Newbie to A/V - need some help

[Corey]

Hello everyone - I appreciate you having a look at my problem. Im thinking of buying Sage TV and am trying out the 15-day trial to see if it works with my system, and if I like it. I'm using a Hauppauge Win-PVR 150, and am having some strange problems after my install of Sage TV that I havent been able to work out. If you guys could offer me some suggestions, I'd appreciate it, as I havent been able to find anything of use in the manuals or FAQs.

My first problem is that I get NO audio in Sage TV at all. I have onboard sound (Realtek AC97) on my mobo. I can see picture on LIve TV, but get zero audio. This is probably because of my cluelessness when it comes to AV stuff, so Im hoping its something simple. The PVR150 has an audio input, but I dont have anything going into it. Ive connected the PVR150 to my cable box using SVIDEO, and then with the yellow Composite cable. Any ideas on how I can get sound?

Second problem is that I only get one channel when I view Live TV. I have all of the channel information, but hwnever I try changing the channel manually in Sage TV (by clicking on the channel and saying VIEW), it only shows me the same channel.

I imagine both of these problems might be caused by my setup, but I havent found any kind of installation guides that cover wiring and those aspects of setting up Sage TV with a TV Tuner card. I appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!

Corey

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Corey

My first problem is that I get NO audio in Sage TV at all. I have onboard sound (Realtek AC97) on my mobo. I can see picture on LIve TV, but get zero audio. This is probably because of my cluelessness when it comes to AV stuff, so Im hoping its something simple. The PVR150 has an audio input, but I dont have anything going into it. Ive connected the PVR150 to my cable box using SVIDEO, and then with the yellow Composite cable. Any ideas on how I can get sound?

If you are using the svideo input, you have to use the audio inpot too -- so you would connect the cable box's audio out to the 150's audio in.

Second problem is that I only get one channel when I view Live TV. I have all of the channel information, but hwnever I try changing the channel manually in Sage TV (by clicking on the channel and saying VIEW), it only shows me the same channel.

Since you have an external converter box, SageTV needs some way to tell that box to change channels. If you mention what the box is, maybe someone can suggest something specific for that box, but the 'generic' way would be to use an IR blaster like the USB-UIRT to have SageTV send IR signals to the box to change it, just as if you had used the box's remote.

- Andy

[Corey]

Thanks a bunch for the quick reply, Andy!

If you are using the svideo input, you have to use the audio inpot too -- so you would connect the cable box's audio out to the 150's audio in.

The thing with that is that my cable box has a rca-style audio connection (the red/white connectors), and the PVR150 has a 1/4" connector. Those 2 arent compatible, are they? I dont recall ever seeing a cable box with that type of connector. Is this a shortcoming of the PVR150? Maybe I need to get a new TV Tuner...

Since you have an external converter box, SageTV needs some way to tell that box to change channels. If you mention what the box is, maybe someone can suggest something specific for that box, but the 'generic' way would be to use an IR blaster like the USB-UIRT to have SageTV send IR signals to the box to change it, just as if you had used the box's remote.

I was almost kind of dreading that. I have a Hughes cable box, from DirectTV. I was hoping I'd be able to keep the amount of remotes I'd need to use down to a minimum. I'd be fine with changing the channel with my mouse. The PVR150 came with a IR-Blaster and remote, but I havent even bothered with them yet, because I already have 3 remotes as it is hehe

I appreciate the help so far, and am looking forward to getting Sage TV up and running, as it looks *really* promising

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Corey

The thing with that is that my cable box has a rca-style audio connection (the red/white connectors), and the PVR150 has a 1/4" connector. Those 2 arent compatible, are they?

You just need a converter to go from one type of connection to the other (RCA <-> stereo mini jack) -- they can be found at just about any electronics store.

I was almost kind of dreading that. I have a Hughes cable box, from DirectTV. I was hoping I'd be able to keep the amount of remotes I'd need to use down to a minimum. I'd be fine with changing the channel with my mouse. The PVR150 came with a IR-Blaster and remote, but I havent even bothered with them yet, because I already have 3 remotes as it is hehe

By having SageTV automatically control the box to change channels, you would only be using a remote to control SageTV & then SageTV would do the channel change; there would be no extra remote for you to use.

For something like the USB-UIRT, you would teach the box's remote IR codes to SageTV.

Serial control of the DirecTV box may be possible too, but I'll let someone else suggest how to do that -- but they may need to know the exact model number of the box you have.

- Andy

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by Corey

Thanks a bunch for the quick reply, Andy!



The thing with that is that my cable box has a rca-style audio connection (the red/white connectors), and the PVR150 has a 1/4" connector. Those 2 arent compatible, are they? I dont recall ever seeing a cable box with that type of connector. Is this a shortcoming of the PVR150? Maybe I need to get a new TV Tuner...

I'm sure you've got a Radio Schlock in your area. check tihs out.....

http://tinyurl.com/e2fse

[Corey]

Thats funny - I just went and bought one of those last night, Wayne hehe I've got audio now (thanks a bunch for hte info!), but I still havent taken the jump and got into programming SageTV to sync up with my cable box to change channels yet. I've just been changing the channel on the cable box and then switching over to my computer input and opening SageTV and then recording. I know, it's weak, but I havent had a lot of time to mess with it yet. Im off today, so I think I might get it a sincere try today!

[ji0005]

If you want to just mess around with it you could also just put the cable TV cable directly into the capture card and have Sage record basic cable for you. When I first started messing with Sage I knew I was getting rid of my digital cable so I never bothered to mess with it.

[Corey]

If you want to just mess around with it you could also just put the cable TV cable directly into the capture card and have Sage record basic cable for you.

Im not sure exactly what you mean by this, but I think I might be doing that right now. I have my cable box (DirectTV) connected to my PVR150 via an SVIDEO cable, and then have L/R audio (RCA cable) from my cable box connected to the audio input on my PVR150 with an adapter. Is that what you mean?

[ji0005]

Originally Posted by Corey

Im not sure exactly what you mean by this, but I think I might be doing that right now. I have my cable box (DirectTV) connected to my PVR150 via an SVIDEO cable, and then have L/R audio (RCA cable) from my cable box connected to the audio input on my PVR150 with an adapter. Is that what you mean?

Ignore what I said.. I missed the part about you having DirectTV. With cable TV you can typically pick up 80 or so channels without any set top box. That is what I was referring to. With satellite TV you need the set top box for all channels.