Capture Video/Audio from STB (DVB) with SCART in W7MCE through USB (EzCAP?)

[DIRKZELF]

Hi everyone,

I just seem to be unable to get any answers on my issue.

Ok, here goes, I have a STB (DVB tuner/receiver/decoder set top box) with scart output, a scart converter to video and audio, and a laptop with USB and Windows 7 Media Center.

Now, I want to get the audio/video from the STB to be recognized by MCE so I can watch and record TV shows on my laptop.

Please let me know if any of you can help me out here with actual facts, no assumptions please.......... I've had too many of that...

[usually_quiet]

If you want facts, I have used Windows 7 MCE for a couple of years now, and have an appropriate set up for analog capture. Windows 7 MCE has very particular requirements for capture devices. The only pure capture devices that I know of that can work with Windows 7's MCE are the Hauppauge HD PVR and the Hauppauge Colossus. Otherwise, the capture device must include an analog tuner too, plus WDM drivers that are certified for Windows 7. There is one more requirement as well, a remote control kit with an IR receiver that includes an IR blaster.

You need to use another program for this. Possibly Media Portal, DV Scheduler, or DScaler will work.

Also if your EasyCap is one of the very cheap capture devices sold online, consider getting something else. It is poor quality in every respect, and with no manufacturer support, finding good Windows 7 drivers for it could be a chore.

[Edit] There is a fake driver that simulates an IR Receiver/IR blaster to fool W7 MCE, and here is the link for it http://www.myhava.com/forum/download/file.php?id=53

I have never tried it and vaguely remember reading something that said it only worked for Windows 7's 32-bit versions. However, it still doesn't eliminate the need for a capture device with an analog tuner.

[DIRKZELF]

Thanks for your reply usually_quiet

but I already have a digital TV tuner with analog output, just need to get the signal to the laptop through USB port and recognized by W7MCE.

Anyone?

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for your reply usually_quiet

but I already have a digital TV tuner with analog output, just need to get the signal to the laptop through USB port and recognized by W7MCE.

Anyone?

You don't understand. Windows 7 MCE does not work with devices that only capture and do not include a tuner as well. Microsoft built that limitation into MCE.

The only exceptions are the Hauppauge HD-PVR and Hauppauge Colossus, and they only work with Windows 7 MCE when using special drivers from Hauppauge, or a $30 third party plug-in (which only works with them). The driver package and plug-in make it appear that the two devices have a tuner. Your EasyCap does not have such a driver package available, nor is there a third party plug-in available for it. It will never work with MCE without those, and it may not even work with the free PVR software I mentioned in my earlier post, particularly Media Portal.

[DIRKZELF]

sorry for being a newb, but I think (read: hope....) to understand now.

On the other hand, I also have a desktop PC with an internal Analog TV card (definately NOT Hauppauge!) which can work with the antenna cable for analog tv, or with the (s-)video in and sound input to capture the tv signal from the digital external tuner, and that works fine!

Besides I have the Anysee E30+ (for USB) for the laptop already, and there are many other manufacturers that make similar products for MCE, not ONLY Hauppauge?!? How is it that possible if W7 MCE can ONLY work with Hauppauge?

But I want to switch to cable, and since I already have a spare DVB-C tuner with scart, I don´t want to spend another 150 - 200 bucs for yet another tuner.

Or am I still not getting it??

[usually_quiet]

sorry for being a newb, but I think (read: hope....) to understand now.

On the other hand, I also have a desktop PC with an internal Analog TV card (definately NOT Hauppauge!) which can work with the antenna cable for analog tv, or with the (s-)video in and sound input to capture the tv signal from the digital external tuner, and that works fine!

Besides I have the Anysee E30+ (for USB) for the laptop already, and there are many other manufacturers that make similar products for MCE, not ONLY Hauppauge?!? How is it that possible if W7 MCE can ONLY work with Hauppauge?

But I want to switch to cable, and since I already have a spare DVB-C tuner with scart, I don´t want to spend another 150 - 200 bucs for yet another tuner.

Or am I still not getting it??

You have misunderstood. The brand name does not matter. What matters is that the A/V capture device either has a TV tuner too, or can fool MCE into thinking it has a TV tuner. If you want to use MCE, you need to buy a different device. If you want to use your EzCap you must find other software to use with it instead of MCE.

The problem is that the capture software I have tried does not include a way to make unattended recordings that start and stop based on a user-defined schedule, and the best-known PVR software needs a tuner to work, just like Windows 7 MCE.

As far as the devices you have...

The internal TV card in your desktop PC has an analog tuner as well as A/V capture. Because it incorporates both an analog tuner and A/V capture in one device, MCE recognizes and is able to use the A/V capture part of the device.

Your EzCap does not work with MCE because it has no tuner itself. It is only for analog A/V capture. The fact that you installed another USB device with a TV tuner (the Anysee E30+ USB) in the same laptop does not make any difference. The tuner and the A/V capture must be part of a single USB device for A/V capture to work with Windows 7 MCE.

As far the two Hauppauge models I mentioned...

It is true they are only for capture and don't have a tuner. Ordinarily they would not work with MCE either. In fact for the first few years it was available, the HD-PVR not work with MCE. Then, DVBLogic wrote the DVBLink plug-in for the HDPVR, which made it look like a tuner. Later Hauppauge wrote a driver package that made it appear that the HD-PVR was tuner. Since the capture device looked like a tuner, Windows 7's MCE could use it. The plug-in and drivers were adapted for the Hauppauge Colossus when Hauppauge released the Colossus.

To work with MCE, your EzCap would also need a driver package or a plug-in that makes it look like an analog tuner, but there is nothing like that available.

[DIRKZELF]

thanks for the extensive explanation, it makes more sense to me now.

In short:

1) The Hauppauge stuff works because they fool the MCE in appearing as a tuner, when in fact it's just a capture device. What bugs me now, is, where the signal comes from, another external tuner?

2) The A/V INPUT on my TV card only works in MCE just BECAUSE it has a tuner built in? Weird since I'm actually using the EXTERNAL tuner / settop box........

3) An EzCap like product WOULD work in my setup IF there was an MCE driver for it?

I also just got an email from TerraTec Germany, about their Grabby and Grabster products, and their G-series:

"all our video grabber products (Grabby, Grabster and TERRATEC G series) are not working with the Windows Media Center. They need a own software to show the signal on the monitor. So if this is a must, then unfortunately we can't offer you a device from our company. Sorry !

With best regards

Your TERRATEC team"

So they say basically the same thing......

Well, maybe I am doomed to buy yet another extra DVB-C tuner with USB port after all .....

Any suggestions?

How about these:

http://www.terratec.net/en/products/TERRATEC_H6_147773.html?premium=1

http://www.terratec.net/en/products/TERRATEC_H5_154257.html?premium=1

They include what they call Home Cinema, appears to be a sort of Windows MCE alike..... anyone here using it? Do they descramble the pay-channels? How? No space for the card??

[usually_quiet]

thanks for the extensive explanation, it makes more sense to me now.

In short:

1) The Hauppauge stuff works because they fool the MCE in appearing as a tuner, when in fact it's just a capture device. What bugs me now, is, where the signal comes from, another external tuner?

The Hauppauge HD-PVR and Hauppauge Colossus do hardware h.264 encoding as they capture, and send a pre-encoded A/V stream to the PC. That is part of the reason why it is possible to make the Hauppauge HD-PVR and Hauppauge Colossus look like a tuner. Digital TV tuner cards send an encoded A/V stream too, although it is usually in MPEG-2 format.

2) The A/V INPUT on my TV card only works in MCE just BECAUSE it has a tuner built in? Weird since I'm actually using the EXTERNAL tuner / settop box........

Yes, that is correct. I have Diamond TV Wonder 650 card, and MCE can use the capture feature with my cable box because it has an analog tuner.

3) An EzCap like product WOULD work in my setup IF there was an MCE driver for it?

Yes, if it could be made to look like a tuner, it would probably work.

I also just got an email from TerraTec Germany, about their Grabby and Grabster products, and their G-series:

"all our video grabber products (Grabby, Grabster and TERRATEC G series) are not working with the Windows Media Center. They need a own software to show the signal on the monitor. So if this is a must, then unfortunately we can't offer you a device from our company. Sorry !

With best regards

Your TERRATEC team"

So they say basically the same thing......

Well, maybe I am doomed to buy yet another extra DVB-C tuner with USB port after all .....

Any suggestions?

How about these:

http://www.terratec.net/en/products/TERRATEC_H6_147773.html?premium=1

http://www.terratec.net/en/products/TERRATEC_H5_154257.html?premium=1

They include what they call Home Cinema, appears to be a sort of Windows MCE alike..... anyone here using it? Do they descramble the pay-channels? How? No space for the card??

We do not have Terratec in the US, but I was going to suggest you look at those two Terratec USB TV tuner/capture devices. I think they are MCE compatible. They have an analog PAL tuner, which is what MCE needs to see the S-Video and stereo audio signal from the capture ports. Here are some other USB TV tuner/capture devices you might look at: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-900 246, Diamond TV Wonder 750 HD USB, AVerTV Hybrid Volar HX and AVerTV Hybrid Volar HD.