building a sagetv setup

[keithclay]

Folks,

I currently use a dish dvr for recording shows. I can record two at a time with the dual receiver. I have a linux box I built that is a dual core AMD 64bit, 2.4gig processor, 8 gig of ram, 2 500gb SATA 3, 7200 RPM WD Caviar drives as my main box. I have 2 tv and I want to build a system that will replace the dvr and still use my two tv's allow me to record 2 shows and watch one. I am running vmware server on this box so I can run windows on it if I need to but would prefer not. I'm not HD yet but will be in the next 6 months when I buy a new tv. I'm running Fedora Core 9 on the box, so let me know. If you need more info, just holler.

keith

[bcjenkins]

To capture HD from Sat you'll need an HD-PVR. The drivers are being worked on now, and it is unknown if SageTV will support it yet. If you have standard OTA access you can use a number of DVB tuners to tune.

For the SD content, I would suggest a PVR-500. Also, make sure you don't get the two tuner boxes from Dish.

B

[mzta9]

Keith, I am in a similar situation. Sounds to me like you could just add the HVR-1600 or HVR-1800 to your linux box if you have a spare PCIe slot. It has 2 tuners - 1 SD tuner for now and 1 HD for later. Then get a STB from Dish, eBay, Craigslist, etc that is not a DVR. Model 301 would work for SD if you were planning to get your your HD from OTA. Just make sure Dish will activate it before you buy the STB if you do not get it from them (R00# & S00#). Using a STB without DVR will eliminate Dish's $5/month DVR fee they tack on, but you may need to press them on it as they may try to keep that fee on your bill.

I'm curious as to why bcjenkins said not to get the dual tuner STB??? Can you explain bc?

[harrijay]

That is because the second tuner is controlled by an RF remote as compared to an IR remote, and at this point there is no way to programatically control the second tuner on that box so for capturing it won't work.

[svemuri]

I don't think the analog part of HVR-1800 works with current kernels? I have one of these using the HD part. Would love to get the composite input working.
Sarat.

Originally Posted by mzta9

Keith, I am in a similar situation. Sounds to me like you could just add the HVR-1600 or HVR-1800 to your linux box if you have a spare PCIe slot. It has 2 tuners - 1 SD tuner for now and 1 HD for later. Then get a STB from Dish, eBay, Craigslist, etc that is not a DVR. Model 301 would work for SD if you were planning to get your your HD from OTA. Just make sure Dish will activate it before you buy the STB if you do not get it from them (R00# & S00#). Using a STB without DVR will eliminate Dish's $5/month DVR fee they tack on, but you may need to press them on it as they may try to keep that fee on your bill.

I'm curious as to why bcjenkins said not to get the dual tuner STB??? Can you explain bc?

[svemuri]

Originally Posted by harrijay

That is because the second tuner is controlled by an RF remote as compared to an IR remote, and at this point there is no way to programatically control the second tuner on that box so for capturing it won't work.

If you have a two tuner Dish receiver, you could leave the second tuner tuned to a channel that you frequently record and remove all other channels from the line-up. That way it will atleast be used some times.

[bcjenkins]

According to this thread http://www.linuxtv.org/pipermail/lin...ne/026664.html analog should be working. I have an 1800 I had pulled out and am tempted to put it back in to try again.

Regarding the channel lineup suggestion. If you were going to do that, I would recommend not assigning it to any lineup and instead manually creating a channel based on another lineup. It would save a lineup from being consumed and you'd still get guide data.

B

[keithclay]

Wooooooooooooooo doggies!!!!. I'm a un*x guy not a tv guy. can you slow down and expand some of those acronyms like STB. I kind of lost you midway through your explanation. I think you assume I know more than I do about all of this. I don't. If there's a good primer head me there.