Help for a very non techie person. Viewing Foxtel through MCE

[amrod]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for posting this as i realise the answer i need is probably in previous posts, the only problem is, i really dont understand some of them

I would really like to know how to view foxtel through my MCE setup, i've got my computer setup in my room and and have a very basic tv setup through a USB tv tuner, this setup is really simple but does the job for me (watching DVD's, using the TV guide, watching free to air tv.)

Now that we are getting foxtel setup at home it would be great to be able to view it through the computer, i dont need anything complicated and wouldnt need to change the channel etc.

I'm just wondering if it is possible to just simply set it up like the free tv setup ie though the usb tv card or something more complicated?

Just in case, im running Vista Home premium, AMD 64x2 3800+ 2GHZ processor, 2gb Ram and 256MB ATI Radeon X1300 PRo Graphics card, and My TV card is just a normal basic USB card that you plug the aerial into.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Astrotoy7]

Hello

Did you see the stickied "MCE & PAYTV GUIDE" at the very top of this section ??

Is very hard to miss !!

good luck !!

astro

[DDH]

Ditto to Astrotoy7's comment. Have a good go at learnign and working it through.

Just to add a little more, once you've read the information, feel free to ask specific questions referring back to this base, after all we are

[amrod]

Hi guys, thanks very much, i did read the Sticky before i posted the message.

From the little i did understand from it, i thought it was referring to actually running foxtel through the MCE system, whereas im looking to just have foxtel as simply put another channel in addition to those already running (7even, ten, nine etc) so i can view what ever channel that is being watched in the main room.

I do have a more specific though, sorry to be a pain :S I dont have an internal analog TV tuner, but rather a USB Digital tuner, would it be possible to buy a analog USB tuner and connect the foxtel signal to the system in the same way the free-to-air was installed? (Connecting the aerial/cable from foxtel box to the USB tuner?)

Again sorry to ask a question that im sure most will find "stupid" but feeling a bit overwelmed with a lot of the technical lingo.

Thanks.

[Astrotoy7]

sorry amrod but connecting Foxtel to MCE just isnt that easy ! Foxtel and MS have never sat down together and made this a supported feature here in Oz(unlike US cable TV for example)

If Ive read correctly, you are wanting to create an extra 'channel' that is showing the captured analogue foxtel signal(whatever its channel is??). Im not well versed enough to know if this is possible... but do know that you would need an analogue tuner for starters.

What some very clever people here and elsewhere have figured out is a workaround. It requires you have an analog tuner at the very least. There is a guide for enabling hybrid tuners to use their analogue input but that is quite complex as well.

When people are really keen on recording pay TV, I recommend they either follow tigger and wixkidders guide to the letter, or get an IQ box

I must admit, Ive done it just once before, simply for curioisities sake(Ive since cancelled my foxtel susbcription due to lack of use). It was somewhat arduous but does give a bit of a buzz once you get it all up and going

astro

[amrod]

Thanks Astro,

Well at least i got the hopefully "easy way" over and done with, even though it wont work
Theres nothing worse than doing a whole bunch of stuff and realising there was an easier way.

When the foxtel guy comes to install the setup, ill ask him if he has any idea?

I dont really need the recording option, just would like the choice to view what evers playing on foxtel vrs any of the free to air channels.

[DDH]

Originally Posted by amrod

Hi guys, thanks very much, i did read the Sticky before i posted the message.

From the little i did understand from it, i thought it was referring to actually running foxtel through the MCE system, whereas im looking to just have foxtel as simply put another channel in addition to those already running (7even, ten, nine etc) so i can view what ever channel that is being watched in the main room.

I do have a more specific though, sorry to be a pain :S I dont have an internal analog TV tuner, but rather a USB Digital tuner, would it be possible to buy a analog USB tuner and connect the foxtel signal to the system in the same way the free-to-air was installed? (Connecting the aerial/cable from foxtel box to the USB tuner?)

Again sorry to ask a question that im sure most will find "stupid" but feeling a bit overwelmed with a lot of the technical lingo.

Thanks.

amrod,

You can show whatever is outputting from your Foxtel STB as just another channel on your MCE. To do this you need an analogue tuner with "line in" (sound and SVideo or composite) that has MCE supported drivers. I do this with a Hauppauge PVR-150 card. I have whatever is on Foxtel showing as channel 500 (just a number) and can record this too. All works with channel up/down, etc - which sounds a bit like what you want.

I'm not too sure about analogue USB tuners. The tuner you need must have the ability to encode the analogue stream on-board. Last time I looked I couldn't find one.

[amrod]

Thanks DDH,

That's exactly what im hoping to do.

I've been doing some searching and have found quite a few analog USB tuners but have no idea if they do what you described...

I'll copy a description of one now:

"External USB 2.0 TV Box Analog Combo PC VCD DVD Video

Watch TV program on your desktop or notebook with this Combo TV box.

Features:


PAL/NTSC standard with built-in English menu
Watch worldwide analog TV/video on notebook and PC
Full channel (supplementary channel contained) scanning, up to 125 TV channels receivable
Support TV, Video, VCD, DVD displaying and watching, music listening, and picture browsing
Support multi-national languages
Support audio/video USB mongline transfer, no external power required
USB 2.0 compatible, data transfer 480 Mbps, powered by USB
Time-shifting, scheduled recording, and remote control
Supports Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2

Specifications:


Interface: USB 2.0
TV Tuner: Xceive Xc2028 silicon tuner
Chipsets: Trident TV Master 5600
Video Input: TV, S-video
Video Capture Rate: 25 frames/sec (PAL), 30 frames/sec (NTSC)
TV Standards: NTSC_M/J, PAL_B/D/I/M/N, SECAM_B/D/K
Analog Video Resolution: 720 x 576 (PAL), 720 x 480 (NTSC)
Audio Input: Stereo audio (L)(R)
Audio Support: Stereo, Mono
Dimensions: 8 x 4.3 x 2.5 cm

Package Components:


100% brand new in retail package
Combo TV Box
Remote controller (battery included)
Audio connector
Connector
S-video to composite cable
USB male to female extension cable
Installation CD "

Ps copied from ebay item number 250144414243 (Just to cite the source)

Is that what i should be looking at? I'm reluctant to get an internal card purely becuase I'm not very good at messing around with the hardware side of computers.

Thanks.

[amrod]

[DDH]

amrod,

MCE drivers? You will need those unless you want to get really techie.

PS - While I don't need them (ha), good practice around here is to say thanks - which you have done, and hit the "Thanks" button if you think its worth it.