some software on my computer that can pickup the channels and give them to xbmc (called a "backend"). I chose "For The Record"
Configure it all - almost all of the configuration was in getting For The Record to work. There's a few steps but their installation guide is decent and takes you through it.
Summary: NextPVR backend was crashing and giving errors, MediaPortal backend needed Windows Media Player 11 which I couldn't download because I couldnt find my WindowsXP certificate number). So I tried ForTheRecord and it's working well.
It's crashed a couple times over 24 hours, takes about 7 seconds to load a channel and can't pause yet but it works, and I think the crashes may have just been teething problems because it hasnt crashed in the last 8 hours.. An amazing job by everyone involved in all this free software and getting the different software to speak to eachother.
Conclusion: For £66 from ebay the PVR box I bought works fine.
When xbmc becomes capable of pausing, rewinding etc (timeshifting), is that feature likely to be made available in Eden? Because my computer can't handle frodo?
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2012-10-11, 19:58
(This post was last modified: 2012-10-11, 20:37 by thebearnecessit.)
KRA77,
That is a great help, but that's the build i'm running.
Appreciate your help.
I won't sue you if it goes wrong,