Sky --> Sage Connection?

[meep]

All

What are people using to connect Sky Digibox to Sage PC? I'm currently in basic SD sky with a scart output on my box. Apprently s-video is not supported so I'm sunning composite out to composite in on a Hauppage HVR-1300.

The picture coming through to the sage client PC is poor. Very crushed with poor colours, low dynamic range and high contrast.

Anyone got any means of getting a better quality input to the the Sage box?

Peter

[harryf]

I am in the process of getting my setup to work and I have a Sky box connected to a PVR-150 using composite and the picture is ok. The Sky box is a Thomson supplied by Sky and it also has no s-video output, but the only difference I notice on my TV between RGB and composite is that text is not so clear with composite. Maybe it is a setup problem with your capture card.

[doc]

I use the scart output from the digibox through a convertor which has composite outputs on it. That connects to a pvr350 composite inputs. The picture quality is fine.

Whats your recording quality set to? I have mine set to Best, which is 3GB/hr.

[motobarsteward]

I have a couple of RGB to S-Video converters. They are not cheap but hey work well.

The web site for these converters is....

www.rgbtosvideo.com

I do have a problem that the the MoBo that I use causes interference on one analogue channel of my capture card.

You will also need to change channels, and for that, you will need to get a usbuirt, www.usbuirt.com

[meep]

I use the scart output from the digibox through a convertor which has composite outputs on it. That connects to a pvr350 composite inputs. The picture quality is fine.

Whats your recording quality set to? I have mine set to Best, which is 3GB/hr.

Thanks for the responses all.

I have the same setup to my HVR-1300 component input but the picture looks like muck. i have the record quality set to the max (5GB/s?). My TV is correctly calibrated (using Avia) and DVDs played through Sage Media Center look great (have to use overlay though as I get significant tearing in VMR9 on a Intel G35 -> Hdmi set-up).

Anyway, no amount of tweaking of Hauppage input colour calibration is giving me a picture remotely approaching that of the RF output of the Digibox directly into the TV.

Might try one of the RGBs -> S-Video adaptors referenced. (have USBUirt).

Peter

[meep]

Guys

I've attached a screengrab of what I'm getting off my setup. Thoughts?

I consider it poor: soft and lacking in detail. Very contrasty with poor colour. I would appreciate peoples thoughts.

Peter

[Mark SS]

DVB-S card, dragon CAM - pretty much as good as it gets.

[meep]

DVB-S card, dragon CAM - pretty much as good as it gets.

MArk

Is there a detailed step-by-step guide anywhere for setting that up. Anything I've come-across so far has been exceptionally dense, filled with Jargon or has knowledge expectations beyond me.

Thanks

Peter

[meep]

Well, I figured it out.

Thanks to some tips in this thread;(http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9866&highlight=colorbars), I set about a full system recalibration. For posterity;

1. Using AVAI (http://www.ovationmultimedia.com/avia.html) and THX Optimiser, I calibrated the HDMI input on my Sony TV via my xbox360 HDMI out. Once set, these controls remained untouched.

2. Next, I plugged my HTPC (sage client box) into the HDMI input and calibrated the video card using display control panel. Again, once set, controls remain locked.

3. Next, I fired up sage client and calibrated DVD playback via overlay using video card overlay controls (avai & thx)

4. Finally, I plugged a DVD player composite out into HVR-1300 composite in and did a source colour calibration, again using avia & thx.

The sky picture via sage is now pristine and DVDs as excellent as well. Yum.

Peter

[Hyperbaric]

I'm using Sky SD via RGB scart to Sweetspot RGB capture card. My system struggles a bit if recording / watching several sources, but PQ is not too bad. Unfortunately, the latest versions of Sage don't work with this card.

PQ using Dscaler with this set up is top-notch.

DVB-S card is the way to go.. there is also a firewire adaptor that can be used but there has been so little feedback here on its succesful application.

[bartley9]

Meep,
When I saw your "before" screen capture I thiught you were winding us up. It looks exactly like mine does and I am quite happy with it.

Can you give a screen shot of the current image quality so that I can decide if I want to go through the hassle of reconfiguring my set-up.

Thanks,
Bartley.

[meep]

Here you go. Cannot upload the same frame as it's a TV capture.

Hope you can see some improvement here. You will, of course, miss any enhancement/degredation i see based on my TV settings and if your display device is incorrectly calibrated, the attachment may not look exactly as I see it.

Howvwer, you should note from this better colour balance, better shadow detail and wider range of colours.
Peter

[bartley9]

Fair enough. I suppose I just have fairly low expectations. Thanks for taking the time to load it up.