Help in first time configuration

[johnje]

I've been trying to do this for 2 days now and going crazy. Originally I took my cable line directly to my ati tv wonder 650 card and it worked good with Sage TV. Problem was, I wasn't getting all the channels I wanted. My dvr receiver gets channels in the 100's that I really like. So, I go down to Comcast and rent a separate Motorola box. They tell me that this will get all the channels. Specifically, it is a Motorola DCT244. I bring this home and realize that I don't know what I am doing. I take the cable line and put it directly into the motorola. Then I used a splitter from the "Out to VCR" coax port on the back of the motorola and took one line to the tv and the other line to the ATI tv wonder 650. Then, in trying to use Sage to get all the channels, it won't. This doesn't completely surprise me but how do I get the tv tuner card and Sage to get the channels from the cable box? Did I open a can of worms here?

[johnje]

Oh, and I'm using Windows XP. Thanks.

[GKusnick]

You probably don't want to be splitting the output of the DCT244. That box should be reserved for the use of SageTV. If you want to watch TV right off the cable without using Sage, do it the way you did it before, through your Comcast DVR box or whatever. So in other words, put the splitter upstream of the cable boxes, with one leg going to the Comcast DVR and then to your TV, and the other leg going to the DCT244 and then to Sage.

Also, if the DCT244 has an S-Video output, and your ATI capture card has an S-Video input, that would be a better choice than coax for that leg.

But to actually tune all the channels in Sage, you're going to need an IR blaster of some sort to control the DCT244. I'm not an expert in setting this up, but there should be sticky threads in the Hardware section of the forum that cover this. Some capture cards come with IR blasters for this purpose, but I don't know if the ATI 650 is one of them.

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by johnje

Then I used a splitter from the "Out to VCR" coax port on the back of the motorola and took one line to the tv and the other line to the ATI tv wonder 650. Then, in trying to use Sage to get all the channels, it won't.

You need to hook up the motorola set-top box (STB) to the ATI 650 via s-video or composite video. Then, when your STB tunes in a digital, 100+ channel, it outputs the channel to the ATI via the s-video/composite. YOu will need a way to have Sage control the STB to change the channels automatically. Either an IR blaster such as the USB-UIRT, or with a serial cable or firewire cable, if your STB supports it.

The "out to vcr" coax port could be made to work if it outputs the tuned channel. If so, you need to set up Sage that when it uses the ATI tuner, to just stay on channel 3 and that you will use the STB's tuner to change the channels. The split connection to the TV, have you checked to see what it can get. does that get all channels? or only the analog channels?

[johnje]

Originally Posted by ke6guj

You need to hook up the motorola set-top box (STB) to the ATI 650 via s-video or composite video. Then, when your STB tunes in a digital, 100+ channel, it outputs the channel to the ATI via the s-video/composite. YOu will need a way to have Sage control the STB to change the channels automatically. Either an IR blaster such as the USB-UIRT, or with a serial cable or firewire cable, if your STB supports it.

The "out to vcr" coax port could be made to work if it outputs the tuned channel. If so, you need to set up Sage that when it uses the ATI tuner, to just stay on channel 3 and that you will use the STB's tuner to change the channels. The split connection to the TV, have you checked to see what it can get. does that get all channels? or only the analog channels?

This was incredibly useful. Thanks. My STB does not have an s-video out but it does have composite video out and the ati has composite video in. That takes care of that part. Then I will shop around for an IR blaster called USB-VIRT. In the mean time, I am just going to do things the old way and record only 1-70 until I get the IR thing. I think once I get that, I should be in business.

Edit: I did a search for USB-VIRT and IR Blaster but can't find anything to buy. Not sure what this equipment is so not sure what I am looking for. My tv tuner card did not come with a remote. Does that matter? Can someone suggest a brand or post a link to good quality equipment? My understanding is that I need my computer to be able to change the channels of the STB. That is all I know but not sure how that is going to happen

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by johnje

Edit: I did a search for USB-VIRT and IR Blaster but can't find anything to buy.

It is a USB-UIRT. There are links about that device in this index topic: Information Resources for Remotes, Receivers, and IR Blasters.

- Andy

[ke6guj]

sources that sell the USB-UIRT,
the manufacturer, http://www.usbuirt.com/

Sage also sells them, http://store.sagetv.com/Merchant2/me...tegory_Code=HD

PcAlchemy, http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...emote-controls

edit: too slow

But to add more info, with the USB-UIRT, it is both an IR receiver, so you can use your own remote to control the computer/Sage, and as an IR blaster, which will let Sage control the STB via IR signals.

[johnje]

Originally Posted by ke6guj

sources that sell the USB-UIRT,
the manufacturer, http://www.usbuirt.com/

Sage also sells them, http://store.sagetv.com/Merchant2/me...tegory_Code=HD

PcAlchemy, http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...emote-controls

edit: too slow

But to add more info, with the USB-UIRT, it is both an IR receiver, so you can use your own remote to control the computer/Sage, and as an IR blaster, which will let Sage control the STB via IR signals.

I take it then, that I don't necessarily need my own remote then. I would get USB_UIRT so that Sage can do the communicating. At least I hope I'm getting it.

[ke6guj]

You don't NEED a remote, you could use your keyboard/mouse to control Sage. However, with a remote, you can control Sage much easier from the couch.

The USB-UIRT is a IR receiver that allows you to use a remote to send commands to Sage, and the UIRT's IR blaster acts as "Sage's remote" so that Sage can control the STB, if that makes sense.

With the UIRT, you can pretty much use any remote you like to control Sage. Want one with lots of buttons, or want something slimmer, go for it. Like the DirecTV remote, use it.

[johnje]

Originally Posted by ke6guj

You don't NEED a remote, you could use your keyboard/mouse to control Sage. However, with a remote, you can control Sage much easier from the couch.

The USB-UIRT is a IR receiver that allows you to use a remote to send commands to Sage, and the UIRT's IR blaster acts as "Sage's remote" so that Sage can control the STB, if that makes sense.

With the UIRT, you can pretty much use any remote you like to control Sage. Want one with lots of buttons, or want something slimmer, go for it. Like the DirecTV remote, use it.

Okay, so technically, I don't even need a USB-UIRT. All I need is the blaster. I did visit:

http://store.sagetv.com/Merchant2/me...tegory_Code=HD

and see that this product integrates the USB-VIRT and the blaster into one. Sounds like if I want to add a remote later, this may be the way to go. I forgot that you guys are using this setup in your homes. This tv is in my office and there are some financial programs that I want to record and watch at my convenience. I work mostly from the computer anyway so I can either watch the recording on my computer or transfer it to a portable device to watch on the run.

[ke6guj]

If all you want to do is control the STB, then yes, you only need a blaster. The USB-UIRT is both a receiver AND a blaster, UIRT stands for Universal Infrared Receiver Transmitter. If you don't need a remote now, don't use one. But the USB-UIRT has the remote receiver built in as well.

The USB-UIRT is probably the most preferred way to get a blaster that is supported in Sage. That link is the USB-UIRT the way they come, it is not product that integrates a USB-UIRT and an IR blaster, the USB-UIRT is both a receiver AND a blaster.