SKY in MCE

Soldato
Joined
9 May 2003
Posts
3,062
Location
Midlands
Right, here is my question. Before I set up my HTPC I used to be able to "watch" sky on the tv in all rooms around the house via a normal coaxil cable. Since building the PC running MCE 2005 I find it can tune into all the freeview channels fine, but can't pick up the signal being sent by Sky. BAsically I don't want to record it, or get the EPG guide working on it or anything like that. Just straight forward pick up the signal from the coaxil and watch it.

Anybody got any ideas on this? My tv card is the BlackGold Freeview tuner card :) Cheers in advance everyone.
 
MarkyMark said:
Right, here is my question. Before I set up my HTPC I used to be able to "watch" sky on the tv in all rooms around the house via a normal coaxil cable. Since building the PC running MCE 2005 I find it can tune into all the freeview channels fine, but can't pick up the signal being sent by Sky. BAsically I don't want to record it, or get the EPG guide working on it or anything like that. Just straight forward pick up the signal from the coaxil and watch it.

Anybody got any ideas on this? My tv card is the BlackGold Freeview tuner card :) Cheers in advance everyone.

That would be nobody then :(

*BUMPAGE* all the same :p
 
As said, the signal is being sent round the house on Analogue RF, so you'd need an analogue TV card to receive it. the BlackGold doesn't offer this.
 
Im having this same problem am picking up freeview channels i have a Haupage 900 usb tv card I can get the sky signal on the bulit in wintv 2000 software but not in media centre software
 
Cheers for the replies everyone. I have been digging around on google for quite a while now :) ONe thing I still don't get though is that my TV card is a digital card right. And it takes the Digital channels for the freeview from the Coax, the same one that carries the sky signal. So if both sources are actually digital i.e. Sky digital and freeview then I don't understand why Sky can't be detected but freeview can. I realise that my Blackgold tv card is a digital one and that the coax is an analogue, but how does it get one and not the other :confused:

I know there is going to be a really simple answer to the above but i'm having one of those stupid patches where even the obvious seems taxing :p

Cheers everyone.
 
I'll try and keep this sort of simple.

Sky transmit the digital programs from a cluster of satellites in a geostationary orbit to the UK. Your dish picks up this digital signal, and a cable runs to your sky box. Your sky box has a digital satellite tuner in it that locks onto a specific channel, and then the MPEG-2 decoder chip decodes it back to an analogue picture.

This is now of use to you - the SCART output contains an analogue picture signal and analogue audio signals. The RF outputs also contain the analogue picture and audio signals (albeit modulated).

Your BlackGold card is looking for digital signals to decode... your Sky signal going round the house isn't digital anymore by the time it gets to your card.
 
Also note that if you plugged the feed from the satellite dish to the Blackgold it wouldn't work as it's a different type of digital feed.
 
Phil99 said:
Also note that if you plugged the feed from the satellite dish to the Blackgold it wouldn't work as it's a different type of digital feed.
And even if it was the same, it's encrypted. So it doesn't work on two counts, i suppose.
 
I had exact same prob as you at the start of the year with my freeview tv card. I found the signal channel from sky and it was strong but it couldnt tune into it. You need a standard tv card rather than freeview one to get sky. If you want to get rid of sky box then hauppage do a tv card that plugs straight into the dish but your best bet is using a standard tv card for sky. I think mce05 supports 2 tv cards so your prob ok running 2
 
MarkyMark said:
Cheers for the replies everyone. I have been digging around on google for quite a while now :) ONe thing I still don't get though is that my TV card is a digital card right. And it takes the Digital channels for the freeview from the Coax, the same one that carries the sky signal. So if both sources are actually digital i.e. Sky digital and freeview then I don't understand why Sky can't be detected but freeview can. I realise that my Blackgold tv card is a digital one and that the coax is an analogue, but how does it get one and not the other :confused:

I know there is going to be a really simple answer to the above but i'm having one of those stupid patches where even the obvious seems taxing :p

Cheers everyone.

[Removed - Read the rules]

Yes Sky is Digital, and so is freeview, but with both services, it is still an ANALOGUE SIGNAL that is sent to your tv, it is only a DIGITAL SIGNAL that is picked up by your sky/freeview devices, decoded and sent TO YOUR TV VIA AN ANALOGUE SIGNAL.

Hence to solve your problem,
1) if you can change your TV Card sofware over to recieve an analogue signal, then it can tune into the output of your sky box.

2) Change it over to accept an S-Video cable directly from your sky box?

3 posts and you're insulting a member? For asking a question?

Go and read the rules, and adjust your attitude.

Otacon
 
Otacon said:
3 posts and you're insulting a member? For asking a question?

Go and read the rules, and adjust your attitude.

Otacon
Well said. That outburst definitely wasn't needed (i got the full message via email notification before the edit) - even more so as the question had already been answered.
 
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