Prepurchase Q. What Do I Need?

[AusEM]

Hi,

Wow, SageTV HD Theater (HD-200) sounds like an amazing product and just what I need for my home. Hope some of the SageTV lovers/users can help me out.

Was just a little confused as to what items I need to buy - for what I want to use the HD-200 for. And to clear a few burning questions up.

I have a digital set top box connected to my analog TV, so I can get my HD channels but don't have a PVR to record HD channels. Can the SageTV HD Theater record programs for me? (over the network to my PC harddrive OR straight to my plugged in USB storage device.)

I have media files on a USB external hard drive,with mains power.
(I can just plug that straight into the HD-200 which is connected to my TV by composite cable and watch them)

I have a 2.4GHz G wireless network which my laptop is currently on. I'd like the SageTV HD Theater to also be wireless (instead of wired LAN, cos my TV is far away from my router). Do I need to buy the USB wireless b/g/n adapter too?

If so, this would permanently take up one of the available USB slots on the HD-200, correct? If i then plug in a USB keyboard or mouse to the other slot, there's going to be no USB spots left for my flash drive/storage device that has my media on it...what to do?

Do I need to get SageTV media centre program for (Windows Vista)?
I am very unlikely to be watching TV on my laptop but want to record programs to my PC harddrive/USB drive.

I am in Australia, will the Electronic Program Guide struggle?

How is the HD Theater able to get internet video and YouTube files to play if it doesn't have an internet browser? What other formats of internet based video can it detect/play?

I am not too fussed on image quality at the moment. In the future we'll be getting a new FullHD TV, with HDMI sockets closer to when our analog signal gets turned off in Australia! For now, I just want to get my stored media to my TV, watch YouTube on my TV and record TV programs (on HD channels) to watch later.

I hope to be a SageTV HD Theatre convert soon enough.
Thanks in advance,
AusEM

Oh I forgot,
are the firmware upgrades free? Seems like SageTV have excellent support for its users.

[jphipps]

Hello,

The HD-200 is very nice and will play almost anything. The only think that I know of that it can't do right now is HD audio, but I believe I read they are working on that support.

The HD-200 is only used for playback, you would need a Hauppauge HD-PVR to record component, or there are a number of other devices for SD/HD capture.

I have mine all hardwired, but I have read "g" will only handle SD content, but the "n" would handle HD content and you can get the "n" usb adapter from sage that works with the HD-200.

I would highly suggest getting the sage server if you want to do things like fanart/poster and movie information download and they have a package with the HD200 and server for a discounted price...

All the firmware and software upgrades are included with the purchase...

I am not sure about the guide data, I am in the US and use the included ZAPit feed...

Hope this helps,
Jeff

[stanger89]

I have a digital set top box connected to my analog TV, so I can get my HD channels but don't have a PVR to record HD channels. Can the SageTV HD Theater record programs for me? (over the network to my PC harddrive OR straight to my plugged in USB storage device.)

The HD Theater is a playback only device. To record, you need SageTV Media Center running on a PC with an appropriate capture card (for HD from an STB, that would be the Hauppuage HD PVR).

I have media files on a USB external hard drive,with mains power.
(I can just plug that straight into the HD-200 which is connected to my TV by composite cable and watch them)

Should be able to.

I have a 2.4GHz G wireless network which my laptop is currently on. I'd like the SageTV HD Theater to also be wireless (instead of wired LAN, cos my TV is far away from my router). Do I need to buy the USB wireless b/g/n adapter too?

G will not work for HD. You should run a wire if at all possible. N might work if you're lucky.

Do I need to get SageTV media centre program for (Windows Vista)?
I am very unlikely to be watching TV on my laptop but want to record programs to my PC harddrive/USB drive.

If you want to record, yes you'll need SageTV Media Center.

I am in Australia, will the Electronic Program Guide struggle?

I believe there's an Australian subforum, I suggest you search there. Sage doesn't provide guide data for Aus AFAIK, so you'll need to use XMLTV or maybe someone has an EPG plugin.

[AusEM]

Thanks for the info, I am almost sold on getting a HD-200 and I understand what it can do a little better. Keep more answers coming for others who want to know too! The SageTV HD-200 sure seems future proof.

If i get a FullHD TV with built in PVR, and HDMI outputs then I wont have to get the Hauppauge unit and record programs straight to my TV's storage drive. It would have a built in EPG too. My HD-200 would play my media files from my external drive.

I will try the USB Wireless adaptor on G network until I can drill holes in my wall for the wired LAN port. I would also get SageTV Media center for future use.

[stanger89]

If i get a FullHD TV with built in PVR, and HDMI outputs then I wont have to get the Hauppauge unit and record programs straight to my TV's storage drive. It would have a built in EPG too. My HD-200 would play my media files from my external drive.

Unless that TV has a cable card, you'll have the same problem as every other non-HD-PVR solution out there, ie you can only record unencrypted content, which is basically just the local channels.

[AusEM]

Hi stanger89,
thanks for the info, it was so helpful!
We are not cable TV subscribers (in Australia, the main one is FOXTEL) and we are not considering wanting it and therefore not needing to record is channels contents. Our free to air digital channels are plenty. I'd like to record the occasional program off them to watch later (sport with no ads, and the odd series).
I still figure I'd need a PVR and the HD-200 theatre with USB wireless g/n adaptor. Initially I thought the HD-200 could be a PVR but now I understand I'd need the Hauppauge unit too..which isnt strictly a standalone PVR either, rather a gobetween for my computer.

[doc]

To record the free-to-air channels you would need to have the SageTV Media Centre software installed onto a PC. This PC would have a TV tuner card installed that is capable of receiving those channels. Something like a hauppauge nova-td-500 but there are lots of different makes and models.

For playback, you can either connect the PC directly to your TV (via the composite connection on a graphics card, or vga/dvi/hdmi if your graphics card and TV have them), or you can use the HD200 media extender (which has composite/component/HDMI connections). Personally I'd use the HD200 as you don't have to worry about codecs, and it does any hard work. Plus, if you do eventually go the HD route you're already futureproofed for possible playback issues. I've done both methods and the HD200 playback quality was a lot better than I could ever get from my PC.

The hauppauge HD-PVR is purely for recording HD content from an HD set to box, so you won't need one of those. (You still need the SageTV Media Centre software on a PC if you do ever want to use the HD-PVR)

If you click on the link in my sig block you'll see a diagram of my setup. This might give you more of an idea.