Getting Virgin Media to work with Windows Media Center

[gregsilvester]

I'm trying to get my new Virgin Media service to appear on my windows media center pc. My new Samsung SMT-2100c receiver has a coax output which I'm connecting to my Hauppauge WinTV-Nova-T-USB2 external USB TV card.

I've tried following the guide on this link - http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/component...ce_skystb.html

...but I'm having two problems.

Firstly I'm not given an option to configure the 'Automatic TV Signal Setup' to a manual configuration in the WMCe setup.

Secondly, I've tried searching for channels but it doesnt appear to pick up anything at all.

I've searched the forum and found this thread http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11...b-via-usb.html

...but it doesnt appear to provide an answer to my problems.

Thanks

[nicke261192]

No wonder you are having problems as it is not possible what you are doing

You require the Set Top Box to decode the Virgin Media signal so plugging the coax cable directly into the PC will not provide any results

The only thing you can do is connect from the set top box output via scart, rgb or s-video to the pc card

[homealone]

Originally Posted by nicke261192

No wonder you are having problems as it is not possible what you are doing

You require the Set Top Box to decode the Virgin Media signal so plugging the coax cable directly into the PC will not provide any results

The only thing you can do is connect from the set top box output via scart, rgb or s-video to the pc card

that won't work either, the card is a DVB-T device designed to receive Freeview signals from an external aerial

[gregsilvester]

Thanks for your replies guys. My untechnical mind assumed that once the Virgin Media had decoded the signal and sent it down the coax for the tv that any tv card would then be able to use that signal. I guess it's far more complicated than I realised.

Off I go to buy a tv....

[PlanBee]

Maybe buy a TV with a PC input (and support for Picture in Picture). I use the Slingbox to watch TV on my PC as my Freeview card couldn't find a signal in a brewery :-)

[homealone]

Originally Posted by gregsilvester

Thanks for your replies guys. My untechnical mind assumed that once the Virgin Media had decoded the signal and sent it down the coax for the tv that any tv card would then be able to use that signal. I guess it's far more complicated than I realised.

Off I go to buy a tv....

An analogue usb TV card/dongle is all you need if you want to get TV on your PC from the samsung box.

The problem you had, is that you were trying to connect a DVB-T card expecting a digital signal from a freeview aerial to an analogue source i.e. the RF output from the Samsung is analogue, not digital.

- lot cheaper than a TV

one like this if you are ok with installing an internal card

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/pro...ata_pcifm.html

or if not, for example, not a recommendation

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pages/pro...data_usb2.html



You will have to change the 'channel' on the samsung box, which can be a problem if the box & the PC are not adjacent

[gregsilvester]

Thanks for the advice - I'm starting to get my head around it now.

Has anyone got any recommendations on a good/cheap WMCe compatible USB, analogue tv card?

Thanks ;-)