HTPC howto

The PC allocated for the task of being my HTPC was a 1.25GHz piece. Even with an updated graphics ard, added RAM and SATA disks the machine was too slow to run MediaPortal 1.0 RC3. Minimal requirement was 1.4 GHz. So I purchased a new machine. A Packard Bell AMD X3 based fairly look looking one which I spent a few nights bring into the shape I wanted. Reading my own posts I realise that a step to step guide might be appropriate;

– Install MediaPortal 1.0 (RC3 is the most recent at the time of writing)

If you want to use a shared card, you need this:

– Install MDAPI – HomePage hereFile here

– Install WinCSC – File here

If you want to be able to access the machine via web

– Install MP WebInterface – Homepage hereFile here

Special credits must go to Heerford – a genuine DVB hero! he provides for example the Electronic program Guice (EPG) that I am soon to get running 😉

– Install EPG Service – HomepageFile here

Interesting post in public forum

Here

HTPC Heaven :-)

THE source of information and tricks in the HTPC topic, is the DVBN forum at http://dvbn.happysat.org/ Naturally,  the forum requires that you register, but having done that you can speak with the people interested. Even coders of the key tools you need hang out here.

Anyway; I had colleague Daniel controlling my PC over VNC for a few hours and we didn’t manage to fix the deadlock of not being able to connect properly to the server. CRAP!

So, after having read the f*cking manual, googling for days, reading all fora available I though I had fulfilled the obligations before bothering people on DVBN with my petty problems. A few hours later JBravo posted this:

From the listed provider id’s I’m guessing that it’s Swedish boxer we are talking about. The problem is that boxer using both old and new cards with different provider id’s and WinCSC picks the wrong provider id and ECM and consequently the channel can’t be decoded.

Find the file MDAPIProvID.xml in the MDPlugins folder and add providerid 143880 (0x23208). This will hopefully make WinCSC find the correct ECM.

So I followed his advice, adjusting the XML file and hey presto – It worked! I provide you with the content of my file. The change marked in bold.

<?xml version=”1.0″?>
<!–
Sample file for MDAPIProvID.xml file.
–>
<mdapi fillout=”False”>
<providers>
<provider ID=”143880″ />
</providers>

<channels>
<!–<channel tp_id=”1110″ sid=”5360″ pmt_pid=”369″ ecm_pid=”104″ />–>
</channels>
<CA_Types>
<!–<CA_Type>0500</CA_Type>–>
</CA_Types>
</mdapi>

More on HTPC

It’s obviously so that setting up a PC with the opportunity to obtain card information from a reader on another unit is more of a challenge than anticipated from start. These things are not typically done by the people who are big fans of bling bling and fancy user interfaces. Three letter abbreviations, ranges of numbers and tick boxes en masse at best (config files that needs text editor access if you want to change them if you fancy the “challenging” solutions).

Anyway; some added knowledge on my behalf:

It shows that you need MDAPI Filter to get started, and the the WinCSC is a plugin to the MDAPI Filter. Many of the tutorials found are for older version of the Mediaportal software. From version 1.0 you can’t follow the older ones, and you can’t use the version of the MDAPI that you might have come across to do the trick. (DVBView has the MDAPI support built in o that might actually be a <€20 investment worth consideration).

Dive into this forum for details and tutorials from the guys who did the programs.

The project’s homepage:Here

Plugins: Here

Here you can also fine a recent version of WinCSC.