111 replies to this topic

[CollinR]

off top of my head, check the Hauppauge 1600. I'm thinking it does QAM but not positive

Yes, there was an early part# that didn't but most availabla now do. Only buy Hauppauge capture cards they always play well together many of the other cards will conflict with other cards or cannot be doubled up. Also Hauppauge has the widest support available and they are price competitive.

[CollinR]

Also on the DVD playing troubles.


1. The location of the DVD must be readable by the server.
2. The location must be readable by the system user if using service mode (which you should be!!)
3. You should use UNC paths whenever possible, DO NOT use drive letters.

ie:

\\srv1\Media\Video\DVDs\

Rather then

G:\Video\DVDs

The first is valid network wide the second only works on the machine you configured it on.

[MavRic]

Hi all,

When pre-wiring a house for use with a SageTV server and extenders will Cat5e be suffcieint (gets me 100MB/s right?) or will I need Cat6?

The potential of SageTV+Extender seems amazing..

[IVB]

5e is FAR more than adequate.

[Sacedog]

Hi all,

When pre-wiring a house for use with a SageTV server and extenders will Cat5e be suffcieint (gets me 100MB/s right?) or will I need Cat6?

The potential of SageTV+Extender seems amazing..

Cat5e can transmit up to 1Gb/s if it is run properly.

[MavRic]

In this thread several of you have mentioned 'SageServer'. This however does not appear to be available from www.sagetv.com. Is SageTV Media Center 6.3 the same?

If i want sagetv to integrate the follwing would the shopping list below be correct:
- 1 HDTV (connect via HDMI)
- 1 Normal TV (connect
- 1 TV Where i cannot get Cat5 cable
- 1 digital cable tuner (Charter Scientific Atlanta receiver) for viewing HBO and other subscribed content
- Allow viewing of SageTV while on the road

Shopping list:
- SageTV Media Center with placeshifter license combo STVSPC ($99.95)
- Tuner cards for PC (to be determined, depends on if i buy a new PC with PCI express or not)
- SageTV HD Media Extender STX-HD100 ($199.95)
- Haupage MVP Media Plus STVCMVP ($109.95) (does this do S-video?)
- Haupage Wireless MVP Media PLus STVWMVP ($159.95)
- USB <> IR Controller to Cable tunner UIRT ($47.95)

Do the media extenders support external IR receiver so i can hide the gray/black box behind the tv and just have an IR receiver somewhere on the face of the TV?

Will the wireless extender provide a descent picture over 802.11b wireless network?

What uploads speed does placeshifter require? Any have good results with it?

Edited by MavRic, 17 January 2008 - 02:28 PM.

[bfisher]

Your post looks about right.
- Media Center is the software on your server (or your PC connected to a TV).
- Use the HD Extender for any HD TVs (although it also has SVideo out so you could use it for your non-HD sets also).
- Use the MVP for any SD TVs (SVideo and composite output).
- I do not use the wireless extender. Some people have got it working but some have had issues. I would consider getting a more robust wireless system and connect the wired MVP into it instead.
- You can use a UIRT to control STBs with IR, or you can use serial (depending on your STBs). I use serial and have had excellent results.

Media Extenders can be hidden and just put an IR emitter on the faceplate. I do this. Be careful, they don't have unique codes so it required a zoned IR system.

I've not used the placeshifter yet. I just download the shows I want to take with me when I travel to my laptop and watch them that way...

[MavRic]

Abit IP35 motherboard (not Pro or V or whatever just the standard IP35)

Is there actually something bad abou the Pro or the V? It seems the Pro gives you a bit more expandability and features...

Also would a IP35 with 3 'dual' tuner/capture cards, 4 or 5 SATA discs and 2 CD/DVD drives be ok with 450w power supply or would it need more?

Edited by MavRic, 17 January 2008 - 08:18 PM.

[CollinR]

Well the V should probably be avoided but you can pay more for the Pro version, it's worthwhile if you want to use the ICH9R southbridge or the SPDIF in. Otherwise it's just a fake x16 slot it's only wired for x4 and all tuners thus far have been x1 so no difference.

[curly]

Hi, I am new to this forum, a good friend of mine pointed me here. Currently I have 3 plugged in DTV receivers. One unit is a Direct TV HDDVR and I have currently one HD Mitsubishi TV. The Mits has only a analog receiver.

What gains could I get by going to sage? If I want to play DTV in more then one room and have pause record more then one DTV station, do I need to pay all the DTV subscriptions? 1-HDDVR, 2-DTV standard = I main fee and 3 4.99s?

What kind of cost is involed in equipment?

sageTV media center 79.95

is Placeshifter is for portable media?

Basic requirements for PC use sage info?

Or PC IP 35

Hard Drive requirements for playback record? cost?

Do I need a Raid? If so what type & cost?

OS for PC? cost?

What type of tuners 2-Hauppauge 1600s?

Do I need a SageTV HD extender?

Controller IR 47.95

What type of DVDs?

Can this software upconvert?

As you can see I am new to this, I am little puzzled to what I need and how this works and works with what. Can you help me pick out some sort of shopping list and explain a little what I need. I have read this thread and still a bit puzzled.

Thanks
Rene

[bfisher]

To picture the benefits of Sage for you - picture your HDDVR with the ability to record as many signals as you want at the same time, and play as many independant signals on as many TVs as you want (only real limitation is bandwidth) at the same time.

That said - you can only record as many signals as you supply it. So if you want the ability to record 3 channels at once, you'll need 3 DirecTV tuners and 3 encoders on your server (for central storage).

To play on multiple TVs, you would need extenders at each TV - either MVPs (SD) or HD Extenders (HD). Or you can use Placeshifter (on a laptop, good for remote connections - I don't use it). These extenders are the size of a small book, and receive IR signals to control them. They connect to the server and stream from it whatever you want to play.

The biggest limitation now is the getting the signal into your PC. If you want HD, you are limited to either an antenna, or QAM signals from your cable company. However, Hauppauge is set to release (by 3/31 if the reports are right) a HD capture device: http://www.zatznotfu...encoder-update/

Hope that helps - your best bet for more details (hardware sizing, etc) is to lurk in the Sage forums. If it helps, I have about 2TB of storage, and it's holding a lot of DVDs (guess around 100) and more TV than I can ever watch (200+ hours) and I have lots of room left (enough to record another 100 hours of HD TV). I have 6 tuners (3 OTA HD, and 3 SD via DirecTV). I run XP on a quad-core box (you can run on less, but I'd rather have too much power than not enough) with 2 GB ram. No raid - just 3 hard drives.

[curly]

Thanks you for responding. Now I am more clear and confused. I know this has been talked about probable many times and is basic, I appreciate your help as I have no clue about this.

This works with DTV satellite feed?

Can I record DTV feed and PPV?

So I take it I do not need the recording ability of my HDDVR (HR20), need either a H20 or D20 equivalent for each tv that views DTV? Can I use the 2 channels of my HDDVR or do I need 2 H20s to replace it.

These DTV receivers will feed into a tuner card like the Hauppauge 1600?

All recordings from any TV takes place at the servers?

DTV receivers are setup by the server?

Extenders are by each TV?

Extenders are Ethernet connection between extender and server. What does it plug into, network cards in the server? if so what type of cards?

Extender controls all channel programing in OTA and satellite?

Only one controller is needed for everything?

Am I noticing you do not have HD DTV, not that it is anything to brag about?

My upconverting Toshiba (not a good dvd, & not very old) just died last week. Can you use DVD player on a server to play movies. If I go blu-ray, you can feed that through the sage server somehow, like VHS, etc. I will wait to ask about music.

Thanks..Rene

[bfisher]

The forum won't let me direct quote you easily with the easy to read format... your text is the dashed line.
--- This works with DTV satellite feed?
Not directly. DirecTV requires a set top box

--- Can I record DTV feed and PPV?
yes, through your set top box

--- So I take it I do not need the recording ability of my HDDVR (HR20), need either a H20 or D20 equivalent for each tv that views DTV? Can I use the 2 channels of my HDDVR or do I need 2 H20s to replace it.

Right, the HDDVR could be another source for you. Does it have 2 independent video outputs? If yes, then it can be 2 sources. You will need as many sources as you want to record.

--- These DTV receivers will feed into a tuner card like the Hauppauge 1600?
Yes, or many others (I use 2 Avermedia M780s and Hauppauge 1800). If you use one of the pending HD encoders coming to the market - it would connect instead through the USB.

--- All recordings from any TV takes place at the servers?
Correct. The server is your central source of all video.

--- DTV receivers are setup by the server?
--- Extenders are by each TV?
Yes

--- Extenders are Ethernet connection between extender and server. What does it plug into, network cards in the server? if so what type of cards?

Yes, via Cat5 ethernet. I created a separate video network that all my extenders and my video server are plugged into. Just like a normal PC network (use a Switch to connect everything)

--- Extender controls all channel programing in OTA and satellite?

Not quite. The Extender requests video from the server. The server controls the tuners (OTA or satellite) as needed to record whatever is needed (including "live" tv). If the extender asks for something "live", the server tunes in the channel, starts recording, and then the extender plays it.

--- Only one controller is needed for everything?
If you mean server - yes. 1 is fine.

--- Am I noticing you do not have HD DTV, not that it is anything to brag about?

There has not been any HD recording options other than the 2 I mentioned above - OTA and QAM via Cable. I have OTA HD and the picture is outstanding. QAM is sometimes an issue for some people - it's all dependant upon what your cable provider allows.

There are several new HD encoding options coming. Once these are available - I will be upgrading my system to take advantage of it. I have 4 HD TVs, and 1 SD TV, so I want as much in HD as possible.

--- My upconverting Toshiba (not a good dvd, & not very old) just died last week. Can you use DVD player on a server to play movies. If I go blu-ray, you can feed that through the sage server somehow, like VHS, etc. I will wait to ask about music.

I use my server for all our DVDs - but I rip them to the hard disk and play it from there. I don't know about blu-ray for sure - I'm not using blu-ray right now. I suspect the HD Extender can handle it if you use the right tools to rip it and convert it - but I haven't done it myself. Of course, once the HD encoders are available, you can play via blu-ray player into the encoder (I don't know what limitations that has). It's on my list of to-dos... just haven't got that far yet.

Hope it helps.

[curly]

Gosh, much info.. I am starting to understand. Thanks for taking the time to type this. I used *** leaders for some new questions. thanks

The forum won't let me direct quote you easily with the easy to read format... your text is the dashed line.
--- This works with DTV satellite feed?
Not directly. DirecTV requires a set top box

--- Can I record DTV feed and PPV?
yes, through your set top box
***** set top box what is this..sorry?

--- So I take it I do not need the recording ability of my HDDVR (HR20), need either a H20 or D20 equivalent for each tv that views DTV? Can I use the 2 channels of my HDDVR or do I need 2 H20s to replace it.

Right, the HDDVR could be another source for you. Does it have 2 independent video outputs? If yes, then it can be 2 sources. You will need as many sources as you want to record.
****not sure, I will have to look.. I need independent outputs.. uderstanding how the server works now helps me understand how the setup is.

--- These DTV receivers will feed into a tuner card like the Hauppauge 1600?
Yes, or many others (I use 2 Avermedia M780s and Hauppauge 1800). If you use one of the pending HD encoders coming to the market - it would connect instead through the USB.
**** the new encoders USB..

--- All recordings from any TV takes place at the servers?
Correct. The server is your central source of all video.

--- DTV receivers are setup by the server?
--- Extenders are by each TV?
Yes

--- Extenders are Ethernet connection between extender and server. What does it plug into, network cards in the server? if so what type of cards?

Yes, via Cat5 ethernet. I created a separate video network that all my extenders and my video server are plugged into. Just like a normal PC network (use a Switch to connect everything)
****what speed?


--- Extender controls all channel programing in OTA and satellite?

Not quite. The Extender requests video from the server. The server controls the tuners (OTA or satellite) as needed to record whatever is needed (including "live" tv). If the extender asks for something "live", the server tunes in the channel, starts recording, and then the extender plays it.

--- Only one controller is needed for everything?
If you mean server - yes. 1 is fine.
*******not sure.. I believe I was saying OTA and sat


--- Am I noticing you do not have HD DTV, not that it is anything to brag about?

There has not been any HD recording options other than the 2 I mentioned above - OTA and QAM via Cable. I have OTA HD and the picture is outstanding. QAM is sometimes an issue for some people - it's all dependant upon what your cable provider allows.

There are several new HD encoding options coming. Once these are available - I will be upgrading my system to take advantage of it. I have 4 HD TVs, and 1 SD TV, so I want as much in HD as possible.

****your setup is impressive, so if I understand HD for SAT, encoding has not been available? QAM is for cable?

--- My upconverting Toshiba (not a good dvd, & not very old) just died last week. Can you use DVD player on a server to play movies. If I go blu-ray, you can feed that through the sage server somehow, like VHS, etc. I will wait to ask about music.

I use my server for all our DVDs - but I rip them to the hard disk and play it from there. I don't know about blu-ray for sure - I'm not using blu-ray right now. I suspect the HD Extender can handle it if you use the right tools to rip it and convert it - but I haven't done it myself. Of course, once the HD encoders are available, you can play via blu-ray player into the encoder (I don't know what limitations that has). It's on my list of to-dos... just haven't got that far yet.

****much usefull info, thanks.. The new HD extenders coming out.. these would eliminate the standard extender that is needed per-tv, are they by tv or server? Not sure if I said the clear.. the HD extender (link you provided) would eliminate the standard sage extender by the TV or do you need both.


Hope it helps.

***thanks, very helpfull

[curly]

How about dolby 5.1, what pipe does that come down? What eq in the server, etc is needed?