[auroraphillip]

I am going to build a new HTPC and have the following requirments.


1. Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005 Interface (the wife won't have it any other way)

2. Record 4 HD OTA Shows at Once


I currently have Two HD Tuners in my HTPC and use the MCE inferface for recording two shows at once.


Questions:


1. Is this possible?

2. I know BeyondTV can have unlimited Tuners, but can I use the a Plugin for MCE to control BeyondTV?

3. Should I build two HTPC with dual tuners? If I do that and use MCE for recording can I watch shows recorded on one MCE on either one even if the Broadcast flag is enabled?


I have searched around but can't really find any good info. Maybe my searching skills suck.


Thanks for the help

 

[Fatawan]

Look up "MCE Tuner Extender"

 

[MikeSM]

2 HDHomeRuns will do the job for you as soon as their MCE driver is done. This is possible now with Sage and Beyond TV because they have drivers already completed.


Since the HomeRun's are connected by ethernet, you don't even burn PCI slots for them, and they tune unencrypted cable too.


Thanks,

mike

 

[qz3fwd]

Yeah, the HDHomeRun works very nicely. I am going to pickup another one. But I do not use BeyondTV nor MCE for recording. Instead I use TSReader. When the official BeyondTV driver is done I will use that since it has a really nice interface and integrated EPG. Im gonna have to add s couple of Seagate 750's or Hitachi 1TB drives to this machine for recordings.


Just make sure you have a good signal strength and signal to noise ratio to get glitch free recordings. The el-cheapo Walmart antenna I got just aint cutting it and need an outdoor antenna to get a strong signal. Thats my job for today-to get and install the outdoor antenna.

 

[Gary McCoy]

Get a pre-amp for your antenna if you intend to split the signal 4 ways.


Gary

 

[IVB]



Quote:
Get a pre-amp for your antenna if you intend to split the signal 4 ways.


Gary

Did you mean pre-amp or powered splitter? My pre-amp isn't powered, so it wouldn't help.


Also for the OP - Are you sure you want to record 4 HD shows concurrently, as opposed to playing back 4 shows concurrently? Man, that's a lot of concurrent different good shows on.

 

[Gary McCoy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by IVB /forum/post/0


Did you mean pre-amp or powered splitter? My pre-amp isn't powered, so it wouldn't help.


Also for the OP - Are you sure you want to record 4 HD shows concurrently, as opposed to playing back 4 shows concurrently? Man, that's a lot of concurrent different good shows on.

The best setup is a mast-mounted pre-amp up above the roof, where it is not subject to the EMI (electromagnetic interference) inside your house. Then use a good quality 4-way splitter. Second best is a powered antenna splitter, aka an amplifier with multiple outputs.


Gary