Possible?: HD STB networking without Firewire

[bfb1963]

The application: I want 4 HD STBs sitting in my WHS server rack controlled by 2 USBUIRT's that use Sage to access them for distribution to my home network that has 2 Sage Client PCs and 4 HD100 Media Extenders.

I have Comcast and I think my box would be an SA 3200HD or 3250HD. I am assuming that I can't get live Firewire output enabled.

The only methods I see so far to get all my encrypted HD channels is to have one Hauppage HD PVR attached to each HD STB, or buy two Dell XPS 420 HTPCs with dual cable cards. That's too expensive.

Is there a pc capture device with component video/audio input that could be used for each HD STB? Are there other, more reasonable options?

Thx, Barry

[sleonard]

At this time the Hauppauge HD-PVR's are the only game in town for recording HD from component. So, your choice is to break out the wallet or wait and hope that competition arises and brings the prices down.

S

[bfb1963]

Live streaming is more important to me than recording. Any component in and firewire or USB out?

[GKusnick]

HD-PVR is a component-to-USB device. Whether the digital output gets recorded or streamed is up to the application software. In Sage, even Live TV gets recorded, so there's no difference between recording and streaming.

[bfb1963]

By the way, thanks for the input. I have read much of this, but still have things I am unclear on.

If I get 4 Hauppage HD PVRs attached to 4 STBs, I should be able to live stream and record all HD content derived from the STB's component/SPDIF outputs. I can use SageTV to control the HD PVRs which in turn control the STBs via an IR blaster (and I do not need a USBUIRT).

[sleonard]

Almost. The Hauppauge IR blasters are useful only if you are using a single HD-PVR and a single cable box. If you want four of each you will need 2 USB-UIRT's and Sage will control the 4 HD-PVR's and will control the 2 USB-UIRT's to change channels on the 4 STB's.

See this post on USB-UIRT zones and this post in using more that one USB-UIRT.

Oh, and the reason you need 2 USB-UIRT's is because they only have 3 zones each.

S