Is there any chance of a slimserver-like video solution

It is my understanding that today the only solution to HD DVR for non-OTA sources is with the sat/cable providers. Video distribution from the DVR uses standard cabling that may be matrix-switched if more than one monitor is being serviced. I am not up on Sage, but do use MCE and am aware of the contraints imposed by the content providers that have made DIY non-OTA HD DVR and digital distribution very limiting. If MS is required to have a closed system for non-OTA HD, then I do not see how a company with much less influence would be able to get these rights.

The standard method of HA integration of sat/cable HD DVRs is via IR. It is possible to learn and send IR codes using standard HA IR interfaces to control the sat/cable HD DVRs. While this mode of opeation works for selecting channels such as one could do from CQC or Main Lobby, it does not work very well for scheduling DVR recordings because there is no feedback of the interaction with the DVR. This is where Slingbox provides an out-of-the-box solution to control non-OTA HD DVR.

It also provides the solution today for viewing an HD source on a computer monitor. While there are often times one wants to watch their HD content on a high-end HD set, there are also times when it is desirable to view HD video while also doing other things at the computer. Computers, especially laptops, are quite portable and that is not something that can be said of the HD TVs.

The whole point is that one need not have a swiss army video knife that can do everything. There are various solutions just as there are various customer needs. Slingbox is not a Sage/MCE equivalent. It is a another variation on control and distribution of HD. It is one of the few that is available today. Of course tomorrow there will be more and we can all anticipate and wish for something that is perfect for our particular need.
 
There are methods to capture HD from cable and sat sources, just not on the cheap. ~$800 per source legal legit capture.
 
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