austar showing in the winfast but not media center

melefics · **2nd July 2008, 08:20 AM**

I have austar working in the winfast software but I cant get it to work in media center.
I'm using a winfast DTV2000H any help would be awesome.

Ararat · **9th July 2008, 12:55 AM**

The Winfast 2000H, while a good card, does not have a hardware MPEG encoder, so it will not work within media center as a video capture device. You can only use it for digital tv within media center.

You are probably better off just recording using the iQ (or whatever the austar equivalent is), and then just dubbing the recordings you want to keep to the computer using Winfast PVR2.

If you're trying to integrate Austar into media center for use as an austar pvr (i would then assume because you don't have the austar iQ), then you can use a software encoder to get media center to record your austar for you. Read this thread for how:

Get Most Cards To Work In Mce

I have heard however, that the quality of that particular solution is not great compared to hardware encoders.

If you then want to use both the austar, and digital tv in media center, then read this thread:

DTV and Analog TV Works (TOGETHER)

Good luck, whichever path you choose to take. If you decide to add a card with a hardware tuner, feel free to ask for advice on selection. There is a seperate section for tuners in this forum.

goulin · **13th July 2008, 12:44 AM**

Hi,

I am having the same issue with the Leadtek DTV2000H. I have installed an MPEG2 software encoder installed, but I cannot get Pay TV to show in Windows Media Center (Vista).

Foxtel is connected to my tuner via a SCART to Composite cable, and I can view it via the WinFast application, but I cannot tune it through Media Center. I assume you choose 'Cable' when selecting the TV signal? When I do this, I lose all the Digital FTA channels that I was receiving via the Coax in Media Center, and after I run the scan, I don't pick up any channels.

Any help/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
goulin

Ararat · **13th July 2008, 12:55 AM**

Have you read the guide on how to set up Foxtel in media center? I assume you've read this thread Get Most Cards To Work In Mce and installed that hook to get the card to work in analog mode. You must not have read the second one above DTV and Analog TV Works (TOGETHER) which explains how to get foxtel and FTA to work side by side, as you are complaining that you are losing your FTA channels, and that thread explains how to stop that from happening.

If you choose cable, and it's scanning for channels, then you're probably telling it that you're not using a set-top-box (which you obviously ARE using), as it has no need to scan for channels if they're coming in through a video input. Do you have the Microsoft remote with the IR blaster plugged in (REQUIRED to get foxtel working in media center).

A lot of questions for you to answer, I know, but you didn't provide much info in your post, which leads me to believe you haven't read the stickies. Post back once you've tried those things and we'll see if you're having an issue that needs to be rectified.

goulin · **13th July 2008, 02:40 AM**

Hi Ararat,

Thanks for your help. I forgot to update my post since I found all the stickies (trying to work through all the issues). So from what I can deduce, you HAVE to use a IR Blaster to view Foxtel through Media Center (I was hoping to just use my Leadtek remote and use the Foxtel remote to change the channel on the box, hence why I told MC that I had no STU)... is that correct? Is there a list of compatible remotes that will also support Foxtel in MC, or is it just the Microsoft one? I guess I will have to buy one.

Bugger! And thanks so much for clearing it up. I spent hours trying to figure it out and I thought it was just me being hopeless. The other option I have is recording Fox via the WinFast PVR software.

Thanks heaps,
goulin

Ararat · **13th July 2008, 02:51 AM**

It's not so much that you have to use the MS remote, but you need to have the IR blaster plugged in in order to use a set-top-box. If you told MC that you don't have a STB, then you can hardly expect it to work... it's expecting some sort of cable card in the computer. So you will need to buy one if you want to use it.

I do have the MS remote, but I still use the WinFast PVR2 software to record foxtel. The only advantage MC has over PVR2 is that MC will record my shows automatically without having to set a timer, however this is negated by the iQ which does the same thing (and doesn't take up one of my tuners during primetime

). The fact that MC doesn't support component input also swung it for me. In the end you will need to decide whether the advantages of using media center are worth the bother of getting it to work.

You might also want to consider using S-video instead of composite, as that will eliminate that ugly dot crawl.

goulin · **13th July 2008, 10:50 AM**

The major disadvantage of the WinPVR2 software is that I can't use the remote to schedule a recording, you can only do it via keyboard (unless you figured out a way to do it?).

I still can't get the signal to work (not that I have an IR Blaster). When I get to the point of 'Select a working TV signal', I scan and it selects the Composite Video 1 option, but on the right hand side I get a box saying 'Loss of Signal' as opposed to a picture playing.

I thought about S-Video and I have tried it with WinPVR2, but I don't think it will work, because I am using Component from my Foxtel box to my TV (so I had to select YUV on the Fox box). When I was using S-Video in WinPVR2, the colour would come through black and white, and as soon as I changed the Foxtel box setting to S-Video, it would turn to colour, but I would lose the picture on my TV.

Anyhow, even with S-Video plugged in, as soon as I try to 'Select a Working TV signal', I get the same issue as with Composite (Loss of signal). I don't need the IR blaster at this stage do I to see the TV signal?

Ararat · **13th July 2008, 01:15 PM**

Well, no, afaik, you can't schedule recordings from the remote with PVR2, but not an issue for me, I just press record, and press play on the foxtel, and away she goes. But for a long time I did schedule them (I take it you don't have an iQ). You will have to use a kb and mouse, but you only need to do it once a week. Have you considered investing in a wireless kb and mouse?

As far as the loss of signal, I haven't had that, but my situation is quite different to yours. It may be due to the lack of IR Blaster (though I doubt it, as it would affect the NEXT step of setup, not that one), it could be a problem with the software encoder you installed (check that thread for help, cos I've never used it), or it may have to do with yout PC's specs. Do you have enough CPU grunt to encode on the fly?

The loss of colour is a common problem for people trying to use S-Video that don't have anything better than composite on their tv. The solution is the dedicated composite jack on the back of the foxtel box (from memory it is between the 2 scart ports on the foxtel digital box, but you can't miss it if you're looking). So set the foxtel output to S-video, and use the scart to s-video to the foxtel, and the dedicated composite to your tv.

goulin · **13th July 2008, 02:22 PM**

I thought the encoder would be successful if it enabled you to select 'Cable' in Media Center (hence making the analog tuner visible in Media Center). My CPU is a Core 2 Duo 2.66Ghz, so it should have enough grunt I would have thought.

So if I use the dedicated composite jack, I would also need to connect the audio somehow... I only see a 3.5m jack with optical (well, I think it is optical, I see a red light so I assume so), so is that my only option?

So, just so I can understand, what you're suggesting I could do is:
* Setting: S-Video on the Foxtel box
* Foxtel to TV: Composite video jack -> Composite (need to get the audio to the TV somehow)
* Foxtel to PC: Scart adapter with audio -> S-Video with audio

And yeah... no IQ for me

Ararat · **13th July 2008, 02:32 PM**

Are you telling it that you have a STB? I'm afraid I don't know much about the encoder as I've never used it, if you think you are having trouble with it, then post in that thread (if possible), if not then perhaps start a new thread under tuners (more ppl there than in the foxtel forum) asking for help with getting the software encoder to work.

And yeah, you have plenty of grunt, so your CPU isn't an issue.

If you use the dedicated composite jack, you can still take the audio from the other SCART plug, as the only problem you have with that is that the composite in the scart will be black and white, but the audio is still good. Unless you have an amp, in which case the optical SPDIF will be a better option.

And yep, you understood me correctly with the setup. Good Luck with it. If you think it's too much trouble with getting it to work in MC, then PVR2 is still a good option. You'd probably get better quality with it too, as from what I hear, that software ecoder for MC isn't great PQ wise.