Cable TV with Linux MCE (Virgin)

[kasperbs]

Hi, I'm new to all this media center thing so forgive me if this seems obvious. I have cable television and broadband with virgin media. I get my tv from the VBox from virgin where I put in my plastic card i got from virgin. How will that work with Linux MCE when I want to record tv shows to my computer? The only option I can see, is that I somehow connect the VBox to a S-Video in, in my PC and then via S-Video out, to my television?

Thanks

[kasperbs]

*BUMP*
Maybe I complicated this a bit too much. If anyone could just give me an example of how a cable customer can use LinuxMCE as a PVR. Surely I'm not the only one interested in doing this. I would just like to know where in the chain of media directors, The core and orbitors the cable box and the plastic card comes in.

[dopey]

You get a TV capture card and connect it to your computer. Connect the Video Out on the cable box to the capture card. Then either connect the computer to a serial connection on the cable box (only if it's supported) or use an IR blaster to have LinuxMCE control the cable box. Then you can output to your TV using whatever your TV supports. Some TV's support VGA, DVI, HDMI, S-Video, Component, etc. It all depends on your TV and computer video card.

I'm pretty sure this is all explained in the Wiki...

[totallymaxed]

Hi, I'm new to all this media center thing so forgive me if this seems obvious. I have cable television and broadband with virgin media. I get my tv from the VBox from virgin where I put in my plastic card i got from virgin. How will that work with Linux MCE when I want to record tv shows to my computer? The only option I can see, is that I somehow connect the VBox to a S-Video in, in my PC and then via S-Video out, to my television?

Thanks

Hi Kasperbs,

As dopey says just use you'll need a card with an analog video input in your Core/Hybrid (ie the media server that can also be client). You then take the output of your V+ box into your Core/Hybrid where it will get digitised and then either stored on hard disc or streamed so that the client in your Core/Hybrid can display it or to another Media Director somewhere else in your house. Your Core/Hybrid in this case would ideally be located close too or possibly underneath your V+ box (see http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Convergenthome for an example of the kind of hardware you might use for this) so that the analog in and IR blaster are easy to hook up.

The V+ has two SCART's, HDMI and Component out. The 2nd of the two SCART's is available for attaching a traditional analog VCR so you can use this connection for hooking up your Core/Hybrid.

[kasperbs]

Thanks for the info, it's sounds nice and simple. I just couldn't imagine how it would work out, since I haven't tried anything like that before.

I have been looking round the Wiki a lot and there is a lot of good info there. But I haven't been able to find n entry that discussed this particular topic (hence the thread). But if any of you could point me to it, that would be great.

Thanks a lot

[totallymaxed]

Thanks for the info, it's sounds nice and simple. I just couldn't imagine how it would work out, since I haven't tried anything like that before.

I have been looking round the Wiki a lot and there is a lot of good info there. But I haven't been able to find n entry that discussed this particular topic (hence the thread). But if any of you could point me to it, that would be great.

Thanks a lot

No problem... let us know how you get on :-)