Is Wireless MVP worth the hassle?

[Fluffdaddy]

I have a wired MVP that works great, but the wife is nagging the hell out of me about the Cat5 wired running up the side of the house. So I was thinking 'just thinking' about moving to a Wireless MVP to shut her up. But I been reading some of the problems guys are having with the Wireless MVP and I really don't have the time to get into another long 'how come this is not working' project.............So

POLL TIME

[krasev]

Wirless Hauppauge MVP is great! Works flawlessly even with DVD quality files (MPEG2 720x480 ~5000 kbps). Doesn't play DVD directly from DVD drive, but after converting to mpeg file picture and sound the same as you play dvd from dvd player.
The hassle here is not with wirless hauppauge mvp, but with sagetv as a third party software with hauppauge mvp.

[walts81]

I voted "NO", however, using a wireless bridge with a wired mvp works great. It's just when using a wireless mvp that causes WAYYYYYY too many problems.

- Josh

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by krasev

Wirless Hauppauge MVP is great! Works flawlessly even with DVD quality files (MPEG2 720x480 ~5000 kbps). Doesn't play DVD directly from DVD drive, but after converting to mpeg file picture and sound the same as you play dvd from dvd player.
The hassle here is not with wirless hauppauge mvp, but with sagetv as a third party software with hauppauge mvp.

Point well made.
This Poll is for Wireless MVP's that will be used as a Media Extender with "Sagetv software"

[Marty]

Originally Posted by walts81

I voted "NO", however, using a wireless bridge with a wired mvp works great. It's just when using a wireless mvp that causes WAYYYYYY too many problems.

- Josh

Walts81,
Can you direct me to more info on a wireless bridge, or just tell me if it's relatively simple.

Thanks,
Marty

[walts81]

Originally Posted by Marty

Walts81,
Can you direct me to more info on a wireless bridge, or just tell me if it's relatively simple.

Thanks,
Marty

Sometimes these are referred to as "gaming adapters". It's basically a little wireless adapter that has an ethernet port on it. You would plug an ethernet cable into the adapter and into the MVP.

- Josh

[InvisiblePin]

I started with the wireless version. My MVP was about 20' from the router, but through one wall. When my lap top was right next to the MVP, the laptop said the signal strength was excellent. I seem to recall the MVP saying something like 47.

Problems I had with wireless:
1) Interference about once a week would cause disruption to my stream, video would stutter, and sometimes just stop, MVP would reboot.
2) Sometimes the unit would be frozen when I sat down to use it. I figured it had something to do with the unit losing connection at some time while I wasn't using it. Anyway, I'd have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to work. This is not good for WAF.
3) I noticed FF/RW work MUCH slower with wireless. With wireless these are more like slide shows (a lot of frames seem to be missing), a lot more jerky, not smooth.

After using wireless for a few months I bought a wired unit and wires for both units. I had to screw around with the wireless set up to get the wireless to actually use the wire, but I was able to get it. Both units now work using a wire, and both knock the socks off what I had before with wireless.

Perhaps you may get some mileage out of buying new cables that match the color of your house better.

[ybrew]

I bought one wireless MVP. I've given up trying to get it to work.

While I could get it connected and see the sage gui, I couldn't watch live or recorded TV. The stuttering was too bad. Using it as wired is perfect though.

[evilpenguin]

IMHO wireless is for surfing the internet and nothing else. Unless wiring is a physical impossibility i'd never relay on it for anything that required sustained high data transfer rate.

[DaFrogBoy]

All of my wireless MVP's currently have ethernet cords plugged into them :-/

I strongly urge you to avoid purchasing the wireless MVP. The reception on them is absolutely horrible. Buy a wired one and do a wireless bridge (as previously suggested) if you really want to avoid the cabling.

When wired... these things are great! I love the MVPs! I hate the wireless reception on them.

[smarty]

Title says it all. I paid good $$ for a PVR500 dual tuner card, SageTV software, and wireless MVP.

Silly me, I expected it to work!!!

P.S. It ALL works fine WIRED. The Haupauge software worked fine (wirelessly), but the Sage software does NOT work with a wireless MVP (blinking screen issue).

[roxy99]

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

I have a wired MVP that works great, but the wife is nagging the hell out of me about the Cat5 wired running up the side of the house. So I was thinking 'just thinking' about moving to a Wireless MVP to shut her up. But I been reading some of the problems guys are having with the Wireless MVP and I really don't have the time to get into another long 'how come this is not working' project.............So

POLL TIME

Don't be so lazy. Get a power drill, an old wire hanger, some spackle, paint and other tools and start running Cat 5e wire between the walls.

[Marty]

Originally Posted by smarty

Title says it all. I paid good $$ for a PVR500 dual tuner card, SageTV software, and wireless MVP.

Silly me, I expected it to work!!!

P.S. It ALL works fine WIRED. The Haupauge software worked fine (wirelessly), but the Sage software does NOT work with a wireless MVP (blinking screen issue).

Smarty,

I also paid good $$ for a wMVP and am having troubles!

I can't even get the Hauppauge software to work. When you got it to work, what kind of router or access point are you using, how were your router defaults changed, if at all, and was it working on a "b" or "g" network?

Any hints would be helpful. (Maybe better send me a private message as this may not be relevant to this thread--or just go for it.)

Thanks,
Marty

[ybrew]

Funny thing is - my sagetv client is running wireless, with great results. No stutter, no delay, no lag. I use that everyday as my temporary bedroom TV.

Tried to connect the wireless MVP to the tv in the bedroom initially and it worked, but with horrible stutter.

[jbarr]

Not sure if this will be helpful, but I had very decent success wirelessly streaming video from my ReplayTV box to my PC and vice versa using Belkin wireless routers. It's basically the same general concept. I wrote two articles about it with probably way more information than you would care about:

ReplayTV Tip #6-Multiple Belkin F5D7230-4 Router/Bridge/AP Setup HOWTO

ReplayTV Tip #7: UPDATE: Belkin F5D7230-4 Router

The nice thing about these routers was that they could be used as AP's as well as bridges, so in effect, I could use them as wireless Ethernet adapters.

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by roxy99

Don't be so lazy. Get a power drill, an old wire hanger, some spackle, paint and other tools and start running Cat 5e wire between the walls.

I ain't fishing nothing though 3 floors
That would be all day job, and my middle name is Murphy's Law

[Fluffdaddy]

I never seen such lopsided poll from sage users. So what I'm taking away from this poll is that SageTV Media Extender with Wireless MVP is not ready for primetime. Thanks but no thanks, I'm staying with wired.

I like to thank you guys for taking the time

Edit to add: I may go with InvisiblePin suggestion and get some wife mileage out of buying new cables that closer match the color of our house.

thanks again

[smarty]

George,
I have tried the items you have listed below. My installed SageTV
version was already indeed 5.0.4; I mis-typed that earlier (no software
upgrade needed).

First I removed the MAC filtering from the server computer and also the MVP
connection (let them both be DHCP assigned). I refreshed both network
connections so that the new settings would take place (just for grins I also
disabled the WEP security). No luck!

Next, I loaded the latest MVP software to make sure the MVP was as up to
date as possible. It was version 3.2 from the link listed below.
http://www.haupauge.com/pages/suppor..._mediamvp.html
Still, no luck (DCHP and WEP settings from above still in place - unsecure).

Lastly I tried the MVP.bin swap out. While it appears that this MVP.bin
file allows for the MVP's light to blink when an IR command is sent (which I
like), it still did not allow the MVP "see" the server computer. This is
strange, since my original issue allowed me to connect to the server, but it
would hang up at the "booting" screen.

Again, SageTV works OK with a wired connection (what I went back to). I
also re-enabled the MAC and WEP security (this is a must for a working
SageTV wirless version). I sure would like to get the cat 5 run of wire out
of my living room.

P.S. the MPG playback (wired) is very jecky and erractic. Hope this is
addressed in version 5.1

smarty


----- Original Message -----
From: "SageTV Support" <support@sagetv.com>
To: smarty
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 6:06 PM
Subject: RE: SageTV Support Request


Steve,

Try this. Turn off the mac filtering in the security section of your
router and that should help. If not try running your router in mixed mode and see if that helps.

Now make sure you are using version 5.0.4 from here.
http://www.sagetv.com/download.html
Make sure that you uninstall the Hauppauge software, but before that you
can connect it with a wire and update it to the current revision if it hasn't
been updated.

Lastly you can try the updated mvp.bin file. First close SageTV and the
service and download the file from here.
http://download.sagetv.com/~jeanfrancois/alpha/mvp.bin Go into your
SageTV folder and you can rename your current mvp.bin file first. After that
place the mvp.bin file you downloaded into that directory and now run SageTV
again.

Thanks,

George Oms
SageTV, LLC
support@sagetv.com
http://www.sagetv.com/


-----Original Message-----
From: SMarty
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:14 PM
To: support@sagetv.com
Subject: SageTV Support Request


SUPPORT REQUEST
++++++++++++++++++++++++
NAME: SMarty
EMAIL: smarty@XXXXX.com

SOFTWARE: SageTV
VERSION: Version 5.0
TYPE OF USER: Licensed User

OS: WinXP Home
OS( OTHER? ):
CAPTURE DEVICE: Hauppauge PVR-500MCE
CAPTURE DEVICE ( OTHER? ):
PROCESSOR: Celeron 2.3 GHz
MEMORY: 1 Gig
GRAPHICS CARD: Integrated Conroller - Intel 82845G/GL/PE/GV DVD MPEG2
ENCODER: SageTV ADDITIONAL HARDWARE: PVR500 Tuner Card and SageTV bundle + Wireless MVP just purchased and installed.

SERVICE PROVIDER: TimeWarner
BROADCAST CITY (LOCATION): San Antonio, TX
COUNTRY: USA
SERVICE: SageTV Service
SERVICE TYPE: Cable
>>+++++++++++ REQUEST ++++++++++

REQUEST DESCRIPTION: Guys,
It seems like the SageTV software and the wireless MVP don't like to talk
to each other. Here are my specific facts:

I just installed a wireless MVP. I verfified that it works 100% OK with
Haupauge supplied software (not SageTV sofware).
After stopping the Haupauge services and starting the Sage service, I
verified that the SageTV software DOES works 100% OK when I run a cat 5e
cable to the MVP from my Dlink 624 wired/wireless router. I am using a
DLink 624 router (WEP enabled) at 54Mbps).

SageTV does NOT WORK when I try to wirelessly connect to the MVP (after
stop service on the Haupauge software and then start service with SageTV).
Sage gets to the boot screen and then flickers black and just hangs.

So, this is what I know:
1) My MVP works when wired (SageTV works wired)
2) My MVP works when wireless with Haupauge software.
3) My MVP DOES NOT work with SageTV wirelessly.

Since I really don't want to have a 60ft run of cat 5 down my stairs in
through the house, please let me know the fix. I have read the forum, but
I DO NOT want to start tinkering with the BIN files or others. I just paid
SageTV $380, I expect this to work as described. FYI, computer literacy(on my end) is not an issue.

[brain187]

listen to jbarr and walts81!

I am using a similar setup in my house with no problem at all!
i am using diffent router however. i am using two wrt54gs v4 running dd-wrt sp1 firmware (one in ap mode the other in client bridged mode) it take less then 5 mins to set up and you will never have any problems. although it is really hard to find a V4 router (unless on ebay) a wrt54gl is the same thing and
you can get that brand new on newegg pretty cheap (around) $55! this setup has a few benefits to the wmvp, one being range (at least 500ft to 1500ft at 84mw) the other being that instead of just one device you can hook up four (like xbox for xbox live in your bedroom or maybe a little late night web surfing on that older pc of must have stored away (for po*n prehaps!) If you need more info just let me know it will walk you through it~

brain187,

[Skybolt]

This poll should read is the MVP wort it! Wired definetly not! Live wired video skips how aer they going to fix the wireless?

-skybolt