First Build Question

[slak318]

I'm getting ready to build a htpc and I'm not sure if I'll need to get another cable box (from comcast) to utulize my PVR500. From what I can tell reading these forums, I'll need 2 cable boxes, 1 coaxed into the card and the other using S-cable. Is this the only way to watch and record at the same time, or are there any workarounds? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[queonda]

yes correct. You don't need a 2nd box if you want to just record regular channels. For instance, box for all your digital/premiem channals for one of the tuners and for the other just the coaxil cable for just the standard cable channels. This is the way I have mine connected.

[slak318]

Cool, that config should work fine for me. I just didn't want to shell out another $5 a month to the man.

[winclk]

to bad u can't use this setup for digital cable.

winclk

[cpmiv]

You should be able to. I had Digital for a while but dropped it since I wasn't interested in anything on the extra chanels. I was still able to hook up my old TV (this was long before I had BTV) and watch the "Basic" channels while haveing two digital cable boxes on the other two TV's. The only time you should need multiple boxes is with a dish.

[slak318]

I got my comp built and am just recording basic cable right now, because I forgot to get an IR blaster. Does anyone no of another way to control cable boxes without an IR blaster or how I can get my TIVO one to work on my comp (unlikely because I don't have an input for it).

[cpmiv]

If your cable box has a serial port (hopefully not disabled) you might be able to skip using an IR blaster.

[slak318]

It's got an IR input on the back of the box. I don't see a serial port. I guess I'll just order a blaster on Monday.

[cmcquistion]

If you haven't bought it already, I would advise AGAINST the PVR-500. A lot of people are having trouble with it, including me.

[slak318]

To late, I already bought and installed the PVR-500. I seem to have the same problems as everybody else, with 0mb recordings (I've got ver. 3.5.3) and choppy playback (I got beta drivers for PVR-500, they made a huge difference). My biggest problem right now is when I start 2 recordings at the same time, 1 will either be very choppy or completly unwatchable frozen frame with choppy audio. The other recording will be just fine though.

Fortunatly these forums ROCK! So I'm confident that I can find fixes for these issues. And a big thank you to everyone in these forkums for being so helpful.

BTW I've been using BTV with a PVR-150 in my other room for about 6 months now, with no probs what so ever.