Pre Build Questions

[deliverer]

Ok here goes. I'm building 1 server and 2 clients. I already have some of the hardware, I think. I want to stream music, live tv, and recorded shows to the two clients. I also want to be able to stream divx/xvid formats to the clients. I want to play DVD's locally from the client machines. Is the hardware below sufficient to power my setup?

Also, regarding the nvidia decoder. Do the Nvidia decoder and ffdshow server the same purpose? Will I need anything additional to play DVD's on the clients?

Server HD's 2x200Gig Western Digital 0
Video (Nvida Geforce2) 0
"Capture Card hauppauge 500 + Sage Bundle + Nvidia Decoder" $199.00
Chaintech 7NJS 0
DDR 3200 45
Duron 1.8GHZ 49
USB-UIRT Blaster 50

Total Server Cost 343
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Clients Old Compaq P3 1GHZ Machines 0
Geforce 6600 x 2 $200
Sage Client x2 $50
DVD/CD Readers $50
512K Memory x 2 $100
StreamZap Remotes $54

Total Client Costs $454

Total Costs $797

[Bohica]

Haven't seen a computer with only 512k of memory for quite a while

I am sure that will work for you... make sure you get good bandwidth between them. Doesnt mention how much memory you are going to put in the server but the more the better. Good luck!

[deliverer]

I was planning on 512 in all three systems. Is that enough? Any input on the other questions regarding the DVD and codecs?

[Bohica]

I have never used ffdshow on my systems. Dont worry about the codecs much. V4 sage default codecs work really well. The nvidia codecs will also work well. I run two gigs of ram in my server and 1 gig each in the clients. But that is a little overkill.

[paulbeers]

I have been running 384 mb of ram in my server with no problems. If you are only dedicating your server to sage service only, you should have no problems. I even run to m150's and a fusion5 lite card with no problems. Servers (once again if ONLY capturing the video and sending it on to the clients to decode), really do not need much power at all.

[deliverer]

paulbeers,

What do you run on your clients? I'm hoping the P3 1GHZ is going to work.

[paulbeers]

Deliverer -

Look at my signature. That is what I used to run sage with dual tuners and everything else just good old SDTV. Not only would it do all the recording, it would do all the playing. A 1 gig box is going to be plenty (I used to do it with a 766 mhz celeron!). The only complaint I ever had with my old setup, was that the GUI was a little slow when a show was playing in the menus. I often had to pause playback while flipping thru different menus. Now I use my 766 mhz box as the server, and have a MediaMVP for an SDTV only client and a sempron 2800+ for an hdtv and sdtv client. i really should update my signature.

Edit: I saw in another post that you were thinking about HDTV. Here are my thoughts:

1. 1 ghz is NOT fast enough for hdtv
2. You do not have an hdtv capture card listed
3. If you have decided against hdtv, then the 6600's you mentioned are provbably overkill. Consider 5200 or 6200's.

[deliverer]

I keep going back and forth on the HD issue. If I do decide to use OTA HD signals, what would I have to change? I guess I could upgrade the processors on my client machines.

The whole HD concept is confusing to me. What if I had a AVerTVHD MCE A180 added to my server? Would I still buy the hauppauge 500? How would I select the HD channel vs. the digitial channel?

[paulbeers]

Very good questions....

Video card will be fine and memory is still fine, but your processor would probably be pretty lacking in power which may require you to upgrade your process and motherboard (due to a P3 would not be powerful enough and would require a more "modern" processor). You would still use the hauppauge 500 for SDTV content, but then you would have channels listed as Hdtv (like in my case they come in as instead of just WHO, it is WHO-DT) and you would select those channels just as you would SDTV. It makes more sense once you see it in your video line up. Most of us have built an SDTV setup and then added HDTV later. Everyone has their opinions but here is what I am thinking in your case....

Put together basic SDTV machines, because if you do end up going to HDTV, you will need to upgrade processor and motherboards later, which means the ram and the video cards may not work with your future boards (I am assuming you are planning to buy AGP 6600 boards since p3's never came with pci-e). Also if you are like me, you only have one hdtv ready tv (or maybe you have none), and so you can always move your "current" client boxes to the rest of the tv's in the house. I would do the following:

Build your server like you are planning. It will have plenty of exandability for a future hdtv card.

Clients:
Clients Old Compaq P3 1GHZ Machines 0
Geforce 5200 x 2 $100 (maybe less!)
Sage Client x2 $50
DVD/CD Readers $50
512K Memory x 2 $100
StreamZap Remotes $54

Total Client Costs $354

You will need at least a 2.4 gig/2400+ processor or better (I even recommend 2.8 or 2800+) and that could possibly require a total overhaul.

This is just my two cents worth tho!

[deliverer]

I really appreciate the help.

Correct, I only have one HDTV now. So I would only need to build out one additional client. I might just start with the SDTV for now. However, I wonder if I should at least buy one Geforce 6600 that could be moved to the HD Client when/if it happens. I know it wouldn't be PCI-E, but would it still work in this scenario?

One other question. On the hauppauge 500 card, I currently only have one digitial receiver. Can I use one analog and one digitial source on the card, or do I need to pickup another receiver from the cable company?

[paulbeers]

I can't tell you what to do. If you choose to buy 2 6600's then go for it. My only concern, is that if you buy one, it might limit your motherboard options down the line when you do decide to go HDTV. AGP is on its way out, and you may not be happy with having to go with an "old" chipset just to use that "expensive" card later on. Once again though, it is ENTIRELY upto you. I am sure you won't be unhappy. This is just one guy's opinion.

As far as the 500. Actually, you can use it in essence for "3" tuners. What I mean is, it has a dual SDTV tuner, and if you hook up your digital cable box, you will hook it into the composite/svideo input on the card which will give you actually 3 capture devices! The dual tuners is only in reference to the actual television tuners, it isn't including the video inputs. Hope that makes sense?

[deliverer]

I will take your advice on the video cards. I'm lost with your comment on the 500. My cable box only has RCA out, not Svideo. So if I had two boxes, could I connect one via RCA's and the other via the coax? Or should I buy the additional A/V Cable Set that would give me an additional RCA input?

Again, so many questions. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Deliverer

[paulbeers]

Okay. You have digital cable right? You can also use "regular" cable (aka basic/basic expanded) right? Okay. You would use the RCA (composite) outs from your cable box to the composite inputs on your card. Believe it or not, but the composite inputs on the card are treated by sage as a completely different input as the coax/tuner inputs. SOOO, what you can do is use regular basic cable into the tuner (which actually takes the "standard" cable input and splits it internally into 2 signals). So Sage would actually see 2 regular coax tuners AND the composite input. Does that make sense? Because you would use your digital cable box in essence as a 3rd tuner. This might be one of those things you have to see how it all works after it is hooked up, to really understand. Once you start setting up sage, it will show you all the options for video input, and it will show you 2 tuners (via the coax connector) and it will give you an option for setting up the composite connection (which is what your digital cable box will hook to).

As for video cards, like I said, everyone has their own opinion, these are just mine!!

[deliverer]

Makes sense. So to confirm, I could be recording two shows and still be watching live TV? I hope I will be able to give the digital box the priority over the standard cable since some channels do not show up under basic cable.....I guess I will have to play with it to see how it works.

I thought I was ready to go for ordering, but now I'm lost on remotes and keyboards. Will the MCE Keyboard and remote work fine with Sage? I have always liked Microsoft's hardware and as such am now looking at it.

[paulbeers]

Yes! And also when you request to record a show, if it isn't available on analog, it will go to your digital cable box. Unfortunately I still just use basic expanded cable, so I can't help you out a whole lot more with it. Others would be more help with when it comes to STB's. As far as remotes, do a search in the forums about MCE remotes etc and I don't think you will be so pumped to pick one up. I have used an ATI Remote Wonder and this one:
https://www.digitalconnection.com/st...tCode=DFREMOTE
That is the remote I am using now. Cheap and other than about 3 keys, it allows you to set any button to do anything. I don't use a keyboard. I have a USB keyboard I hook up when I absolutely need to, but otherwise I don't use keyboards.

[jptaz]

The PVR 500 can record/watch 2 things at once....The limitation is not the inputs, but the encoders. So you can record/watch two things via coax or one thing coax and one thng via composite/Svideo in. If you buy the extra av connector then you can record two different things via the 2 sets of Composite/Svideo connectors.

Per the video card discussion...I am using a XFX FX 5200 which cost me like $80 several years ago...they are $45 at Newegg. I currently have no problem getting perfect picture from the FX 5200 on my HD Set at 720P via DVI. I am able to playback a test HD feed with no problems on that box using Overlay. I order Nvidia 6600 GT Dual DVI card that was purchased because I pretty well fried my FX 5200...not exactly fried, but it overheats if I try doing dual display and also I need a component out for my projector and I want to actually use VMR9...I hestitated a bit on the new video card...but it was $100 at Newegg this weekend and I also realized that upgrading to a new motherboard just will not work for me since I need every PCI slot I can get....I was using all 5 until recently when one of my PVR 250 cards start flaking out....I am begining to think it is probably fine and I just needed to fix my case temperature issue...the reality is that I will always be using 5 PCI slots until they get PCIe Dual Tuner/Encoder cards. I will most likely add a couple USB 2.0 OTA HD Tuners in the future too.

John

[deliverer]

Does your ATI wonder remote do everything without any mouse and/or keyboard intervention? Meaning can you play, pause, record TV. Play music? Play DVD's even if it's via a third party app like Zoom Player or TheaterTek?

[jptaz]

The Short answer is Yes...but it takes some work.

My remote wonder is handled by Girder. Girder can be pretty intimidating, but it is very powerfull. I have programmed it to control SageTV and all my AV equipment by using the USB UIRT to do everythng. For the moment I do not control any third party application with it, but there is no reason I couldn't with a little work. I used to control the Xmedia player when I used my Xcard for DVD playback, so I know how to do it.

Hope this answers your question,
John

[deliverer]

I was planning on buying a USB Uirt for the sever to control the cable box. If I went this route I would have to buy two additional Uirts plus Girder. Is that the common setup most use? A USB Uirt for every server/client in addition to Girder?

[jptaz]

Your initial plan of stream zap remotes for the clients is more common and is what I have for 2 of my clients. I still use Girder for controlling the Streamzaps on the clients so that I can handle all the buttons on the remote, but the built in support for streamzap is pretty good, the only button that can not be handled by SageTV is the power button, at least I believe that to be the case.

The only reason I went with the ATI remote wonder and girder was that I already had it from my ATI All In Wonder card and I like the button layout. Also I have the older free version of girder.

John