Mailing List Archive: two directv receivers, one tv-card

two directv receivers, one tv-card

May 14, 2003, 8:54 AM

Post #1 of 4 (1713 views)

input HELP!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I previously posted this, but I didn't receive a response. If it's not possible, can somebody just say so please?

This might be a very simple problem to correct, but I haven't yet figured out
the solution.

I have two directv receivers and an ATI TV Wonder tv-card.

On the back of my television, I have a composite output.
As most of you know, the TV Wonder card has a coaxial and a composite input.

What I would like to do is use both dtv receivers with this card and mythtv. Overall, I'd like to at least be able to watch a different station while recording another. Is there a way to manipulate this using both receivers, or should I buy another tv-card? Is this possible to streamline into using just the one card with both receivers? Can't I use the composite AND the CATV connector and switch between the two with DTV?
Currently, I am only able to set mythtv to "see" one of the receivers using
the composite1 input setting. However, when I hit 'c' to change inputs to
the another video input that is configured to "Television" and uses the
coaxial input on the tv-card, all i get is a blue screen like it doesn't
recognize the input. Am I doing something wrong? What do I have to do to
get both receivers running at the same time so I can hit 'c' to switch
between them?

Thanks so much for your help!

Re: two directv receivers, one tv-card [ In reply to ]

ray at comarre

May 14, 2003, 9:03 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1665 views)

Permalink

I don't use the specific card you have, but my understanding of vidcap
cards in general is that a vidcap card can use only one of its inputs (in
this case, Television (="coaxial") or Composite1 (="composite")) at any one
time. So while you certainly should be able to *switch* between these two
inputs, using them will not let you **simultaneously** record from one
while watching TV from the other. For that, you need 2 cards (or, more
exactly, 2 v4l devices, which usually means 2 cards).

This should address your first concern:

>Overall, I'd like to at least be able to watch a different station while
>recording another. Is there a way to manipulate this using both
>receivers, or should I buy another tv-card?

As to your second concern:

>However, when I hit 'c' to change inputs to
>the another video input that is configured to "Television" and uses the
>coaxial input on the tv-card, all i get is a blue screen like it doesn't
>recognize the input. Am I doing something wrong?

You don't really say what you are *doing* (except for the minor detail of
how you are using the UI), so it is impossible to say if you are doing
something *wrong*. You don't even really describe what this "another video
input" is (from the Myth side of it, I mean). It reads like you're
connecting to to the vidcap card's Television input an external tuner ("dtv
receiver"), presumably one that will output its signal to some TV channel
or other.

But we need details ... responding based on guesses is too much work. What
*is* the "input" that the vidcap card, or perhaps MythTV, doesn't
recognize? That is, what channel does the dtv receiver *output* on? What
frequency set is it using? Is Myth tuned to that channel? What else can you
tell us about the hookup you are attempting?

At 11:54 AM 5/14/2003 -0400, Mike Gardner wrote:
>input HELP!
>
>I previously posted this, but I didn't receive a response. If it's not
>possible, can somebody just say so please?
>
>This might be a very simple problem to correct, but I haven't yet figured out
>the solution.
>
>I have two directv receivers and an ATI TV Wonder tv-card.
>
>On the back of my television, I have a composite output.
>As most of you know, the TV Wonder card has a coaxial and a composite input.
>
>What I would like to do is use both dtv receivers with this card and
>mythtv. Overall, I'd like to at least be able to watch a different station
>while recording another. Is there a way to manipulate this using both
>receivers, or should I buy another tv-card? Is this possible to
>streamline into using just the one card with both receivers? Can't I use
>the composite AND the CATV connector and switch between the two with DTV?
>Currently, I am only able to set mythtv to "see" one of the receivers using
>the composite1 input setting. However, when I hit 'c' to change inputs to
>the another video input that is configured to "Television" and uses the
>coaxial input on the tv-card, all i get is a blue screen like it doesn't
>recognize the input. Am I doing something wrong? What do I have to do to
>get both receivers running at the same time so I can hit 'c' to switch
>between them?
>
>Thanks so much for your help!

Re: two directv receivers, one tv-card [ In reply to ]

tarek at tarek

May 14, 2003, 9:17 AM

Post #3 of 4 (1667 views)

Permalink

I have often wondered the exact same thing, but it doesn't seem as though
it is possible to use two inputs in one card simultaneously.. In addition,
it may be quite confusing in the long run to make it happen.. In any case,
getting a second tv-card should be all but trivial in this point in time,
so I think that you'd be better off by far just getting a new tv-card and
configuring that one4 so that it could receive the signal.. Of course,
keep us updated on the exact progress so that we can know how it worked
out for you.. and if you get the two inputs to work out simultaneously,
then please do let us know that too.. Having said all of that, the blue
screen when you try to change the output could just mean that you don't
have it physically set up right, which is to say that it's not properly
plugged in..

tarek : )

> I have two directv receivers and an ATI TV Wonder tv-card.
>
> On the back of my television, I have a composite output.
> As most of you know, the TV Wonder card has a coaxial and a composite input.
>
> What I would like to do is use both dtv receivers with this card and mythtv. Overall, I'd like to at least be able to watch a different station while recording another. Is there a way to manipulate this using both receivers, or should I buy another tv-card? Is this possible to streamline into using just the one card with both receivers? Can't I use the composite AND the CATV connector and switch between the two with DTV?
> Currently, I am only able to set mythtv to "see" one of the receivers using
> the composite1 input setting. However, when I hit 'c' to change inputs to
> the another video input that is configured to "Television" and uses the
> coaxial input on the tv-card, all i get is a blue screen like it doesn't
> recognize the input. Am I doing something wrong? What do I have to do to
> get both receivers running at the same time so I can hit 'c' to switch
> between them?
>
> Thanks so much for your help!
>
>
>

Re: two directv receivers, one tv-card [ In reply to ]

linux.news at bucksch

May 14, 2003, 10:04 AM

Post #4 of 4 (1659 views)

Permalink

Mike Gardner wrote:

>What I would like to do is use both dtv receivers with this card and mythtv. Overall, I'd like to at least be able to watch a different station while recording another.
>
As Ray said, this is impossible (to my knowledge). You need at least 2
cards for that.

You also need a computer fast enough to compress 2 streams at the same
time (even for LiveTV). For how fast it has to be, read the archives.