Help regarding multiple tuners, multiple digi cable boxes...

[ClamsTheCat]

I am running the latest version of BTV and have it working perfectly using standard cable with an analog tuner. What I want to do is to buy 2 tuner cards that are HDTV capable, and I then want to use some form of IR Blaster to control 2 Sci American digital cable boxes. Does anyone know what products I should get to accomplish this?

My main concern is the tuner cards and getting the IR blasters to control multiple cable boxes so that I can record one thing and watch another channel with timeshifting etc.

I appreciate ahead of time any help you guys can give. If you know the manufacturers and product models of what I need, or better yet where I can get them online I would appreciate it. I will be running this all on a new entertainment center system I built with a 3gig P4 with 2gb ram, GeForce 7800 video card, 2x 250GB HDD and a SB Live audio card.

My main goal is to use the machine for gaming on my HDTV, BeyondTV, web access and burning videos from BTV to DVDs.

Thanks Experts!
-Clams

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by ClamsTheCat

What I want to do is to buy 2 tuner cards that are HDTV capable, and I then want to use some form of IR Blaster to control 2 Sci American digital cable boxes.

You can only capture HDTV for Over The Air channels...

[ClamsTheCat]

I realize that. I want the cards to be HDTV for the over the air channels. I want the cards to have that capability, but I intend to use the cards to capture the information from 2 standard NTSC cable boxes (I should have said that before).

What cards would you all reccomend? I have heard the Hauppage 150 comes with the IR blaster I would ned for each cable box. Can I use 2 on one system?

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by ClamsTheCat

I realize that. I want the cards to be HDTV for the over the air channels. I want the cards to have that capability, but I intend to use the cards to capture the information from 2 standard NTSC cable boxes (I should have said that before).

Usually the HDTV cards (for OTA) are not so great fo the SD captures, so you would probably want some dedicated card... (the PVR-150 is not an HD card either... )

What cards would you all reccomend? I have heard the Hauppage 150 comes with the IR blaster I would ned for each cable box. Can I use 2 on one system?

Yes, or you can also consider some of the dual cards with a single IR device like the USB-UIRT to control both cable boxes...

[ClamsTheCat]

I thought that the USB-UIRT could only control 1 device (1 cable box) at a time. Can I buy just one of them from Snapstream and it will control both digital cable boxes in conjunction with a dual card like the Hauppage PVR 500 (I have kind of given up on the HDTV tuning for now, until there is supports for the HDTV Digi Cable Boxes).

Can anyone tell me if this rig would work with BTV:

Hauppage WinTV-PVR-500 MCE-Kit:
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/produ...500mcekit.html

To go along with the USB-UIRT:
http://store.snapstream.com/usb-uirt.html

All of this with the latest version of BeyondTV with the Firefly remote control and the system specs stated in the original post. The reason I thought the USB-UIRT could not do more than one box is that it is not specifically listed in the specs. Does anyone have one of them controlling 2 cable boxes at the same time, or if not does anyone know where I can get info on this? I really want to be able to use my digital cable boxes so that I can record movies and such.

Sorry to be a pest but I want to be sure it is all going to mesh before I lay out the cash since it is going to be expensive.

Thanks!

[nanook105]

Do a search on multiple zones. Here is a good sample:


Can I control four digital cable boxes with one USB-UIRT?

[ClamsTheCat]

Thank you, that was vey helpful!

Can anyone give me a reason to use 2 seperate Hauppage 250s versus using a Hauppage 500?

[ClamsTheCat]

Just thought I would let you all know I got it set up and working great. Thanks!

[rakeshagrawal]

ClamsTheCat, Glad that you were able to get it up and running. Just one point -- someone suggested that you could use two PVR-150s and each of their IR blasters on the same PC at the same time. To my knowledge, unless Hauppauge has fixed their drivers for the IR blaster, this isn't true -- only one PVR-150 IR blaster can be used on the same PC at the same time.

[ClamsTheCat]

I ended up getting a Hauppage WinPVR 500 and using the USB-UIRT

It works great!

[taylormalc]

I have read your posts and the other members BUT I seem to have missed the solution
I am in the United Kingdon and have a 500 MCE, It seems the MCE remote that came with the card does not work with BTV4.
I too want to control 2x set top boxes. YOu say you purchased a USB-UIRT and this controls 2 or more stb's. I have read about zoning, which I did not understand given there was no explanation as to how you set up the zones.

I am sure I must have missed something, can you point me in the right direction pleazse.
Getting on in th eUK will take some time I expect if as you say it actually will do what I want.

Thanking you in advance for your advise

Malcolm