[mythtv-users] Possible Solution: Second pcHDTV card does not "open" or cannot be seen by MythTV

[MythTV]

Here are the older threads on this issue:

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/295420
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/295503
http://www.pchdtv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7030

I don't know if these procedures are the actual solution but here's  
what happen that resulted in getting both pcHDTV cards working.

Both pcHDTV cards were in my MythTV box but only one was working.   
Then last week, MythTV lost track of the one working card and would  
no longer record any shows.  Watching shows continued to work just fine.

After quite a bit of research and futzing with the system, I decided  
to delete all capture cards from the system.  I chose "Delete all  
capture cards" from option 2 in MythTV Setup.  Then added "New  
capture card" with Card type: "DVB DTV capture card (v3.x)" and DVB  
Card Number: 0.  This capture card became [DVB:0].  I only have one  
Video source, "Antenna", so I connected "[DVB:0]  (DVBInput) ->  
Antenna".  The card closest to the AGP video slot began to work.

Following the instructions at:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Configuring_PCHDTV_card_for_ATSC

I changed [DVB:0] to [DVB:1].  After all, it does say "If you have  
multiple DVB cards you need to change the device, to the one for the  
newest card."  However, this resulted in the card farthest from the  
AGP slot to work; the card closest to the AGP stopped working.

I deleted all capture cards again and started over with one capture  
card name [DVB:0] and the second named [DVB:1].  I connected both to  
the same Video source so that "[DVB:0]  (DVBInput) -> Antenna" and  
"[DVB:1]  (DVBInput) -> Antenna".  This time, both cards could be  
seen and opened but only one card could be recorded from.  MythTV  
thought both cards could record so would schedule multiple  
simultaneous recordings.

To finally get both cards open and recording, I moved one of the  
cards to a different slot in the computer.  I deleted all capture  
cards, added [DVB:0] and [DVB:1], connected them to my only Video  
source, and everything worked!

So either the "Configuring PCHDTV card for ATSC" article is wrong or  
my Myth box is setup incorrectly.  I don't care; I am now recording  
multiple reruns of shows as there is current a writer's strike going on.

Of course, it wasn't as easy nor straight forward as the procedures  
above.  I spent many hours testing one card, then the other, then  
connected to physical antenna, and so on... and so on...  I ran  
across other people with this similar problem.  I hope that these  
instructions will help solve your problem too; and then again, you  
may have to just wait until your computer forgets about it's only  
working video card before you can proceed.

Rob