Central TV Server

[Hetwieg]

English:
(Because I am not sure at the bottom the translation in Dutch)
Because in my stat in 2011 the analogue channels go out, I begin a project to 4 TV's in separate house from the meter box to go with their signal.

And later have a good idea to have a recorder to hang (or integrate).

I just do not know really how I should start me. Do have a few options given for example, half of IR remote controls or a trans Own circuit.

But how I can convert DVB-C signal to the PC and then back to the TV (RGB / Coax) nail my mind deficit. The signal to the living room and bedroom 1 of the HD is nice as it is. Subject to other 2 TV's, they are similar.

Would you like thinking in this project?

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Nederlands (Dutch):
Omdat in mijn stat in 2011 de analoge zenders er uit gaan wil ik een project gaan beginnen om de 4 TV's afzonderlijk in huis vanuit de meterkast te gaan voorzien van hun signaal.

En wat later misschien een leuk idee is om een recorder er aan te hangen (of integreren).

Ik weet alleen niet echt hoe ik hier me zou moeten beginnen. Heb wel al een paar opties gezien voor bijvoorbeeld de afstandsbedieningen doormidden van IR Trans of een Eigen schakeling.

Maar hoe ik het DVB-C signaal kan omzetten naar de PC en dan weer naar de TV's (RGB / Coax) schiet mijn verstand tekort. Het signaal naar de woonkamer en 1 van de slaapkamers is leuk als het HD is. Betreft die andere 2 TV's mogen ze ook analoog zijn.

Zouden jullie willen meedenken in dit project?

<hr noshade size="1">Waarom zelf het wiel nog een keer uitvinden.

[erisan500]

I should read before replying

[j.hoekstra]

What you want is possible in several ways, you could use a programm to capture the DVB-C and broadcast it across the netwerk with a programm like dvbstream(on linux).
You could also use a mediacentre option like I do with mythtv.
You could have a central 'server' where you put the capturecards for DVB-C and then use frontends around the house, if you're using HD it would be wise to invest in gigabit networking to have some reserve for several viewers at once. It would require you to have htpc-alike computers hooked-up to the TV, but a so called ION-computer(atom + nvidia ION chipset) would do the trick all the way up to HD.

With DVB-C most of the time the content is scrambled, it's a bit harder set up but there's an howto on the dutch mythtv-page for that.
If you have further questions regarding mythtv, feel free to ask.

[mo046]

You will need a decoder for each TV you want to connect, otherwise all TV's will display the same. So the simple solution is to buy 4 decoders, one at each TV.
The more difficult solution is to put them all in the meter box and connect them to the TV. The problem is to get the signal to the TV's. Most decoders have a SCART or HDMI output, not an analog. You will have to buy a converter that converts these to an analog TV signal. There are TV modulators that "insert" a signal on your cable on a free channel. The cable from your cable provider goes into the decoder. Put the SCART output from the decoder in the modulator and set a free channel (as you won't have any analog channels you might as well pick any channel, because the signal from your provider doesn't have to be transferred to your TV's anymore). The output of the modulator will have to be connected to the cable that leads to your TV set.
The modulators often come with an Infrared link so that you can use the remote control at your TV side, the remote's signal is transfered via the cable to the decoder.
Marmitek has modulators that can do the job (MegaView series). There you will see also other solutions that do the same but wirelessly between decoder and TV-Set. The also have senders that transfer HDMI over CAT5 network cable. That will allow HD signals to be transferred. But you will have to put network cable directly to your TV (not via network switches or hubs!).

To record digital TV with your PC there are several solutions using either USB, Firewire or PCI-Card DVB-C decoders. Playback the recorded signals on your TV requires the same solutions as above. You might need a VGA-to-analog converter, or a PC video card with analog or HDMI output.
You could also use (streaming) video server software if you want to look at the recorded programs on a PC. MediaPortal (Mediaplayer for Windows) comes with videoserver software.

[Noel]

Don't you just love digital TV.

[Hetwieg]

The problem is that I want one decoder for the 4 TV's or integrate it in one devise. Then it is easy to build it out to more TV's or It is easy to captue and save the signal for playback.

@j.hoekstra linux is nice to use fore it
But how can I conect my TV's to the Ethernet?

[j.hoekstra]

The problem is that I want one decoder for the 4 TV's or integrate it in one devise. Then it is easy to build it out to more TV's or It is easy to captue and save the signal for playback.

@j.hoekstra linux is nice to use fore it
But how can I conect my TV's to the Ethernet?

Don't use DVB-C myself, will soon start using a satellite feed with the same goal.

I got a mythtv master-backend in my hallway(metercabinet is a bit small), I got a frontend in the livingroom and frontend in the bedroom. The frontends I use are all PC's but you could use a NMT as well or if your TV supports UPNP or DLNA you could use that. I got a Sony W5500 which unfortunately doesn't understand the upnp-server of mythtv, but several users with samsungs reported succes.

Even though it's on the edge of being legal you could use one smartcard for all the channels, I didn't try that and probably not going to but even that would be an option.

[Jeffrey]

What you could do is create a media center with dvb-s (I understand you want to use satellite) cards to record everything you want/need and then share the screen and remote using a Marmitek Megavideo 55 to distribute the media center picture to different tv's in the house.

The cool thing about the megavideo 55 is that it ADDS a channel on your coax cable to which you can tune in from all your tv's! check: http://www.marmitek.com/en/catalogus/pr ... roduct=270" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Keep in mind that this will not allow HD resolutions.

You also change the way you view tv (like I do for years now). I have 2 dvb-c cards in my media center machine from which I record like hell. That way I never watch live tv anymore because I always have something to watch (1 TB of storage). The reason is obvious, I can skip the annoying commercials . It's even possible to automatically skip the commercials using comskip (http://www.kaashoek.com/comskip/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; <-- dutch guy!). The main difference with a PVR (like humax, samsungs and all other crap) is that you can add "series" and keywords with a media center. That mean that if you once create an entry for "CSI", it will record every instance of CSI now and in the future. With a normal pvr you have to regulary schedule the stuff again and again.

[Hetwieg]

I have one smart card
And a PC for the solution.

But witch hardware is also required for this project.
Is it possible to broadcasts the signal over the network and then with a small cheaper then pc box convert to the TV.
Or must you have for every TV a own PC or VGA card in the PC.

When it is possible I want to use minimal source in the house

[Rigolo]

sounds like you want something like Tvheadend (http://lonelycoder.com/hts/tvheadend_overview.html) sitting somewhere in your basement, and some small atom PC with an Nvidia ION chipset near each TV running XBMC.

There is a Ziggo (dutch DVB-C) how to also available about this on the tvheadend website.

What you need to get started is a PC, Linux, smartcard reader and a DVB-C PCI card.

[Hetwieg]

Thank you for the link. I will look ad it.