view DVR content from different Media directors?

[drjenk]

Hello,
I've been reading about linuxMCE for about the last week, and am considering the pros and cons of this solution vs. a slingbox/slingcatcher. 

It looked like from the video, that the content of a dvr from a different room can actually be watched "virtually".  That is, if a media director next to a dvr has a video capture and ir blaster connected, you can watch that dvr, and control it, from a different media director connected to a different tv?  This is the functionality I am looking for most.  Is this possible? 

Thanks

[tschak909]

yes, any av device can be bounced to multiple meia directors in the house. please use a pvr 150, 250, 500, or usb2 as the tuner card.

[drjenk]

Please excuse my newbness, but what brand is a pvr 150, 250, 500, or usb2?  And I am a  little confused by this, because in this scenario the "tuner" is my dvr.  Do you mean capture card?

Thanks

[tschak909]

Yes. Capture card. and the manufacturer is Hauppauge. These cards are discontinued, so you will need to get them second hand.

-Thom

[drjenk]

I see a 150 card listed here on their web site:

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/prods_mcbuilder.html

Is this one of them you are referencing?

Thanks

[cirion]

Yes this is correct:
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_pvr150mc.html

The PVR cards are tuner cards, but they also have S-Video and Composite + analogue audio in for recording.
LinuxMCE can use PVR cards both as a TV tuner, and as a input for external decoders like your DVR.

The quality will be in SD, and you can only watch one channel at the time.... But all MD's can watch the same channel.

[krys]

is there any audio/video quality differences between the 150,250,500? Looks to me like the main difference is multiple tuners but the 500 says it needs a PCI slot, PCI-X graphics card, and a soundcard, whereas the 150 just needs a PCI slot.
Also I am a little confused about the digital tv transition. Will these cards just not work with rabbit ears? or will they not pick up signal via the coax wall cable also?
Thanks,
Krys

[cirion]

I think the PVR250 is an old card. I only see the PVR150 and PVR500.
The biggest difference with 150 and 500 is that the PVR500 is a Dual Tuner.
Since both cards will work with both Antennas and analogue cable.
Both cards have Mpeg encoders.

You could look at it like this, a PVR500 is like having 2xPVR150 in a single PCI slot...
If you need inputs for external decoders the PVR500 has only one.

What I am not sure of, is what happens when you use both the tuner and the external input. Does anyone know if these cards can do both simultaneously? If not the PVR500 will have one more advantage. Since it has dual Mpeg encoders, you can use one TV input and one External input simultaneously.

[totallymaxed]

is there any audio/video quality differences between the 150,250,500? Looks to me like the main difference is multiple tuners but the 500 says it needs a PCI slot, PCI-X graphics card, and a soundcard, whereas the 150 just needs a PCI slot.
Also I am a little confused about the digital tv transition. Will these cards just not work with rabbit ears? or will they not pick up signal via the coax wall cable also?
Thanks,
Krys

We have tested the 150/250/350/500 and as far as we can tell there does not appear to be any capture quality difference between them.

These cards have no onboard digital TV capability at all... but they are very good video capture cards and could perform that task when connected to a Digital STB/PVR box's analog out (but only at SD not HD of course).

All the best

Andrew

[drjenk]

Yes this is correct:
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_pvr150mc.html

The PVR cards are tuner cards, but they also have S-Video and Composite + analogue audio in for recording.
LinuxMCE can use PVR cards both as a TV tuner, and as a input for external decoders like your DVR.

The quality will be in SD, and you can only watch one channel at the time.... But all MD's can watch the same channel.

This brings to mind another question.  If two different media directors each have a pvr card, and a directv receiver connected to them, will linuxMCE take advantage of this "dual tuner" capacity in it's "season pass" functionality?  That is, is the scheduler smart enough to record a scheduled show on the available tuner, if the other one is occupied watching live TV?  Or additionally, if two shows are scheduled to record at the same time, will linuxMCE tune each receiver appropriately and record both shows simultaneously?  If so, while it is recording both shows, can you watch pre-recorded show simultaneously?

[freymann]

This brings to mind another question.  If two different media directors each have a pvr card, and a directv receiver connected to them, will linuxMCE take advantage of this "dual tuner" capacity in it's "season pass" functionality?  That is, is the scheduler smart enough to record a scheduled show on the available tuner, if the other one is occupied watching live TV?  Or additionally, if two shows are scheduled to record at the same time, will linuxMCE tune each receiver appropriately and record both shows simultaneously?  If so, while it is recording both shows, can you watch pre-recorded show simultaneously?

 Yes to all of the above!  Kewl eh!?

[drjenk]

Yes very cool.  I guess the only reason now I would keep my directv pvr is that it has HD recording capability.  Once there is support for an  HD capture device in Linux MCE I will have to look seriously at replacing it with an HD receiver (non pvr), and save the monthly guide costs.  I read somewhere here there is a guide service for $15/yr?  I'm paying $5 a month now.  Directv service has gone up sharply in recent years and I like to stick something back at them wherever I can.

[seth]

 
I can speak as to being glad to not have  to pay for Dish Network's DVR services. Now I do not have any HD TV's. I have all SD or LCD Monitors in my system, and I do mostly SD content from the Dish Network receivers as far as recording/viewing. I have 2 receivers on my living room MD, and 1 receiver on my Family room MD. My Core is headless and in the basement. And when you go through the setup wizard on each new MD, if you happen to have a capture card there with a STB, all you have to do, Is click use on any room with an MD, and a quick reload router later, you have a LiveTV <Receiver name> button on your media menu.

To make this work fluidly, get a USB-UIRT for each location that has an STB. This will give you full control of the receiver, no matter where you are, even if you are in another country, and want to play with your family's mind, our web orbiter is the tool for you Fire off some LiveTV from a web browser. Oh, also, if you are feeling salty, mess with some lights while they are in the house.

Freymann hit it on the head when he mentioned how cool all this was.

Once you walk the path we are on, you just keep on walkin'

Welcome and Regards,

Seth