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Thread: How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Connecticut USA
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    1,865
    Distro
    Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

    I have a Hauppauge PVR150 card running on my box, but the following tutorial will also work on the PVR250,350, and 500.

    Do:
    Code:
    sudo apt-get install ivtv-utils vlc
    Open VLC player

    Media -> Open Capture Device -> PVR (from pull down menu) -> Play.

    Then you can do (in terminal)

    Code:
    ivtv-tune -c25
    (25 is channel number)

    Which changes the channel. (this is for people that have cable coming into their computer directly, and NOT coming from the cable box)

    If your signal is coming from a cable or satellite box, do ivtv-tune -c3 and change the channel on the box.

    Code:
    ivtv-tune -h
    To see the options which control the card.


    For a cool desktop tv remote,(so you dont have to use terminal to change channels, or to start tv) go to: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tvremote/ Highly recommended. I have attached a pic of the remote below.

    Remember to have Java installed first. Then you can right click>properties> open with> java. After that, just click normally to launch.

    To record tv while you're watching, in VLC, go to Views and check off advanced contols. You will then see a record button in vlc's interface. All recordings will be saved to your home folder.

    To schedule a tv for future viewing, we are going to use cron for the job.

    We need to make sure you are a member of the crontab group first. Go to System>Administration>Users and Groups and unlock the window by clicking the keys button, or the "unlock" button. Enter password. Then click on Manage Groups button. Scroll down until you see the crontab entry. Highlight it, and then click on Properties. Check your name if it is not already. Log out and then back in.

    First, select which channel you want to record by: (we will use channel 25 as an example)
    Code:
    ivtv-tune -c25
    Then, in the same terminal window, do:
    Code:
    crontab -e
    Delete everything you see in there.

    Then as an example of a recording you want done on Dec. 31 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, you would enter in crontab: (see below for an explanation of how cron works)
    # start recording
    00 16 31 12 05 cat /dev/video0 > /home/user_name/name_of_show.mpg
    # stop recording
    30 17 31 12 05 killall cat

    To save the job, do Ctrl-X then Y then Enter.

    Remember to put your user name in after /home. You can name the show whatever you want, just make sure you have .mpg after the name.

    For those not familiar with cron, in the line 00 16 31 12 05 cat /dev/video0 > /home/user_name/name_of_show.mpg

    00 represents the minutes of the hour (4:00), 16 is the hour (4:00 a 24 hour clock is used. 12 midnight would be 00, 1 AM would be 01, etc.), 31 is the date, 12 is the month, 05 is the day of the week -Thurs. in this case. (Sunday is 00, Monday is 01, etc)

    You may also find the following link useful. Thanks to MeKino for this. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=758845
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by HappyFeet; December 25th, 2009 at 09:24 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    23

    Re: How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

    HappyFeet -

    Thank you so much for the tutorial, it is exactly what I have been looking for!! I also am located in Connecticut. I am running Ubuntu 9.10 on a Shuttle system with a 4-core AMD processor. Where can I get the best Hauppauge adapter to accept a signal directly from my cable system (without a cable box)? Which Hauppauge adapter would be best? Can I use a USB Hauppauge connector (which I would prefer)?

    Thank you - again.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Connecticut USA
    Beans
    1,865
    Distro
    Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    Re: How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

    Ebay would probably be the best place to pick up a Hauppauge PVR150 pci card since they are hard to find. My tutorial is specifically for PCI cards, and I doubt the usb version would work with what I wrote.

    Edit: Here is one for sale on Ebay for $34. Pretty good deal, considering I paid $80 a few years ago.

    Where in CT are you? I'm in Stratford.
    Last edited by HappyFeet; December 25th, 2009 at 09:31 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Re: How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

    HappyFeet - thank you!!

    I bought the card and will install it as soon as it arrives. I apologize for being tardy in this response, but I am now in Ireland for the holidays. Normally we live just down the 'pike from you in Stamford.

    Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year! Thank you again.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Beans
    159

    Re: How to: Watch TV with Hauppauge PVR150/250/350/500

    I'am writing a frontend to watch and record TV for ivtv, pvrusb2 and cx18 devices. Perhaps you might find it useful too. See this thread for details.

    Regards
    TV-Viewer 0.8.x
    GUI for Hauppauge PVR and other ivtv based TV cards.
    sourceforge.net project site || Homepage
    Thread for discussions and announcements.

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