Getting started in HTPC's

[twilo123]

you can use a slingbox and slingcatcher to watch your t.v. at a friend's house from the internet connection. use the slingbox on your t.v. at home and carry the slingcatcher with you to watch it on whatever t.v. you hook it up to remotely. good for say a vacation home too so you don't have to purchase another t.v. service there.

 

[IVB]

No need for Slingbox, just use SageTV PlaceShifter. It's designed specifically for non-local viewing. Plus as Collin alluded to, it's a concurrent user license, so you can install it on as many buddies' machines as you want; if you're using the license, it won't let a 2nd one on. Each extender counts as a license, so if you get 2-3 extenders, just leave them off by default and you'll usually have 1 available.

 

[68sting]

I'm surprised to find people on this board settling for SDTV. I want my all my HD channels, I want to record all of them, and I want them available in multiple locations. My set up is fairly inexpensive. Just run the cables and hook up the amps. Seems a lot better than watching stuff in SDTV. Maybe I'm a HDTV snob but there's no going back once you have it.

 

[IVB]

Well, I have an HD Antenna, so the only thing I don't get is the extended HD channels. I only have 1 HDTV so far, hopefully in 2 months I can afford my 2nd.

To me, the price a standalone HD-DVR asks (no ability for multiroom, no ability to create an integrated UI with TV & receiver/other, no ability to playback HD shows on an SDTV, no ability to playback ripped DVDs, no ability to customize menus) is too high by a longshot. Given that we're <12 months from a fully integrated HD/SD solution, I'm content to pay the price of no recording of extended HD channels.

 

[bfisher]

How long does it take to rip them? How much strage space is required for a typical movie?

Looks like Collin got most of your questions. I'll just add a point or two:
- Ripping a DVD on my machine is usually about 8-9 minutes - less if I'm only ripping the movie itself (no extras, etc).
- If you wanted to watch what's on your server at a friends house, you can copy the files to a laptop and watch them, or use Placeshifter (connects via WAN and streams). I have not tried this yet so I can't comment on how well it works.
- Sage is very smart about recording if you don't specify channels to record on. It will pick a HD source first, blah blah blah. Very smart...

well, until it can record ESPNHD, or TNTHD or anything else that must be decoded by my cable's stb, it's too limited for me. i demand hi-def for Flight of the Conchords

You won't be waiting too long. Hauppauge has announced their HD encoder (via component - no DRM) for release in Q1'08. My antenna gets all the networks now... I'm just missing TNT, ESPN, etc. And I believe Sage is already working on supporting the upcoming encoder so it won't be long and that will be a non-issue.

 

[Sacedog]

- Ripping a DVD on my machine is usually about 8-9 minutes - less if I'm only ripping the movie itself (no extras, etc).

What software do you use. Mine usually take anywhere from 13 to 16 minutes for the main movie, and my computer is no slouch. I'm using DVD Fab Platinum.

 

[IVB]

It's more the CPU & memory than anything else. I use DVDShrink - on my C2D E6300 it takes anywhere from 7-15mins. When I had an AMD 3200 single core, it was taking damn well near 30.

I believe using AnyDVD also slows it down, but I haven't *not* used it in a while so I can't remember life without it.

 

[bfisher]

I use AnyDVD with CloneDVD. Great stuff.

My PC is pretty strong I don't use this one for Sage - it's my racing simulator PC so it's pretty heavy duty

 

[mustangcoupe]

OK, I must be doing somethign wrong... I downloaded the trial of anyDVD and CloneDVD2 and it took almost 2 hrs to rip to a folder....

I also downloaded the trials of sageTV WHS version and phase shifter....... I LIKE IT!

 

[Sacedog]

It's more the CPU & memory than anything else. I use DVDShrink - on my C2D E6300 it takes anywhere from 7-15mins. When I had an AMD 3200 single core, it was taking damn well near 30.

I believe using AnyDVD also slows it down, but I haven't *not* used it in a while so I can't remember life without it.

OK. Well, maybe I was thinking of a full movie then. I am ripping a main movie now, and it is showing about 7 minutes. I'm using a C2D 6600 with 3GB RAM.

 

[IVB]

I also downloaded the trials of sageTV WHS version and phase shifter....... I LIKE IT!

Watch out - we'll get you sucked into the tight integration of CQC & SageTV next :huh: :lol: :lol:

 

[Sacedog]

I also downloaded the trials of sageTV WHS version and phase shifter....... I LIKE IT!

Watch out - we'll get you sucked into the tight integration of CQC & SageTV next :huh: :lol: :lol:

Funny, but I think I am going that direction. I wasn't planning on doing it until I moved into our new house, but I just went out and bought all the parts for a new HTPC last week; Abit IP35 pro, C2D 6600, 2GB RAM, Thermaltake Bach case. I am actually starting to think that once I get that up and running with Sage, I could start my CQC project, and get it working, so that wehen I move in, I'll be all set.

 

[beelzerob]

Thermaltake Bach case.

I almost got that case....I really liked the look of it. It was also at the height of my VFD habit, and that case had a lot of potential for modding enough to fit one on the front panel. I got the silverstone LC17 instead, which has even more potential, but fortunately I gave up that bad habit..... :huh:

 

[mustangcoupe]

I know that this is not the sage forums and might be better off asking over there, but I think you all will beable to help me here....

I just ripped my first DVD to save using Clone2DVD, which like I said earlier took alot longer (1.5 hrs) then it takes you, but I think I need to rip it to my local drive then transfer to the sage server... the transfer time might have taken long and I didnt think about that.... but then Id still need to transfer it to the server anyways... well somethign to think about.

but now I can not play that DVD over place shifter I get error 19, which now I see you can not stream DVD over place shifter. How do I rip to any other format using C2D? or is this not the perfered method?

 

[IVB]

Hmmm, i dunno about that. I have no idea how to play DVDs over placeshifter, as i've never tried it. That might be better asked there.