Multiple PVR 250s in different computers

[Junkymagi]

Been looking for a couple hours for a way to configure one computer to control the PVR card in it and a PVR card in a different computer.

[stanger89]

Search for "Network encoder" and "encoding server"

[Opus4]

The last I heard from SageTV is posted here; that is for using a full install of SageTV instead of SageTVRecorder. (SageTV is the future method of doing network encoders, since Recorder will not be updated for newer tuners.)

- Andy

[Junkymagi]

Went ahead and bought sage recorder. Even then, it wasn't a install and forget, had to do some copy/paste work and reinstalling sagetvclient to be able to use both pvr cards at the same time.

This text file was invaluable
http://sage.tv/2_papers/NetworkEncoderSetup.txt

I ran the requested searches but everything I read, except the one that linked the above txt file, used terms describing how to do stuff without defining what those terms meant.

If you've never prepared fish, would you know how to "fillet" a fish? (what do I fill it with?)

Or if someone said to torque the bolts in the heads to 15 foot pounds? (what the heck is a tork anyhow?)

And since this post doesn't contain the key words and won't be found in searches, here they are "Network encoder" and "encoding server"

I did read stuff about using sagtv, but it costs $80, sagerecorder only costs $20. Sagetv would not be able to coordinate between the two tuners when shows overlapped and you would have to check all your requested recordings to make sure they were scheduled correctly. At least all the posts I read gave that impression.

Took me a long time to figure out what I was looking for was a network encoder and a while longer to find out that sagetvclient wasn't one.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Junkymagi

Sagetv would not be able to coordinate between the two tuners when shows overlapped and you would have to check all your requested recordings to make sure they were scheduled correctly. At least all the posts I read gave that impression.

I don't use a network encoder, but since SageTV is meant to act as a replacement network encoder for SageTV Recorder, those problems shouldn't be occurring. If someone is using SageTV as a network encoder & those problems are happening, you should report it to SageTV's tech support.

- Andy

[olyar15]

Unless there was a good reason to keep the 2 PVR cards in separate computers, to me the simplest solution is to put the 2 cards in one computer and let SageTV manage both. Then get Sage client for the other computer. That way, only one computer needs to be on all the time.

[Junkymagi]

Real good reason, don't know why it was happening but one would have perfect picture, other would have major static problems, almost bad enough you could see no picture at all.

I had sagetv running on one tuner, perfect picture, sagetvclient computer was running off the other tuner, terrible picture. I switched the cables back and forth but the static stayed on the client machine. I forced a switch by closing the client and sleeping the sagetv program. I opened up the client and got perfect picture, opened the sagetv and got static. Again, switching cables did nothing to help.

Tried switching around using different PCI slots in the machine, would work fine for a day or so then static would come back. Nothing more irritating than recording static.

I've been running the cards in different machines now for several days, no static. Both machines running windows xp pro so don't have a clue. Might be overheating so working on getting some mini heatsinks to epoxy to the chips on the cards. Noticed a couple times when switching the cards around that they were getting pretty hot (stands to reason since they are doing live encoding on the card and not the computer's cpu). I tried putting a fan across the cards but without heatsinks it didn't help much.

I'll update once I get some heatsinks epoxied to the cards and get the put back in the same machine with a fan on them. Right now I just want to play with them for a while.

As for using sagetv in two machines, that would require 2 licenses to it and at $80 each, that's too much money for me. I'd rather pay $80+$20 for sagetv and sagerecorder.

EDIT: I was using sagetv to run one machine with both pvr250 cards in it and using sagetvclient on another machine to watch. It's just that when both tuners were being used at the same time, one would have real bad static. Missed a couple smallville episodes because I was watching another show on one tuner card while sagetv was recording smallville on the other tuner card

[JUC]

the static issue definately should not be happening. Many people run multiple cards in a server.

[stanger89]

What kind of motherboard/chipset?

[Junkymagi]

Welp, guess one of the cards is bad. I've used the pair in 3 different computers now and always, the same one starts getting staticy after a short time recording and stays staticy for other recordings.

crud, too late to return it, guess I'm stuck buying a new one.

[Junkymagi]

New problem. After trying to switch them around in my computer (Nforce3, socket 768) now they have the same name in the hardware manager (windows xp) and sagetv only sees one of them

Any way to fix this?

I've tried uninstalling them completely and reinstalling but neither are getting the little number after it signifying it's a different pvr card.

[Junkymagi]

HA, search on this forum works lots better than expected. Found fix for my problem

" dman

I had the same problem. Check out this line in the properties file.

mmc/ignore_encoders

should be blank."

well, that fixed the only seeing one pvr card

still have intermittent staticy picture, starting to piss me off

[Junkymagi]

Hmm, I used to have them 1 or 2 slots apart with one of them in the bottom (#4) or next to bottom (#5) pci slot and that bottom one would have intermittent static (sometimes so bad, no picture at all).

I moved them both up to the 2nd and 3rd pci slot from the agp slot (put a fan on them to keep them cool) and so far, no static in 24 hours, several recordings on both at the same time.

Doesn't like the #4 or #5 slot for some reason, not a clue why

BTW, running an Nforce3 DFI Lanparty motherboard.

[Vlar]

thanks for reporting back. I've been having the same issues. Have a 150 retail and a 150mce .. If I set the reset the tuning on each card for a bit I can have both working.. but it doesn't take long for the 150retail to get all staticy or lose its tuning. I've played around with different PCI slots but didn't think about maybe a heat issue. Will try to put a fan on them.

[Junkymagi]

well, went ahead and RMAed the 250 that kept losing it's tuning and going staticy on me

it played well for a couple days in slot #4 but suddenly went bad on me again, 3 hours of recordings ruined, just static, no picture or sound

seen some posts on adjusting tuning and will be doing research to see if that could be a possible fix if it happens again

[Junkymagi]

Hmm, got the 250 back. I now have 2x 250s and 1x 150 and I think the 150 recordings are not releasing. 2 out of 3 recordings can't be played except through sagetv.

I try to play the files remotely in media player classic and get a message that the file is in use, even though the recording stopped several hours before.

any ideas?