BeyondTV, setting up dual tuner - WinTV 500

[Budiong]

I bought the Hauppage WinTV 500 tuner card simply because I wanted to watch one tv show while recording another or just record two shows at the same time. So far, I've downloaded the BeyondTV trial version and I've been able to record/watch shows for a couple of days now; however I can't seem to be able to record and watch a show at the same time.

At first, when I began recording a show then tried to switch channels a message appeared on my screen saying that I had to stop the recording of my first show to watch the other channel. So I closed beyondTV and ran the setup wizard and setup two tuners. When I tried the previous process again, BeyondTV allowed me to change channels without a problem (i.e. no pop-up message). But when I later watched my recording, BeyondTV had not recorded it at all. Instead, it recorded the channel I switched and anything else I decided to watch during that recording period.

My question is exactly how do you setup a WinTV 500 card in BeyondTV so that it is fully functional (using the dual tuner)?

Thanks in advanced for any replies.

-I am currently hooked up to a motorola cable box that connects to my tuner card. My firefly remote controls my cable box through a serial cable to my COM1 port on my comp.

[nanook105]

Originally Posted by Budiong

My question is exactly how do you setup a WinTV 500 card in BeyondTV so that it is fully functional (using the dual tuner)?

Thanks in advanced for any replies.

-I am currently hooked up to a motorola cable box that connects to my tuner card. My firefly remote controls my cable box through a serial cable to my COM1 port on my comp.

A couple of things:

1. Even though the 500 has two inputs, it sounds like you have a single source (motorola cable box), so both inputs will always display the same channel. Not sure if this is causing the problem that you are seeing, but it will not function properly with this configuration. You need a second source, either standard cable or another cable box.
2. It's possible during setup that you selected the same Video Device twice. When you run the Setup Wizard, do you see two video devices in the drop down. What are they labeled ?

[Budiong]

the drop down menu gives me two choices that are similar to this:
WinTV 500 tuner card #1
WinTV 500 tuner card #2

It would make sense though that I need a second cable box, since its not direct analog cable; the cable box is acting as a tuner not my pvr500 card. But if that is the case, how am I suppose to connect the second cable to my computer, and how is my firefly remote supposed to take play in controlling it (as well as the first box).

The pvr500 card has only one analag input so am I supposed to connect the second cable box via composite inputs?

[nanook105]

I don't have a 500, but I would guess that the second input would be the svideo or composite inputs. I think that they also have another header that you can use.

If that is what you are seeing in the setup wizard, then BTV seems to be seeing both tuners. Make sure that you assign each one to a video source.

The FF just controls the BTV interface, it doesn't interact with the tuners directly. BTV will take care of deciding which tuner to use based on the channel selected and wich tuners are busy/free. If you are going to have 2 cable boxes, then your lineups are probably going to be the same so it will choose based on availability (starting with the first tuner as they are listed in Web Admin/Audio and Video settings

[Budiong]

thanx alot, this makes a lot more sense now

[cpmiv]

The 500 splits the signal internally. So you can use one Coax to get to both tuners (Basic Cable) to run both tuners with cable boxes you'd need to run one into the Coax connection and one into the Svideo.