Need your advice on setup

[pigseye]

Hi,
I'm a newbie on PVRs but am quite experienced with PCs and TV capture and playback. I have a few set up questions.

I have a PC that I used to use like a PVR with the following equipment:

Athlon 1800+ CPU
Motherboard with built-in in sound and LAN (ECS K7S5A pro)
ATI 7500 AIW with remote
80GB Hdd
256Mb of DDR RAM
Windows XP Home
Pioneer slot load DVD player

Everything works great on this PC but I went from a very poor rural cable company (13 extra channels, but no MTV or VH1) to Dish network and now the PC is virtually worthless as a PVR since there is no interface with the Dish network satellite box. The only added feature is pausing live TV and that doesn’t do much for me.

I would like to upgrade this system with BTV so I can interface with my Dish satellite and get the following features.
1) Simple recording and scheduling of programs (like Tivo)
2) The ability to move video files to other PCs on my network
3) Stream live TV to other PCs on my network
4) Stream recorded programs stored on this PC to other PCs on my network
5) Use the ATI remote to control the PC and the Dish Satellite box

Based on everything I read, the equipment I have will allow me to do these things but I still need the following:

1) BTV software
2) IR Blaster Pack
3) HE Remote software to get the IR blaster to work with the Dish Box.

Am I missing anything?

Do you have any other suggestions or advice for me?

Thanks for your help,
Pigseye

[Eric3a]

Originally posted by pigseye
Dish network and now the PC is virtually worthless as a PVR since there is no interface with the Dish network satellite box.

What gave you that idea?
I have Dish Network and Beyond Tv controls it just fine using the Actisys IR 200L. No need for anything else.

Control external tuner

And also do a search on "Dish Network" on the forums you'll see tons of articles. You'll find a .tvr file that works, etc...

But I believe that the latest version (3.4) works straight out of the box with the IR200L. Sure does with mine.

Do some more search and come back to me if you need any further help
Eric

[pigseye]

Hi Eric,

This info below is from the snapstream website regarding the IR blaster.

We know the Actisys IR200L will not tune the following receivers properly:

Any model of the "BelVue Express" cable box
Any model of "Dish Network" satellite tuners


But looking at your setup, it looks like this is not a problem.

Could you tell me what brand satellite box you have? That might help me identify if my Dish Echostar box needs anything special.

Thanks,
Pigseye

[Eric3a]

I think the info is correct on the web site, but slightly old.

The IR200L may not be "supported" but it does work. I have a 2700 and a 3700 receiver. Both work just fine wih BTV.

There are many other devices for IR transmission, but I know the IR200L works.
It's problem is simple: It can't RECEIVE the proper frequency for DN, but it can SEND that frequency.

If you get an IR200L:
Try it straight out of the box with BTV's setup wizard.
it think it should work with BTV 3.4

If not, rename the attached file with a tvr extension, and put it in:

C:\Documents and Settings\All users\Application data\Snapstream\Beyond TV\

(I am quoting from memory, but should be correct)

Then rerun your setup. choose IR200L and this time it should say something along the lines of "found an existing remote, recommend to keep it".

Voila. That's all ther is to it
Eric

[pigseye]

Thanks Eric, I'll give it a try.

Pigseye

[pigseye]

Eric,
Forgot to ask, do you have any trouble using your ATI remote to control your Dish Satellite Box?

Stuff like skipped channels or getting channel 44 instead of 4?

Any type of quirky behavior?

Thanks
Pigseye

[JLR2000]

Just a guess, but are you getting channel "44" instead of "4" because your satelite box is expecting "04" and you hit "4"...see nothing, and hit "4" again - thus channel "44"?

Just a guess, but when I use my ATI Wonder remote I need to put the leading zero first for channels 2-9.

[Eric3a]

Nope. No quirky behavior whatsoever.

The ATi RemoteWonder does not -strictly speaking- control the Dish Network receiver. BTV does. And the RemoteWonder
controls BTV.

To ensure best functionning I:
Taped the IR200L real close to the receiver's IR led, after removing the cute little reddish window that protects it.
That way I have the strongest possible signal IR getting to the receiver.

As for the RemoteWonder, I had to plug it in a powered USB port (a USB box with it's own power supply) to get the
best performance. Actually to get any decent performance.

Only problem I have ever seen was during Beta when the computer was recording something, generating chapters, and
viewing a file at the same time and it missed switching channel. Over CPU usage basically: It was a priority thing.

I rarely use live Tv, and in Live Tv I never enter the channel directly (say key in from the remote 6 0 6).
I always go through the EPG (the overlay or the small guide at the bottom), that way the computer keys in the channel
for me. It's easier and neater anyway.

There is a small risk of locking the DN receiver if I try entering the channel direct, as if anything goes wrong I
may end up requesting a channel that I do not subscribe to Say in the above exemple 666. This happens with the original DN remote, so it's not a RW or BTV problem.
In that case, you have to press Up or Down on the receiver, which BTV can't do. So it's a trip upstairs for me.
Did it a couple of times and learned not to do it again.

Using the automated method is very very reliable, hence me saying " No quirky behavior whatsoever".

Hope this helps. Let me know hoe you get along with it.
Eric

[Eric3a]

Nope. No quirky behavior whatsoever.

The ATi RemoteWonder does not -strictly speaking- control the Dish Network receiver. BTV does. And the RemoteWonder
controls BTV.

To ensure best functionning I:
Taped the IR200L real close to the receiver's IR led, after removing the cute little reddish window that protects it.
That way I have the strongest possible signal IR getting to the receiver.

As for the RemoteWonder, I had to plug it in a powered USB port (a USB box with it's own power supply) to get the
best performance. Actually to get any decent performance.

Only problem I have ever seen was during Beta when the computer was recording something, generating chapters, and
viewing a file at the same time and it missed switching channel. Over CPU usage basically: It was a priority thing.

I rarely use live Tv, and in Live Tv I never enter the channel directly (say key in from the remote 6 0 6).
I always go through the EPG (the overlay or the small guide at the bottom), that way the computer keys in the channel
for me. It's easier and neater anyway.

There is a small risk of locking the DN receiver if I try entering the channel direct, as if anything goes wrong I
may end up requesting a channel that I do not subscribe to Say in the above exemple 666. This happens with the original DN remote, so it's not a RW or BTV problem.
In that case, you have to press Up or Down on the receiver, which BTV can't do. So it's a trip upstairs for me.
Did it a couple of times and learned not to do it again.

Using the automated method is very very reliable, hence me saying " No quirky behavior whatsoever".

Hope this helps. Let me know hoe you get along with it.
Eric

[Eric3a]

Apologies for double post. The board was acting up and it took about 5 minutes to load my post...

Just like the bus. You wait a long time then 2 show up.
Eric

[pigseye]

LOL, "You wait a long time then 2 show up."

Good one Eric.

I apprecaite the detailed update. I think I'll purchase the IR blaster and download the trial version of SW to test.

Thanks,
Pigseye

[wetdagger]

Hey, did you ever get the ir blaster working with your system pig? I have a Dish Network 301 receiver and dn't want to buy an IR Blaster that doesn't do the job properly. I am planning to schedule recordings from the web when I'm not at home, so coming home and learning that my show did not get recorded would suck!

Can anyone give me the best solution, i.e., the best option of an IR blaster for Dish Network 301 receiver.

[pigseye]

Hi WD,
No I haven't tried it yet and since some other things came up I own't be able to try it for a while. Hopefully others can help more than I did.

Good Luck,
Pigseye