HOWTO: BYOPVR with Dish Network 301, PVR-150, & GBPVR
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Okay to summarize everything so far: I managed to record a program using GBPVR and my Dish Network DP301 satellite receiver using my keyboard and mouse and without using IR Blaster. Babysteps you see. I wanted to test the whole setup before going into the IR Blaster and Remote control stuff as things may get decidely more complicated.
Once I made sure that the system does record programs manually, it was time to setup the IR Blaster and Remote. The IR Blaster is little piece of hardware that GBPVR uses to send command to the Dish Receiver - it basically simulates the commands you send to your satellite receiver when using its remote control. To work properly, you have to stick that little piece with the LED right on top of the IR Eye of the satellite receiver. I then put some clear tape on the IR blaster to secure it in position. The other green thingy on the cable is the IR receiver for the Hauppauge remote control, which I taped to the receiver in clear line of sight. This should allow me to schedule any program on any channel using just the remote control (no need for the keyboard or mouse!).
I ran the Hauppauge IR Blaster config from the start menu ( screen shot 2, screen shot 3 ). The version that I installed was v1.3.23013. I went through the wizard like setup. The only important item here is finding the correct code set for your specific satellite receiver. I used code set “431” for the Dish Network DP301. This setting worked like a charm for me.
A little bit of history of when things didn't go smoothly: I initially did have a lot of trouble with the IR blaster plugin and GBPVR crashing on external channel change. I prowled the forums and googled like crazy for solution to no avail. I was stuck and remained stuck for weeks, but I did not loose hope and kept on prodding. Finally when the new GBPVR version was released, I immediately updated my GBPVR, made the necessary changes (changed the option for the new IR Blaster setting) and everything was fine. I now can record any channel on my Dish Network 301 at any time automatically without my intervention!
So there you go! That's my “brief” account of my experience with building a highly functional, extremely cheap PVR for Dish Network 301 Set Top Box.
What’s Next?
My next goal is to make the PVR as quiet as possible. Forum are filled with suggestions but I took the following points from one of the forum’s contributor “smokeyalien”.
These are:
1. Buy a scotch brite pads (not the one with the foam but just the pads) $0.89 from Walmart. Use them as fan filter. It will do two things, first it will act as an air filter keeping dust out of the case, second it will minimize the noise due to the vibrations.
2. Buy a brat (type of bedding) from Walmart for $2.89 and wrap my whole case with it from the inside. This will further muffle the noise.
If these two things didn’t lower the noise enough then I will go deep inside the case and will put some kind of a air channel in there. Also will install a channel coming out of the case to take the exhaust out in an orderly manner.
I hope these cheap solutions will make my system whisper quiet. Of course I could go out and spend hundreds of dollars to buy silent computing products but that’s not the spirit of the true DIY'er and I like to keep it real with the "B" in BYOPVR being more "BUILD" than "BUY" =)
