Sharing one STB with two tuners

[davephan]

Has anyone tried sharing one set top box with two tuners?

I am thinking about setting up my HD-PVR to only record the HD channels, and the HD-PVR-350 to record the non-HD channels through S-video. Each tuner card would have separate channel line ups, one HD-only, the other non-HD channels.

The reason for the configuration is so I can record the non-HD channels in MPEG2, without using a second set top cable box. Or, maybe I would be stuck using another cable TV set top box.

If recording conflicts occur, are they based on the set top box, or are they based on the tuner card? If the recording conflicts occur based on the tuner card, I suspect that sharing one set top box with two tuners won't work out.

I would like to record in MPEG2 format so that I can edit the non-HD recordings with VideoReDo. Maybe another solution would be to find another video editing program...


Dave

[bhyman1]

Conflicts are based on the tuner. If there is a conflict Sage takes the higher merit recording. Sage also defaults to recording the HD version of a program over the SD version. So you'd have to specify which channel to record in the show favorite to avoid that.

[davephan]

Originally Posted by bhyman1

Conflicts are based on the tuner. If there is a conflict Sage takes the higher merit recording. Sage also defaults to recording the HD version of a program over the SD version. So you'd have to specify which channel to record in the show favorite to avoid that.

Thanks for the response Bhyman. Since conflicts are based on the tuners instead of the sources, then I will have to use separate set top boxes, one tuner will be for SD digital channels, excluding the SD channels that are available in HD. The other tuner will be for HD channels only.

Dave

[stanger89]

Yeah, sage has no way of knowing you've got two tuners hooked to the same STB.

[wayner]

Once upon a time I had the same setup that you did one STB being controlled by both a HDPVR and SD tuner card. I had to manually resolve conflicts which is a pain or you get the incorrect show recorded.

[stanger89]

I assume by "manually resolve conflicts" you mean manually going through the schedule and prempting recordings that would overlap? Because Sage doesn't throw a conflict in such a situation.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by stanger89

I assume by "manually resolve conflicts" you mean manually going through the schedule and prempting recordings that would overlap? Because Sage doesn't throw a conflict in such a situation.

Exactly

[davephan]

That's too bad that SageTV does not have the option to use two tuner cards for one source, and generate conflicts.

I would like to share a cable STB with a HD-PVR and PVR-350. I only want to have the HD-PVR record HD only programs, and the PVR-350 record SD programs off the same cable STB. Then only the HD programs are recorded in TS format. I prefer to record in MPEG2 format. If the HD=PVR could record in MPEG2 format, then I wouldn't be thinking about sharing tuners with one cable STB.

Dave

[wayner]

I know what you are saying as MPEG-2 files are still much easier to work with. It will work the way you want it to the big problem is the conflicts. If you can live with the conflicts then you are ok - the only solution is to rent/buy another cable box. My cable company, Rogers Cable in Toronto, allows customers to buy cable boxes and SD cable boxes are fairly cheap so that is the option that I have gone with.

[tvmaster2]

how do you install both hauppauge devices ? I am trying this, and when I installed the HD PVR software, it trashed my software. what could be the problem?

[davephan]

I installed the PVR-350 first, then the 2250, then the HD-PVR. All three Hauppauge devices work together in the same computer. I do not use the Hauppauge IR, since I could never get it to work, even when using just one Hauppauge card at a time. I use the USB-UIRT multiple zones feature. I currently using two USB-UIRT zones to control two cable boxes. The cable boxes are separated by about five feet. The IR devices are inside small sturdy cardboard boxes which used to house compact fluorescent bulbs. One side of each cardboard box is open to each cable box, restricting the IR light to only go in front of each cable box.

Dave

[tvmaster2]

If I wanted to use the Hauppauge ir blaster and remote, then I would connect both blaster cables to the single satellite receiver, and then, when I initiated a channel change, I assume both the PVR-150 and HD-PVR would change to that channel? And if that's the case, how would you tell which device actually makes the recording?

[wayner]

Whichever tuner is currently recording will be making the recording and that could be both at once. Let's say you wanted to record football at 1 pm with tuner 1 and Oprah at 2pm on tuner 2. Your recording on tuner 1 would consist of the first hour of football, then you would see the channel change and you would get Oprah and whatever else was on after Oprah until the football game was scheduled to end. You recording on tuner 2 would just be Oprah.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by wayner

Whichever tuner is currently recording will be making the recording and that could be both at once. Let's say you wanted to record football at 1 pm with tuner 1 and Oprah at 2pm on tuner 2. Your recording on tuner 1 would consist of the first hour of football, then you would see the channel change and you would get Oprah and whatever else was on after Oprah until the football game was scheduled to end. You recording on tuner 2 would just be Oprah.

how do I know which tuner will record which program? so far, I only see mpg2 files as recordings, so I have to assume the HD-PVR isn't recording. Also, if using two tuners, is there a way to direct each units material to a specific drive and folder? I have only been able to create generic folders, and without the ability to direct material from either tuner to a specific folder.

[toricred]

You have two significant problems with this plan. One is that you really, really don't want to use the Hauppauge IR blaster with the HD-PVR. It seems to cause major problems. Second you're going to have big issues with conflicts between the tuners.

The .ts files are actually pretty small in my setup as I'm only recording at Good quality (~3 GB/hr). You can still use comskip or SAV1 for commercial detection. Even SD shows seem to look better to me when recorded through the component outputs to the HD-PVR. If editing your files is the issue then VideoRedo should be available to edit these files sometime this year (it's out in alpha now).

[wayner]

If you only see MPEG-2 files then your HD-PVR isn't working. I would recommend just using the HD-PVR for now until you can ensure that it is working properly. I used to want to record in MPEG-2 but now there isn't really much reason to, other than quicker Comskipping. I never burn DVDs anymore since it is easy to use extenders or laptops to play recorded content.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by toricred

You have two significant problems with this plan. One is that you really, really don't want to use the Hauppauge IR blaster with the HD-PVR. It seems to cause major problems. Second you're going to have big issues with conflicts between the tuners.

The .ts files are actually pretty small in my setup as I'm only recording at Good quality (~3 GB/hr). You can still use comskip or SAV1 for commercial detection. Even SD shows seem to look better to me when recorded through the component outputs to the HD-PVR. If editing your files is the issue then VideoRedo should be available to edit these files sometime this year (it's out in alpha now).

I am confused why the included remote wouldn't work well with a Hauppauge IR Blaster. Why would they design a device that didn't work well with their own equipment? What am I missing?

[toricred]

I wasn't talking about the remote at all. I was talking about the blaster for changing channels.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by toricred

I wasn't talking about the remote at all. I was talking about the blaster for changing channels.

yeah - I understood that. But why wouldn't their IR blaster be any good with their own product - that's just odd.

[wayner]

For some reason the Hauppauge IR stuff has always been kind of shaky. For example, you can use multiple Hauppauge tuner cards but only one of their IR blasters in a system. The HD-PVR seems even worse as some folks report substantial increases in the stability of the product by covering up the IR window.