Newbie question: can I use Beyond TV?

[mickn66]

I just bought a new computer that came with a TV tuner and Media Center 2005 (the computer is HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7680n PC Desktop). I don't particularly know what "kind" of TV tuner it comes with. I don't like the Media Center 2005 software because I cannot save TV shows to various formats (in order to make the files smaller) or move the files from one computer to another, etc. Can I use Beyond TV for this? I see that it seems to have these features but I don't know if it's compatible with my computer or even how to figure that out. Does it work with any TV tuner or does it need specific hardware? Can I just install the software on my computer and use it to control/record tv instead of Media Center 2005? Thanks.
Mick

[mickn66]

I have figure out that the PC-Tuner that came with my computer is the Hauppauge WinTV PVR PCI II (26xxx) - I don't see this specific card in the list of supported TV tuner cards, but I see some similar sounding ones, for instance Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 or Hauppauge Win-TV Go Stereo PCI, but not specifically the one I have.

Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks.

[jkirk]

it is probably a pvr150mce card. if it is it will work. those cards do show up similarly to what you stated.

ps the main difference between the 150 and the 150mce is the mce model has an fm tuner. the plain 150 comes with a ir blaster(that plugs in the back of the card.)

http://www.snapstream.com/download/h...stallation.asp
http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=40177

[mickn66]

Thanks for the information. According to Wikipedia (of all things), the WinTV PVR-PCI II is a revised edition of the WinTV PVR-PCI; launched in late 2002. The drivers refer to the PVR-150 and PVR-250 as the PVR-PCI II (the latter being the original "PVR-PCI II"). The PVR-PCI II name is generally only used by OEMs. So maybe I have either the PVR-150 or PVR-250. I do know that whatever I have, it came with the ir blaster.

[jkirk]

that would be the pvr150 then, not the mce version. the 250 afaik never came with the ir blaster.

also the 250 would show op in the device manager as
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR PCI II (Encoder-16)

[Mamba]

You can tell by comparing the card ins/outs with the product pictures on the Haup site.

[mickn66]

Originally Posted by Mamba

You can tell by comparing the card ins/outs with the product pictures on the Haup site.

Well, this is very strange. I checked the pictures on the Haup site and the card's ins/outs. Judging from the ins/outs, my card could either be a WinTV-PVR-500 MCE, or the PVR-250 MCE (my card clearly has the radio in port). However, according to this page http://hauppage.com/pages/compare/compare_pvr.html, niether of these cards are supposed to come with the IR blaster. And my computer did come with the IR blaster - or at least something similar; it came with a USB remote control thing that also gets hooked up directly to my cable box (you stick a little thingy directly on the infra-red reciever on the cable box - that's basically what the IR blaster is, right?). So maybe I have the PVR-250 MCE and HP also added an additional IR blaster-type thing.

I guess my main question at this time is whether or not I should go ahead and install the trial version of Beyond TV that supposedly works with the pvr150 ?

Thanks again!
Mick

[jkirk]

according to hauppauge

"26XXX 25XXX WinTV-PVR-150"

the only question is, is it the mce or not. if it is not then it should have a jack on the card for the ir blaster. if it is the mce it will have the fm tuner on the card.

based on you responses(and against my earlier conclusion) you actually have a 150mce with an ir blaster that probably plugs into the usb socket. now it does not matter which one you have the 150 is fully compatible with beyond tv so i would safely say try the demo and see how well it works for you.

btw search the forums i believe you must deactivate media center completely to run btv with no problems.

[Mamba]

Like jkirk said, whatever it is it should work providing you take the right steps with MCE...see this KB article.

[mickn66]

Originally Posted by Mamba

Like jkirk said, whatever it is it should work providing you take the right steps with MCE...see this KB article.

Thanks guys. I believe we have come to the proper conlucsion that what I have is the 150mce with an ir blaster that plugs into the usb socket. I stopped the Media Center Receiver Service as described in the KB article above. However, I was not able to configure the software - I think I might have chosen the wrong remote control during the setup procedure, and I could not get the test to run (where it tests to see if the remote is working) - it kept telling me to "point my device at the reciever" - but I was doing that. I will try again when I get back home after work in a couple of hours.

Thanks again! I will post back with further developments when I get home.

Mick

[mickn66]

Well I'm trying to configure the software but I can't get past the "external tuning testing" stage. It says to "Please point your external tuning device at your cable box. " and I have no idea what they're talking about. I'm supposed to point the remote that came with the computer at the cable box? I tried it but No matter what I do, the test fails.

[enigma9o7]

No. It's talking about something you need that allows your computer to change channels on your cable box, not the remote that controls your computer.

[mickn66]

Thanks, enigma, I think I understand. The external tuner thing that came with my computer actually has a little thing that you stick right on the IR detector on the cable box, so it's basically always pointing at it. That's what through me.

Anyway it turns out I cannot use Beyond TV - my IR blaster is not supported.

[ClamsTheCat]

Which IR blaster is it? If that is the main thing holding you back, you should just get a diff IR blaster.

[mickn66]

Originally Posted by ClamsTheCat

Which IR blaster is it? If that is the main thing holding you back, you should just get a diff IR blaster.

I'm not entirely sure which IR blaster it is. It came with my new HP computer. The only identifying mark on it only says HP. It plugs into the USB port, and also has a long wire with, what I assume is, an infra-red emitting diode that you actually stick right onto the IR detector on the cable box. Are IR blasters cheap? I guess I'll go look. But there also seems to be other software that does what I want (PVR, remote control, etc). Thanks

Mick