Connecting Set Top Box to PC

[Games Goblin]

My Goal Here is to Connect my set Top Box to my TV Tuner Card

Ok Let me list out my system specs first:

1)Intel Core2 6300 @ 1.86 GHZ
2)GeForce 8600GT
3)Pinnacle PCTV 110i TV Tuner
4)2 GB RAM
5)Windows XP Professional SP2


My TV Tuner Card has RF in. However my set top box has only RCA Out (The Red, White, Yellow Cable Thingy)

So I bought a RF Modulator (RF Converter) to convert the RCA signal to RF and I connected the RCA Modulators RF out into my TV Tuners RF in. I scanned for new channels and got 6 of them. How ever none of the channels are clearly visible, although I can hear sound of the set top box on my PC. What am I doing wrong here?

[gulgulumaal]

How come u got 6 channels?...u r supposed to get only one...usually it will be in channel 4.

RF modulator converts the o/p of the channel u r currently watching on ur STB to one particular TV channel. Try tuning again..make sure connections are correct.

BTW this RF modulating thing will result in low quality video. ur tuner card seems to have s-video in socket. See if ur STB has an s-video out. If so, get an s-video cable, and ur problem is solved.

Otherwise see if u can get a composite to s-video converter. Dunno if they're available.

[Games Goblin]

The RF Modulators box says you get 5-7 channels....

All connections are OK (i tested the RF Modlator on my TV and it works fine)

[b_man]

A slightly off-the-track question: I noticed that the tv tuner card you are using is Analogue one. How about Digital TV TUners? Won't they lend themselves to be more easily interfaced with the digital content provided by the service providers?

[Games Goblin]

Hmm Digital TV Tuner is a good idea, but my card is just 2 years old now and I don't want to replace it so soon...

[Games Goblin]

Originally Posted by gulgulumaal

How come u got 6 channels?...u r supposed to get only one...usually it will be in channel 4.

RF modulator converts the o/p of the channel u r currently watching on ur STB to one particular TV channel. Try tuning again..make sure connections are correct.

BTW this RF modulating thing will result in low quality video. ur tuner card seems to have s-video in socket. See if ur STB has an s-video out. If so, get an s-video cable, and ur problem is solved.

Otherwise see if u can get a composite to s-video converter. Dunno if they're available.

I do have a S-Video IN and I found a Composite to S-video Converter



Then to my joy of Joys it worked! and I am getting very good picture! But Alas no sound!!

Any Remedies?

[amargupta]

Mr. Goblin, one suggestion from my side. there r three cables coming out from set top box. connect the yellow one into the video in jack of ur tv tuner card. and rest two into ur speakers. if u dont have video in function in ur tv-tuner card then leave the thing as u have done with s-video in. thats it

[b_man]

A request: if you can, please give a short tutorial kinda desc of what you did, what one needs, the do's and don'ts, etc.

[Games Goblin]

I did it!!! Finally I got the picture and sound

A request: if you can, please give a short tutorial kinda desc of what you did, what one needs, the do's and don'ts, etc.

Ok heres what I did:

1) As Mentioned Above, you have to get a Composite to S-video Converter
(I got one with my video card)



2) Connect one end of the yellow plug of the RCA cable into the back of your set top box (into yellow of course) and the other end of the cable into the converter (as shown above) and then plug the converter in to the S-Video in of your TV Tuner Card


3) OK! Thats the Video taken care of, now you have to get an RCA Audio to 3.5mm jack cable:


You will also need an RCA Coupler for this step (pictured below)



Connect the red and white plugs to the back of your set top box and then the 3.5 mm plug to the LINE IN of your sound card



(in the above picture of a typical sound card, the line in jack is marked with the red arrow [blue port])

After doing this you have to go the settings page of your sound card and ENABLE/UNMUTE the LINE IN/INPUT MONITOR.

4) Thats it!!! You can now view your STB on your PC with great sound and video!!


I would recommend the following programs to manipulate your TV Card

1) KastorTV (OpenSource, Freeware) - http://www.kastortv.org/
2) ChrisTV Lite (Freeware, but professional version is shareware) - http://www.chris-tv.com/news.html

Have a Great Day !!

P.S. - Converting the RCA signal into RF(with modulator) and then plugging it in to your TV Card doesn't help, well, It doesn't for me anyway....

EDIT:No need to remind you that if your TV Card has RCA input (pictured below) then simply plug the RCA cable into your STB into your TV Card......



(Example Pictured Above is Hauppauge WinTV - PVR - 150)

So make sure you buy one like this the next time you go out shopping for a TV tuner card, or you have to go through the hassles above

[tony.h]

Now this particular problem seems just about resolved, can anyone assist with mine?

My Virgin cable set-top box has both scart andr RF out connections - have tried RF out to RF in on my TV card but do not get any channels when searching through Windows Media Center

Have also tried scart adapter and connected red/yellow/white cables to the TV card - still no success.

Have also got an SVideo socket on the TV card but not tried that yet.

Can anyone assist?

[Games Goblin]

Hello Tony and Welcome to digit forums!

So you are basically having the same problem as me!

I have never heard about/seen scart plugs (forgive me I too, am a bit of a novice in this area, i am still finding my way around!)

I searched about SCART and learnt a bit about it. Does your TV Tuner have RCA input(red yellow white - as in above example?)

Since you have an S-Video input I believe the best solution a 21 Pin Scart Plug to S-Video & 3.5mm converter:




In the above converter, S-Video will contain video output and the 3.5 mm jack will take care of audio. Plug the s-video in your TV Tuner and the 3.5 mm plug into the line-in of your Sound-Card! (refer my guide above)

I found the above converter on this website : http://www.ise.eu.com/product_info.php?products_id=47

Other wise you could get the SCART to RCA :



You could do this if you don't get the SCART to S-Video Converter. In this method, you could connect the RCA plugs directly to the back of your tv tuner card (if it has RCA in)

I found this converter here:

http://www.planetomni.com/CABLE_SCART_scart6.shtml

Other wise , as mentioned in the above guide using this converter (SCART to RCA) use the RCA to S-Video plug:



Connect one end of the yellow plug of the RCA cable into the back of your set top box (into yellow of course) and the other end of the cable into the converter (as shown above) and then plug the converter in to the S-Video in of your TV Tuner Card

now you have to get an RCA Audio to 3.5mm jack cable:



Connect the red and white plugs to the back of your set top box and then the 3.5 mm plug to the LINE IN of your sound card

After doing this you have to go the settings page of your sound card and ENABLE/UNMUTE the LINE IN/INPUT MONITOR.

Hope I helped!

EDIT:

Now this particular problem seems just about resolved, can anyone assist with mine?

My Virgin cable set-top box has both scart andr RF out connections - have tried RF out to RF in on my TV card but do not get any channels when searching through Windows Media Center

Have also tried scart adapter and connected red/yellow/white cables to the TV card - still no success.

Have also got an SVideo socket on the TV card but not tried that yet.

Can anyone assist?

I noticed that you used Media Center. May I suggest you try to scan with this program? -

http://www.kastortv.org/

Just a thought, as I use this program to modulate my TV card. Please reply at the earliest about your findings!

[myhotdog]

what abt dvi to video in converter

[VarDOS]

^^ nice one, i was in search of such a tutorial, but can u be able to record prog...

[icebags]

wow awesome thread , thanx. now i can utilize my old tv card with my set top box .

[hellgate]

i didnt face any such hassels when i connected my dishtv stb with my leadtek tuner card.the card has a 9 pin s-video jack.it came with a cable which divides these pins into 3 rca and 1 5-pin s-video jack.all i did was to connet a 3-rca to 3-rca cable from stb to tuner card.

[ranjan2001]

Games Goblin
Good advice, I will bookmark this topic for later reference.
Thanks

[Naveenkaruthedath]

Games Goblin,
plz let me know frm where did u get the 'Composite to S-video Converter'
Where can i get it in kerala

[acewin]

@ Games Goblin and other guys thanks, because I too needed this info, I wanna setup TV in my PC and am thinking of buying good harware to setup things.

lastly I had used UMAX USB Tuner card (on my roomate's system), and wanted something better than that(for my own system).

[don896]

I also tried for connecting STB to tv tunner card. I have composite s-video input for tv tunner card. When i connect it video was working but no audio. i don't have sound card but i have line-in port inbuilt with mother board.If i buy RCA Audio to 3.5mm jack cable is it possible to connect to line-in port inbuilt with mother board.
Please help me from this problem.