Question : Windows MCE 2005 - Using S-Video with WinTV PVR-150 WITHOUT detecting IR controller for Cable STB

Hi,

I've just built a Windows Media Center PC, with the following spec:

  ATI Sapphire Crossfire Xpress 3200 (PC-A9RD580) Motherboard
  ATI Sapphire SLI X1050 256Mb PCI-E Video card
  160Gb Maxtor HDD
  2Gb Dual Channel DDR400 RAM
  Hauppage WinTV PVR-150 (with FM/Aerial/S-VHS/Composite inputs)
  Silverstone LC-10SM HTPC Case

Connecting to an NTL/Virgin Media Set Top Box (Samsung model), using S-VHS lead.

The issue I'm having seems to be with getting MC to accept the S-VHS as the input from the STB without MC wanting to control the IR for it.  The options available in setting up the TV input are Manual or Auto-Config.  When using the Auto-Config, MC detects the input but then says "You have no IR so MC can't control your STB" and doesn't store the S-VHS as the input device.

The same happens when I try all the various input settings manually.  I have to select "Cable" as the provider, as I also want the TV Listings to work (which do by the way), and have also tried with "Satellite" and "Analog Aerial", but with no success.

What I need to know, is there a config file (such as an application.config) or registry setting to setup the TV input manually outside of MC, or is there a way of disabling the IR for STB control?

At the present time I don't really care about controlling the STB via MC, just want to stream the S-VHS input into it so I can replace my old PVR.

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.  I've had a look around but can't find anyone with details of disabling the IR control (could just be my search techniques :).

Thanks,
Paul

Answer : Windows MCE 2005 - Using S-Video with WinTV PVR-150 WITHOUT detecting IR controller for Cable STB

I don't think I can expand on this anymore. There's a couple of things that I don't understand. Windows advertise Media Centre as a digital solution. And with the advent of digital SD and HD TV and Cable resolutions why do you have to connect to MC from a digtial set-top-box via an analogue S-VHS lead, which has a horizontal resolution of 400 lines. I'm really not familiar with Media Centre but it does accept a digital coaxial connection doesn't it? I may be off topic, but just wondering?

Sorry I couldn't be of assistance.