HAVA content - 16:9 content is letter and pillar boxed by sage

[dwalton22]

I just got one of the cool little HAVA boxes to record encrypted HD channels via component video. The HAVA box accepts component video from a digital cable set top box and records the content at 720x480i.

The problem I'm having is that Sage is pillar boxing the shows that I'm recording with the HAVA tuner. Because it is 16:9 content it ends up being both pillar boxed and letter boxed. I have a widescreen tv, why isn't sage just naturally displaying the content in fullscreen 16:9? It does that just fine for any 720p or 1080i show that I record via my HDHomeRun. Something about 16:9 480i content appears to be confusing sage. Maybe it assumes that any 480i content has to be 4:3?

[Crashless]

Sounds like you need to customize an aspect ratio setting to make it look right.

I can't remember the exact percentages I have set - but it's something like 133%x133%. Just mess around with it a little and you'll find it.

[GKusnick]

Are you sure the Hava box is outputting 480i 16x9? From your symptoms it sounds like it might be doing the letterboxing internally and outputting in 4x3 format. If that's that case, then you're not really getting 480 lines of picture, but only about 360 (with the rest being lost to letterboxing). By fiddling with aspect ratios in Sage, you can make those 360 lines fill the screen vertically, but obviously you won't get back the lost resolution that way.

I'm not familiar with the Hava device, but if there's a way to make it output in 4x3 anamorphic format (instead of letterboxing), that might be a better solution.

[dwalton22]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Are you sure the Hava box is outputting 480i 16x9? From your symptoms it sounds like it might be doing the letterboxing internally and outputting in 4x3 format. If that's that case, then you're not really getting 480 lines of picture, but only about 360 (with the rest being lost to letterboxing). By fiddling with aspect ratios in Sage, you can make those 360 lines fill the screen vertically, but obviously you won't get back the lost resolution that way.

I'm not familiar with the Hava device, but if there's a way to make it output in 4x3 anamorphic format (instead of letterboxing), that might be a better solution.

Na, the HAVA is recording in 16:9. I can play HAVA captured mpg file with WMP or winamp without letterboxing.

[dwalton22]

Originally Posted by Crashless

Sounds like you need to customize an aspect ratio setting to make it look right.

I can't remember the exact percentages I have set - but it's something like 133%x133%. Just mess around with it a little and you'll find it.

Is there any reduction in video quality with running a custom aspect ratio like this vs sage natively displaying the video correctly?

[Crashless]

There shouldn't be. All it does is scale up what is there, you shouldn't be losing anything.

[Fuzzy]

Curious, what is the point of the HAVA box over any other analog video capture device? If you are downconverting the HD signal to SD anyways, why not juse use an SD source? or the Svideo output on the HD box?

[dwalton22]

Time Warner disables the s-video output on all HD boxes in our area so the only option for downconverting HD on encrypted channels is to do it via the component video The finished result certainly doesn't look as good as HD but a downconverted football game from ESPNHD looks a heck of a lot better than the same football game recorded from regular analog ESPN.

[Fuzzy]

Ahhh, ok, first I've heard of the locked outputs... wonder what the reasoning for that is?

[dwalton22]

When they first got the scientific atlanta HD DVRs a few years ago they had a very limited supply. They had problems with non-HD TV owners getting the HD DVR just to have the larger hard drive. Their solution was to disable everything but the component video out on all HD set top boxes.

[mohanman]

So wait.. is the HAVA box supported in sagetv?
Mo

[dwalton22]

yep, it is supported as of the latest release.

[mohanman]

Can someone tell me how the picture quality is? I just ordered one, and I mean via component input
Thanks
Mo

[dwalton22]

The quality is ok but not great. You get widescreen which is nice (esp for sports) but the quality looks better than an analog recording but as good as DVD.

The problem I'm having is that the mpegs the HAVA produces are very glitchy. They audio tends to studder and the video cuts out here and there. I'd say in an hour long recording there are 20 to 30 of these glitches. I'm still playing around with it but at this point I wouldn't recommend buying one.

[mohanman]

Oh man.. too late I guess.
Hopefully with some updates it will fix these glitches?
thanks
Mo