Multiple tuner cards and IRBlaster

[COLO_PVR_GUY]

Long time listener, first time caller...

Right now I just have one PVR-150 tuner. I'm using the Hauppauge remote and IR reciever that came with it. After only a month, I'm a SageTV addict and I'm already running into recording conflicts, so naturally I want to add more tuners. Since I have only one open PCI slot, the PVR-500-MCE seems like a good choice. I have already read about some people having trouble telling the remote which tuner to control. Would that be an issue for me? To add an additional wrinkle, I'm thinking about getting digital cable, so in order to record anything that isn't on the analog signal, a digital cable box would have to be controlled, presumably through the IR Blaster that is part of the PVR-150's remote set-up. Will SageTV handle that? Is this even possible or should I look at setting up an additional SageTV server (which doesn't sound nearly as cool as 3 tuners in one server)?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Opus4]

The problem with the remote is that the Hauppauge IR software may not see the IR receiver/blaster when another Hauppauge PCI tuner is installed which does not have the IR port.

Provided it works, you can control 1 STB via the Hauppauge IR blaster. To control more, you could switch to the USB-UIRT, or perhaps serial or firewire channel changing if the STB allowed either of those.

If you did switch to the USB-UIRT, that would solve any possible IR receiver and/or blaster problems with multiple Hauppauge cards.

- Andy

[COLO_PVR_GUY]

Andy,

Thanks for the quick reply. Just so I'm clear, you're saying that I can go ahead and try the PVR-500-MCE and if I have trouble with the Hauppauge remote, then worst-case, I have to spring for a USB-UIRT to make everything work? That doesn't sound too bad. Sage will automatically know that it has to send a signal to the USB-UIRT to switch control the STB for digital-only stations and will know to simply use the analog signals for everything else that it can? That way, I have full use of the STB for live TV (through Sage of course) whenever it isn't needed to record a digital-only channel? That would be fantastic! I was dreading the idea of 2 separate Sage servers.

[Opus4]

Yes, worst case is probably having to get the USB-UIRT to get around the Hauppauge remote issue... if it happens to you.

And, yes you can mix sources on the same server w/some configured to use the analog tuner built into the card and others using an external STB controlled via the IR blaster.

- Andy

[jbarr]

My scenario is a bit different. I have 2 hauppauge PVR-150's. One handles a direct analog cable feed, and the other is connected through the RCA jacks to a digital cable STB. I got lucky, because my STB (Motorolla DCT-2000) can be controlled by a serial port connection and a plugin. Presumably, if I got another STB, it would be simply a matter of adding a second serial port connection and configuring.

That said, my question is this: Let's say I add a third PVR-150 card. If I connect a second STB that is either IR or serial controlled, how would the IR receiver work? Would I need to have 2 IR receivers, or would the one IR receiver control both?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by jbarr

That said, my question is this: Let's say I add a third PVR-150 card. If I connect a second STB that is either IR or serial controlled, how would the IR receiver work? Would I need to have 2 IR receivers, or would the one IR receiver control both?

The IR receiver doesn't control any tuners. SageTV just gets its commands via the receiver.

If you meant "IR blaster", then only 1 blaster from a 150 can be used, and as far as I know it can only control a single STB.

- Andy